Miami Nice? We Check Into The EAST Hotel

THE LOWDOWN

It’s difficult to miss the EAST, Miami Hotel (788 Brickell Plaza, +1 305 712 7000; east-miami.com) with its distinctive glass-prism exterior and stacked balconies, whose facade makes for a stand-out fixture of Miami’s downtown skyline. Designed by local architects firm Arquitectonica, this is the first venture of the Hong Kong company Swire Hotels into North America – and there’s even an Irish twist: its interiors were created by the Co Mayo-born, New York-based interior designer, Clodagh Design (no surname necessary), whose clean lines and sedate palette make for an inclusive and welcoming experience. Each of the 352 guest rooms, starting from $299, has floor-length windows, offering magnificent urban views and also of shimmering Biscayne Bay. Long-term travellers, or those that like an extra bit of luxury, can make themselves at home in the residence suites, resting weary bones in the outdoor hot-tub.

DOWNTIME

If the hotel’s outdoor pool and sun deck aren’t enough to help you unwind, take a walk around Bayfront Park (bayfrontparkmiami.com), where yoga classes are available six days a week. Art lovers should opt for the ?ArtEast? special offer when reserving a room: it includes two free passes to the nearby P’rez Art Museum Miami (pamm.org), where there are plenty of exhibitions to ponder before heading back to EAST for some Uruguayan cuisine at its restaurant, Quinto la Huella. Don’t forget that nightcap at the hotel’s Bali-inspired Sugar Bar.

restaurant?Quinto la Huella

For those looking for a lingering lunch, head out to restaurant COYA (999 Brickell Avenue, +1 305 415 9990; coyarestaurant.com), which is from the same stable as the fabled Zuma. Dishes are prepared to be shared – and to transport guests on a cultural journey through Latin America. If you’re looking for a more informal setting, choose the Ceviche Counter where you can watch the chefs at work, or head to the Pisco Bar to sample some of the restaurant’s house-infused brandies. Hic!

restaurant COYA