Faena Hotel Miami Beach review: the city's most dazzling designer pad
Renowned Argentinian hotelier Alan Faena never knowingly underplays his design hand, so the interiors of this much-loved Miami Beach hotel exude outrageously theatrical The Great Gatsby glamour. Its public areas shimmer with acres of gold leaf, lipstick-red velvets and leopard-print fabrics that create a 24/7 party-time ambience. But this place is about substance as well as style, so there are 179 exquisite — and, thankfully, more subdued — bedrooms, exceptional restaurants with slick service, an impressive spa, world-class cabaret performances in its own belle époque theatre. It also features incredible art, including the £9 million Gone But Not Forgotten installation by Damien Hirst — a three-metre high mammoth skeleton sprayed gold, guarding the hotel's cool pool and its peachy stretch of icing sugar-white beach.
This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue
Score 9/10While the bedrooms continue the signature pillar-box red colour theme, the in-your-face campness of downstairs is softened by art deco wood panelling and retro furniture, zingy turquoise velvet drapes and carpets, pretty coral-print cushions and leather armchairs. Indulgent touches include brushed gold fixtures, bespoke bed linen and goose-down pillows, and the bathrooms have turquoise houndstooth tiles and covetable Carrara marble, though you will need to trade up to a suite if you want a bath tub. Every bedroom has a balcony and the oceanfront ones have knockout views.
Score 9/10 Its flagship restaurant is Los Fuegos, the first North American outpost from the South American open-fire specialist Francis Mallmann. It's carnivore heaven, with irresistible wickedness such as wood-fired beef tenderloin with the creamiest of potatoes in a truffle beef jus, and unforgettably succulent racks of lamb with aubergine and mint yoghurt. Breakfast is also served in Los Fuegos, where there are plenty of oat, egg and avocado dishes as well as meaty options.
Seafood lovers will prefer the imaginative fusion of European and Japanese at Pau by Paul Qui, a James Beard Award-winning chef. Its signature dish, called Unicorn, features sea urchin and sweet corn pudding and is as delicious as it looks. Qui also oversees the six-seater El Secreto Omakase dining room for authentic Tokyo-style sushi. At lunchtime, you can get basics such as burgers, poke bowls and pizzas around the pool.
• Discover our full guide to Miami• More of the best hotels in Miami
Score 9/10The Tierra Santa Healing House spa is a welcoming South American-inspired sanctuary of vibrant colour, flooded with light thanks to its location on the third floor. Its candle-lit hammam is one of the largest on America's east coast and its shaman-inspired rituals are supremely relaxing, while results-driven facials are delivered by A-list therapists using the cult french skincare range Biologique Recherche. There's also a well-equipped gym, a hair salon and daily yoga and meditation classes on the beach.
The Faena Theater, which wouldn't look out of place in a film from Hollywood in the Fifties, stages cabaret, dance and live music performances. The pool also exudes retro glamour with red-and-white striped umbrellas and muslin-draped cabanas.
Score 8/10Faena's masterplan didn't stop at his extraordinary hotel: he has created his own art district in the surrounding blocks. Across the street is Faena Forum, which showcases groundbreaking art works and Faena Bazaar, which is home to upmarket arty designer stores.
Price room-only doubles from £537Restaurant mains from £35Family-friendly YAccessible Y
Susan d'Arcy was a guest of Faena Hotel Miami Beach (faenahotel.com)
• Best things to do in Miami• Discover our full guide to Florida
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Girl falls overboard on Disney cruise ship - with father jumping in after her
A girl who fell overboard on a Disney cruise ship has been rescued from the water - along with her father who jumped in after. Crew members pulled the pair to safety as the vessel was returning from The Bahamas to Florida on the final day of the voyage. A passenger told Sky News' US partner NBC that the child had been sat on the rail of the fourth-floor deck while a picture was being taken. "We watched it, you could see two little things... It was crazy, it was horrific," Gar Frantz said. Another person onboard, Gail Merrick, said she was playing bingo when she noticed a commotion on deck - and witnessed the rescue unfold. "We came to find out that it was a child and then the father had gone in after the child, so we were watching with bated breath basically waiting for what would happen," she told NBC News. Disney Cruise Lines said the pair were "swiftly rescued", adding: "We commend our crew members for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship within minutes." James Tackett, another eyewitness, said "everyone cheered" when it was announced the father and daughter were safe. His mother Brenda added: "The Disney Cruise Line staff were phenomenal, the crew, everybody was on it. "You could tell they've practiced this, hopefully have never used it before, but they were great. The whole thing was maybe 10, 15 minutes, and they safely got back on board."
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Liam Payne given heartbreaking tribute at the start of new Netflix series Building The Band which was filmed before his tragic death
Liam Payne is given a heartbreaking tribute at the start of new Netflix series Building The Band which was filmed before his tragic death. The singer will make a posthumous appearance as a judge in the talent show, filmed before he died aged 31 in October, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. The 10-part series will see talented singers vie for a chance to form the next great band, unseen in a similar vein to The Voice. Contestants will audition each other to form their own band while all sat in individual Love Is Blind-esque booths so they can't see each other. And joining Liam on the judging panel is Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger and Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland, while Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean will host. Before the competition starts, show host AJ appears on screen with the tribute. AJ says: 'When we came together to film Building The Band, we never imagined we'd soon be saying goodbye to our friend, Liam Payne. 'Liam is a guest judge in later episodes and through his presence we see his deep love for music and his unwavering commitment to helping others find their voice. 'It is through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.' Liam will only appear from episode seven onwards, alongside fellow guest judge Kelly Rowland. The show's first four episodes will launch on July 9, with new episodes set to roll out every Wednesday over the course of 10 episodes. 'Building the Band brings together talented singers for a truly unique competition show where building the perfect band is all about chemistry,' the show's official synopsis reads. 'The singers are in complete control as they seek to form their very own bands in individual "booths" without ever seeing each other. 'All they have to go on is musical compatibility, connection, chemistry and merit. What will happen when the bands finally meet, and looks, choreography, and style come into play? 'With incredible performances, compelling drama, and one big goal — to find the next great music band —t he stage is set for an unforgettable experience.' The celebrity mentors will bring their 'unparalleled expertise and personal band experience to the competition'. Netflix finished filming the show prior to Liam's sudden death and has since confirmed that his family reviewed the series and is supportive of his inclusion. Last month, a source told The Sun that his family were shown the entire series in advance and have 'given it their blessing' before adding that Netflix worked 'very closely' with Liam's family to ensure the tone of the final cut was right. They said: 'Liam was on great form at filming so everyone's pleased fans will get to see the 'real' him one last time. It will be bittersweet when the show is released. 'Netflix have gone out of their way to make sure his family are happy. Producers sent them the footage so they are fully aware of what to expect and they have given it their blessing.' In January, Liam's cause of death was officially ruled as 'polytrauma' - a term used to describe multiple traumatic injuries sustained by the body. He had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 'up to 2.7 grams per litre in his blood', according to the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office No. 14. This is more than three times the legal driving limit in England and Wales, which is 0.08, meaning he would have been severely impaired in the moments before his fatal fall. A BAC of 2.7 grams per liter (0.27%) is extremely high, with medical experts warning that such levels can lead to confusion, disorientation, and dizziness. According to a BAC above 0.3% can result in alcohol poisoning, and anything above 0.4% could be fatal. In addition to alcohol, the toxicology report found traces of several substances in Liam's system, including 'cocaine metabolites, methylecgonine, benzoylecgomine, cocaethylene, and the antidepressant sertraline,' which is often prescribed for anxiety and depression.
Times
6 hours ago
- Times
Trump's latest move to deter migrants? ‘Alligator Alcatraz'
President Trump will attend the opening of 'Alligator Alcatraz', an immigration detention centre deep in the Florida Everglades, despite protests from Native Americans and environmental activists. Surrounded by swamp, a remote airbase about 45 miles outside Miami has undergone massive construction work in the sweltering heat of summer, and become a symbol of Trump's plans to aggressively round up and deport migrants. Nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz', a reference to the former maximum-security prison in the San Francisco bay, the Florida location was chosen because of the predatory wildlife that deters detainees from escaping — including snapping turtles, venomous cottonmouth snakes and alligators. 'You don't need to invest that much in the perimeter,' said James Uthmeier, Florida's Republican attorney-general, in a recent promotional video. 'People get out, there's not much waiting for them — except alligators and pythons.' Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the facility was 'surrounded by dangerous wildlife and unforgiving terrain'. 'There is only one road leading in, and the only way out is a one-way flight,' she said. 'This is an efficient and low-cost way to help carry out the largest mass deportation campaign in American history.' The Everglades, a delicate ecosystem of subtropical wetlands, is home to 200,000 alligators. It is also the only place in the US with a population of American crocodiles, the most famous of which is a 14-foot specimen nicknamed 'Croczilla'. Since the 1970s, Burmese pythons, an invasive species, have lurked in the national park's humid forests despite the efforts of bounty hunters to control the population. In summer, the temperatures often climb into the high thirties and anyone wishing to escape the facility would have to contend with mosquitoes, lightning and frequent hurricanes — as well as the alligators. Before Trump's visit on Tuesday, protesters lined the highway that bisects the Everglades National Park to demonstrate against the construction lorries transforming the site into a immigration detention centre. Tents and trailers will provide beds for 5,000 migrants by early July, according to estimates provided by the state. The White House has agreed to meet the running costs, estimated to be about $450 million a year, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, used emergency powers to seize the Dade-Collier Training and Transition airport in 2023 despite local opposition. The facility is next to the Tamiami Trail, home to 19 traditional villages of the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes, as well as burial grounds and ceremonial sites. Native American leaders have accused officials of desecrating their homelands and likened Trump's immigration policies to the 19th-century treatment of their ancestors. 'The state would save substantial taxpayer dollars by pursuing its goals at a different location with more existing infrastructure and less environmental and cultural impacts,' Talbert Cypress, chairman of the Miccosukee tribe, wrote in a statement on Facebook. Joining the opposition, environmental groups have filed a federal lawsuit against the project on the basis that the building work could damage an important habitat for endangered species, including the Florida panther and the West Indian manatee. But DeSantis, who lost out to Trump in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination and supported him afterwards, has enthusiastically backed the project. He also suggested Florida could open up another detention centre at Camp Blanding, a US army base more than 300 miles north, to supplement the beds at 'Alligator Alcatraz'. 'Clearly, from a security perspective, if someone escapes, you know, there's a lot of alligators,' DeSantis said in a briefing last week . 'No one's going anywhere.' As part of Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been set a target of arresting 3,000 people a day. The aggressive tactics have resulted in violent clashes with protesters, most notably in Los Angeles in June, when Trump deployed US marines and soldiers to quell the unrest. The raids have resulted in 57,000 people being held in detention across the US, exceeding the total beds capacity of 41,500, according to internal documents seen by CBS. Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, has praised Florida for proposing the Everglades as a site to house migrants and the Trump administration has appeared to revel in the controversy. The Department for Homeland Security recently shared an AI-generated image of alligators wearing ICE baseball caps patrolling the detention centre with the caption 'Coming soon!' Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. The Republican Party has also begun selling 'Alligator Alcatraz' merchandise, including T-shirts, hats and drinks coolers.
