What a view right? This hard to beat location in the center of downtown Miami is the home of the relatively new hotel EAST Miami, which is chic, modern and elegant all wrapped into one.
It’s only a 15 minute drive from the the airport, making it a great option for business travelers. Situated on top of Brickell City Centre, the property is conveniently connected to popular districts such as Wynwood, the Design District, and South Beach.
I had to start with the views since it’s one of the best things about this incredible gem that few people I spoke to in Miami had heard about. Below, I take a break from my cuppa Joe after breakfast one morning before heading back to my room.
Reason number 2 might seem like a strange one, but it’s their innovative and creative elevator system. At first, it’s a bit confusing, but after a few tries, you’ll become a pro and perhaps like me, feel a bit like a ten year old in a playground.
The main restaurant turns into a fun cafe/lounge area during the day, where they serve breakfast in the morning. Here, while you lounge about in comfy chairs, you play Chess or Backgammon or simply read the paper or your kindle (there’s wifi throughout the property of course).
On the top floor, there’s a pool, which was too chilly to use when I was there, but a fabulous feature of the hotel during warmer months.
Below Domain, located in the lobby, is open all day and offers freshly brewed coffee, light bites, wine and cocktails.
The below shot shows the top of the hotel’s Sugar, their trendy rooftop bar and garden, where they have fabulous cocktails and Asian tapas.
There’s a few loungey areas where you can simply hang out, including this fun swing amidst lush green plants.
The trendiness extends to the outside of the hotel as does its commitment to green and sustainability. Oh yeah, and the hotel brand likes to have a l’il fun as well.
I loved the location as well. While it may not be conveniently located within walking distance to South Beach, or any beach for that matter, it’s a very close Uber ride away.
For business travel, it’s a great spot and because it’s away from the party late scene, you don’t have to deal with honking horns, brash lights and loud nightclub music. And, when you are in the mood for some great vibes and drinks, you can just head up to Sugar on the top floor.
I’d suggest booking a room on one of the upper floors so you can take advantage of the breathtaking views that EAST Miami has to offer — even better if you can get a corner room so you can have a walk around patio like this one. And whoah, such beautiful urban eye candy!
It was incredible to take in sunset with a view like this. Wow, right?
The inside of the rooms are modern and contemporary with simple clean lines. There are 352 guest rooms in the hotel, including eight suites and 89 one, two and three bedroom residence suites, which have fully equipped kitchen and laundry facilities along with all the amenities and services of the hotel.
My room was a corner room like the one below and their king rooms face west towards Miami and the Everglades.
Corner King rooms include a 5 foot bathtub with a breathtaking view. I’d recommend a bath around sunset time with a cocktail in hand and then heading to dinner in their oh so chic restaurant right on the premises. Fabulous, right?
Another quirky thing I loved about the hotel was the shower, which allows you to choose your exact temperature — customization at its best.
You can stream your own content via your Apple or Android device through a massive 50” Samsung Smart TV and play your own music or make phone calls through a very cool Native Union Switch device in each room.
They also have these oh so cool orange and black striped bags and offer high end iPhone chargers for purchase in your room in case you forget yours, as well as waters, sodas and spirits for that late night cocktail.
All of the rooms are spacious ranging in size from 300 to 1,800 square feet, a walk-in rain shower, Panther Coffee (a Miami-based specialty coffee roaster), a tea maker, and complimentary WiFi. Below is one of their suites.
There’s also the massive and oh so luxe East Suite (below), a great choice for a special occasion or a family.
Breakfast is served buffet style and includes croissants, muffins, cold meats, cheese, yogurt, bagels, fresh fruit and cereals. There’s also oatmeal with candied orange and blueberries, bacon, South American style chorizo, roasted potatoes, Serrano ham and JoJo teas.
Fresh juice is also available (YAY – they have green juices), as well as orange, grapefruit, carrot and watermelon. Caffeine lovers will appreciate their varied offerings: Expresso, Macchiato, Cappuccinos, Caffe Late, Cortadito and Americano.
Dinner is where it gets really interesting since this Uruguay infused restaurant Quinto La Huella has all day dining and a fresh sushi bar on-site. I started my evening with fresh oysters on the half shell, pairing them with a crispy Sauvignon Blanc.
I absolutely loved the ambiance and because of its South American/Euro decor and style, it attracts a lot of Latin and South Americans as well as Mediterranean Europeans.
I opted to sit at the bar for dinner at Quinto La Huella, which has lots of fun vibes. The chefs use a unique fire cooking method with a wood fire parrilla centered at the heart of our kitchen and includes a wood fire oven and outdoor dining areas to sit.
They have plenty of healthy salads and their Burrata is to die for — really! It is made with burrata cheese, wood oven pumpkin and chile. OMG! Also worth trying is their Tostada with baby artichokes, taggiasca olives and French feta cheese.
Their seafood is fresh and incredibly delicious, like this octopus a la plancha with potatoes confit and paprika and the local snapper (full fish). YUM!!
They support local farming, organic and free-range products which we applaud. Other dishes worth mentioning include the Uruguayan grass fed strip steak or rib eye, a Colorado rack of lamb, local swordfish or the Fish Tartare starter with capers, shallots, oregano, basil and mint.
Calamari lovers will appreciate the crispy option on the appetizer menu which they serve with pimientos mayo and you can also order crab cakes, baby squid with grilled zucchini, or grilled sweetbreads in a criolla sauce. Can you say divine? Two thumbs up! We would definitely return.
DETAILS:
EAST Miami
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
