I recently had the pleasure of being a guest at the
Mayfair Hotel and Spa in Coconut Grove, Florida. The location in the heart of CocoWalk was perfect. It is almost completely finished with its ten million dollar renovation. Upon completion luxury condos starting in the $200,000 range will be incorporated into the hotel.
The architecture and decor of the building was the most unique that I have seen in a hotel. The style incorporates Spain, the Far East, and a touch of Art Nouveau.
Kimpton Hotels, which currently has 38 hotels, renovates properties around the world and keeps many of the original elements in working order.
It was nice to stay in a place that his taste and history as CocoWalk seems like such a recent addition to this very old and charming neighborhood. The style is very organic from the moment you enter the hand-carved entrance doors.
Each room opens to a view of the open-air courtyard and its reflecting pools, tropical plants, green patinated caste bronze flying birds and artistically welded, wall-mounted lighting features. Explore the hotel and the array of secluded seating areas via open, spiral staircases or a pair of antique glass elevators.
The staff was excellent, courteous, and made us feel welcome. When we arrived, our bellman gave us the much appreciated tour of our room and its special features. Our wall-mounted 42" flatscreen television was an obvious plus, and it could be angled to be seen from various parts of the room including the jacuzzi on the private balcony.
All rooms are suites, feature beautiful marble and tile from the bathroom to the individual balcony. The furniture and decor were fabulous and very functional. Room amenities included twenty-four hour room service, Miami Herald at the door, a mini-fridge, microwave, two sinks, large automatically lit closets, and luxurious bathtub. Little things that were a nice touch included the hairdryer, extending wall mirror, cotton balls, and q-tips.
Hotel benefits were access to the fitness center, salon and spa,
Ginger Grove Restaurant, free wireless internet access, coffee and tea in the lobby each morning, and the free cocktail or wine each evening.
The internet was only reliable in the courtyard or lobby. The signal was not strong enough to penetrate all that tile in our fourth floor room. Mayfair is beginning to incorporate internet access and keyboards on the plasma televisions.
Our off-season rate through orbits was very reasonable - $199 plus tax. This may change as the rooftop pool with bar and private cabanas opens in 2006. A second restaurant, the Mayfair Grill is also almost complete. At check-out be prepared to find a $25 a day valet parking charge on your bill. This is fairly standard for Miami. I was surprised to not find a fee for the daily cleaning service.
I would highly recommend this hotel to guests looking for the perfect blend of luxury and eccentricity. You will hear various city sounds especially via an open terrace door, so request a room on the fourth or fifth floor if you want to distance yourself. Condos are also being constructed across the street and some rooms will have this to contend with.
The chain has an extremely socially conscious attitude. They recycle to a high-degree, print on recycled paper with soy ink, and use environmentally friendly cleaning products, and pesticide-free organic coffee. Kimpton donates and
promotes social responsibility via The National AIDS Fund, The Trust for Public Land, Dress for Success and many other programs.
The Kimpton Hotels brochure mentions a South Beach property to open in Fall 2006.
