Fontainebleau Miami Beach
Colors, Flavors, and Scents
Few places are able to claim a renaissance grand enough to capture the attention of the world. Fontainebleau is one such place. In the past, the iconic hotel helped to mold Miami’s architectural aesthetic. Today, it defines a new age of sexy glamour and ultramodern spirit.
Morris Lapidus’ vision lives again with a $1 billion dollar rebirth, staying true to the spirit of the idiosyncratic original. Every event, every experience, and every moment lived has the unforgettable magic of avant-garde bliss, set on a 21st century stage.
Once the set or stay for major entertainers of the ’50s and ’60s, from The King to Lucille Ball, the Rat Pack and more, the hotel now caters to modern superstars.
“If you create a stage and it is grand, everyone who enters will play their part,” Lapidus once said. And his statement rings true to this day. The famous Staircase to Nowhere is again lit with the beauty of modern divas. The lobby comes alive as the evening sets with youthful spirits ready to enter the sexy and thrilling LIV nightclub. The lounge floor changes color as the emotions of those present intensify.
Beyond the lobby more than 1,500 rooms in the two new towers front the Atlantic Ocean. The famed building known for its emblematic curvilinear design captures the modern experience with retro nuances, not only architecturally intriguing, but gastronomically mouthwatering as well. The 22-acre showplace is more than just a place to stay – it’s a place to eat, dance, laugh, love and live.
Fontainebleau dining raised the bar for the Miami food scene with 11 new restaurants and lounges. Three signature restaurants – Gotham, by celebrated Chef Alfred Portable (chef and owner of Gotham Bar & Grill NY), Scarpetta of Scott Conant (formerly of L’impero) and the stateside debut of Alan Yau’s Hakkasan (Britain’s only Michelin-rated Chinese restaurant) – lead the Fontainebleau’s array of eateries.
Gotham Steak, a two-level restaurant with an ultra chic glass wine cellar, offers indoor and al fresco dining. The menu consists of American and international dishes from seafood to specialty cuts of meat and a selection of more than 500 wines.
Scarpetta, the resort’s Italian restaurant, meshes classic Italian recipes with fruits and spices from South Florida creating clean, crisp, plates made with simple ingredients. The end result is exquisite presentations where the nature of organic produce is enhanced by Conant’s craft and technique.
From western fare to eastern flavor, the resort’s Asian cuisine comes from Yau’s award-winning Cantonese restaurant, Hakkasan. This sleek and modern restaurant designed by French firm Gilles & Boissier and located atop the fourth floor overlooking the beach offers New World wines and sake that complement Yau’s classic cooking approach.
Yet, dining and nightlife are but one aspect of Fontainebleau. There is, of course, the Fontainebleau’s swimming pool. Few pools have ever had the history and legend of the Fontainebleau’s former swimming pool and deck. The latest version is new and improved, stylish and sleek. The “walls of water” intermingle with a free form pool. Then, there is the exclusive Euro-style poolscape engulfed by classic white cabanas where every second spent near these bodies of water is reminiscent of Bond and Goldfinger’s fiery game of gin rummy.
