701 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2700, Miami, Florida 33131
305/539-3084 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305/539-3084 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, Fax 305/539-2911
http://www.MiamiandBeaches.com
E-Mail: Media@MiamiandBeaches.com
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Contact: Media Relations: 305-539-3084 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305-539-3084 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
WHAT’S NEW THIS SUMMER IN GREATER MIAMI AND THE BEACHES
MIAMI (August 2010) – The streets of Miami are hotter than ever this summer. New hotels, spas, restaurants, night clubs, retail outlets and other attractions continue to add to the destination’s appeal as a tropical paradise with a chic, cosmopolitan atmosphere, setting the stage for a glamorous summer getaway.
Here is an update on the latest news from Greater Miami and The Beaches this summer:
SUMMER DEALS:
Miami Spice Restaurant Month began August 1 for its ninth consecutive year. Through September 30, more than 100 of Miami’s finest restaurants will offer discounted $22 lunch and $35 dinner three-course menus (excluding taxes and gratuities). Top restaurants like world renowned Hakkassan and Emeril’s make up part of the program. Each menu will include an appetizer, entrée and dessert offering an average discount of 30-50% off regular prices. www.iLoveMiamiSpice.com
Miami Spa Month has been extended! Thirty-six of Miami’s premier spas will continue to offer $99 specials through August 31, 2010. A variety of signature massages and body therapies, normally valued at $199 or above, are available. Spa goers can realize savings of up to 50% or more during the third annual Miami Spa Month at ultra-lux spas such as The Mandarin Oriental Spa and Canyon Ranch Miami Beach. Visit www.MiamiSpaMonth.com
for a full list of participating spas.
The Miami 4 For 3 promotion continues through September 30, 2010, offering a wide range of deals at dozens of hotels, restaurants and area attractions that allow visitors to “buy three and get one free”. Transform a three-night getaway to a relaxing four-night vacation, buy three admission tickets and get one free or enjoy a round of four cocktails for the prices of three. www.Miami443.com
HOTEL HAPPENINGS
The Bal Harbour Quarzo, set to open in Fall 2010, is a waterfront luxury Boutique property situated on the western, dry side of Collins Ave, adjacent to the Intracoastal canal and walking distance from the white sandy beaches. Offering a comfortable and contemporary collection of residences featuring units with two bedrooms and two baths of 1,700sqft. This luxury boutique property has the comfort and security of a 5 Star property with the independence of your own home, as well as attractive communal spaces and a great set of amenities. The Bal Harbour Quarzo offers the perfect place to relax and enjoy the Miami vibe. On the grounds you will also find a tranquil atmosphere for the guests complete with Zen meditation gardens, a Solarium, two heated pools with natural wood decks, a BBQ area and even a chef you can hire to come and cook for you! If you head down to the local beach you don’t even have to cross the street! www.Bal-Harbour-Quarzo.com
The Biltmore Hotel is offering a variety of programs and activities for children throughout the summer including lessons in the kitchen highlighting cooking vocabulary, recipes and etiquette through the Biltmore Culinary Academy for Kids, golf and tennis camps, aquatics classes, and a spa beauty camp with mini Manicures and Pedicures for those small hands and feet. www.biltmorehotel.com.
Anticipated to open in Fall 2010, Vikram Chatwal Hotel’s Dream South Beach will inject a hit of avant-garde edge to the Miami landscape. A vanguard amongst fashion-forward hotel accommodations, Dream South Beach will occupy an ideal position at 11th Street and Collins Avenue, the epicenter of the renowned Miami nightlife and epicurean scenes. With distinctive architectural elements executed by internationally acclaimed designer Michael Czysz (principal of Architropolis), Dream South Beach will expose guests to progressive, fantastical elements while retaining a comfortable sense of personal, “in-your-dreams” sumptuousness. The hotel will also include Chopra Spa, a serene haven of holistic healing with signature ancient Indian Ayurvedic treatments. For more information, visit, www.VikramChatwalHotels.com and www.DreamSouthBeach.com.
Hotel Beaux Arts Miami, a private, 44-room boutique property that fuses art and innovation, will open in October 2010 inside the new Metropolian Miami development. The hotel is the first-ever to be entirely outfitted with Bang & Olufsen in-room entertainment systems including remote controlled video & sound systems, remote controlled drapery, HD-LCD flat screen TV and home theatre system. Replete with the finest in amenities, views, and art-infused accommodations, each room also features rich, Brazilian cherry dark hard wood floors; touch-controlled, illuminated bathroom faucets; an iPad; and luxurious bedding and pillow menu. The amenities at the JW Marriott Marquis are conveniently available to guests. www.hotelbeauxartsmiami.com
The world’s first JW Marriott Marquis Miami opens October 2010. The two-story, 50,000-sq-ft facility will feature a 10,000-sq-ft NBA-approved basketball arena, full-size tennis court, world-renowned Jim McLean Golf School, Virtual Bowling Alley, 3-D media room, Rik Rak Spa & Salon as well as a word-class Fitness Center. Located in Miami’s new Metropolitan Miami (The Met), the 313-room hotel will also feature Miami’s first DB Bistro Moderne, a French/American restaurant by acclaimed chef-restaurateur and winner of three James Beard Foundation awards, Chef Daniel Boulud. www.jwmarriottmarquismiami.com
This summer, Loews Miami Beach Hotel is showing off its new $50 million renovation. The renovation consisted of three parts — the arrival experience, with a completely redesigned lobby including an aquarium wall and porte cochere entrance; the guest experience, with SoBe Scoops ice cream shop and Splash boutique; and the “living” space, with 790 completely transformed guest rooms, suites, bathrooms and hallways. The hotel’s extensive rejuvenation will be completed late 2010 with new cabanas featuring sliding doors and roof decks. www.loewshotels.com.
Mandarin Oriental, Miami, recently completed a $17 million renovation, completely redecorating its guest rooms and suites, the Oasis Beach Club, and M-Bar martini lounge. All enhanced guestrooms include a private balcony overlooking Biscayne Bay or the Miami skyline. The redesigned Oasis Beach Club offers a variety of choices for guests while lounging and enjoying sun, sand and sea and the private beach recently unveiled new luxury cabanas with flat-screen televisions and bespoke butler service and chaise lounges. Mandarinoriental.com/Miami.
The National Hotel, Miami Beach’s premiere historic beachfront resort announces new lavish Poolside Cabana Rooms and Suites opening August 2010. Each suite will have an oversized private terrace and refreshment/dining area, all overlooking the signature, one-of-a-kind, 205-foot-long swimming pool and surrounding tropical gardens. www.nationalhotel.com.
The Newport Beachside Resort recently launched Seven Seas Salon, a new Aveda Concept beauty space with Dashing Diva Nail Bar. For the style conscious who covet beauty on a budget, the full-service salon and nail bar features affordable services and treatments starting at only $10. Dashing Diva, New York’s favorite nail salon chain, provides a state-of-the-art experience with the most innovative nail care products and services designed for all looking to be pampered. Three modern and unisex styling stations are also available offering professional Aveda cuts and blowouts at reasonable prices. For more information visit, www.NewportBeachsideResort.com or call 305-749-2100 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305-749-2100 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Opening in Fall 2010, Red South Beach Hotel, located on historic Collins Avenue, across from the white sands of the beach, at the gateway to South Beach in iconic Miami Beach, offers casual luxury and great style in an upbeat and chic boutique hotel. After a multi-million dollar renovation, Red South Beach Hotel is truly a unique destination, only steps from the world class nightlife, dining and shopping of South Beach. Artfully blending classic baroque elements with contemporary finishes, Red South Beach Hotel exudes graceful elegance. The Hotel’s hip design brings you back to an era of simple yet stylish beauty and sophistication. This is your new home away from home in Miami Beach. Your four legged friends are welcome too. Complimentary wi-fi throughout the hotel keeps you productive, even by the pool. Didn’t bring your laptop, no worries, we’ll lend you one. If an afternoon on the beach is your desire, we’ve made it easy, beach chairs and plush towels are available at the front desk. From it’s splendid outdoor pool, a welcome drink upon arrival, luxurious bedding, and relaxing outdoor lounge, Red South Beach Hotel epitomizes the essence of a boutique hotel in America’s Riviera, the sexiest playground in the world. 3010 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140, www.RedSouthBeach.com.
Experience the valiantly new Shelborne South Beach, reopening October 2010, in the heart of Miami Beach. Rejuvenated at a cost of US$10,000,000, visionary Jonathan Cardello who has bended the award-winning architectural designs of renowned Morris Lapidus and icon Igor Polevitsky. This new incarnation of one of the original and first luxury high-rise boutique hotels on Miami Beach draws its inspiration from the serene coastal beach and ocean landscapes background of Miami Beach and captures everything the South Beach stands for – excitement, invincibility, fashionable and glamour. The Shelborne South Beach will feature 200 brand new guestrooms;1 & 2 bedroom townhouse apartments, suites, Jr. suites & Executive Penthouse suite; Two Whirlpools, Olympic Size Pool w/ Poolside Bar; a Rooftop Spa & Fitness Club; The New La Esquina, upscale NY Mexican including a Brasserie, Taqueria, Tequila &Wine Bar; Three Entertainment Lounges including the World Famous Studio Lounge; Six flexible Meeting Rooms including a brand new state-of-the-art Ballroom; Production facilities For Sound Top Motion Picture Movie/Film; and 24 hour concierge service. For more information, contact Saun Lightbourne, (305) 341-1318 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (305) 341-1318 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, (800) 327-8757 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (800) 327-8757 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, Saun@Shelborne.com or visit www.shelborne.com.
Soho Beach House Miami is due to open in Mid-Miami Beach in Fall 2010. Located on the site of the historic Sovereign hotel, their new private members club will offer 44 bedrooms, 6 tower suites, a screening snug, 2 pools, cabanas and a beach, as well as an expansive rooftop “Cowshed” spa with wooden cabins for private treatments and a Cecconi’s restaurant open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.sohobeachhouse.com/.
COOL CUISINE AND NIGHT LIFE
8‘s taking over the breezeway in South Beach’s Z Ocean Hotel, plating burgers like their house blend (a meaty conglomeration of sirloin, tri-tip, short rib, and chuck) and edible fun like the Suds & Slider Sampler: three 5oz beers with mini wild boar, lamb, and prime beef burgers. Study major beef accoutrements on the full menu at 8OzBurgerBar.com.
Michael Bloise, formerly exec chef of Wish at The Hotel, will be opening a neighborhood noodle shop in the Biscayne corridor in the Fall 2010, American Noodle Shop. For more information, contact Susan Brustman, (305) 573-0658 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (305) 573-0658 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, sbrustman@brustmancarrinopr.com.
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts embarks on its fifth anniversary season with the new Bombay Sapphire Lounge. Opening October 8, 2010, the lounge will offer a variety of cocktails and tapas in an indoor/outdoor setting. It is located on the Arsht Center campus at the base of the restored Art Deco Tower, one of the oldest buildings in Miami. www.arshtcenter.org
The Viceroy has launched Bistro E, a new wallet-friendly lunch service in the Eos restaurant space, with items as low as $5 and no more than $22. Try the $15 “bento” box, a three-courser with things like a grilled cheese BLT and key lime pie. Open daily 11am-4pm daily, Eos, 485 Brickell Ave, 305-503-0373 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305-503-0373 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. http://www.viceroymiami.com/cuisine/bistro_e.html
La Fee Verte, Miami’s first members-only burlesque and absinthe club, opened in June 2010 in North Miami Beach. French for “the green fairy,” La Fee Verte is like a 1920s Paris bordello crossed with the Delano and a dash of The Shining. Everything is meant to arouse-from the vintage erotica on the bar’s countertop to the women’s bathroom walls clad with midcentury strippers to the swings suspended from the ceiling that double as lounge seating. You’ll want to get here around 11pm-bring some friends or a date you want to seduce-and pile onto an oversized bed in the VIP area to catch the stripteases, aerial tricks and contortions that go on each hour. From there, you’ll begin an absinthe-fueled journey fraught with old standbys (Pernod, Lucid) and novel varieties (a white version from Switzerland, absinthe chilled through an ice block). And if you get tired of taking it straight, barkeeps will be mixing up the green elixir with champagne or classic cocktails like Sazeracs. 912 71st St., Miami Beach, FL 33141, 305-865-5955 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305-865-5955 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, http://www.clublafeeverte.com.
Magic City Casino, Miami’s first and only casino to feature over 7000 Las Vegas style slot machines is launching a new music hub, Secada’s which will feature Jon Secada in performance and hosting musical guests. Bar food and specialty cocktails will be offered. The all-new Magic City Casino also features an 18-table Poker Room, outdoor concert amphitheater, live greyhound racing and multiple food and beverage outlets, among other state-of-the-art amenities. http://www.magiccitycasino.com
For more information, contact Susan Brustman, (305) 573-0658 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (305) 573-0658 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, sbrustman@brustmancarrinopr.com.
SAWA Restaurant & Lounge (which means “together), has arrived to the upscale shopping venue of the Village of Merrick Park. In the heart of Coral Gables, SAWA is the suave and sexy Mediterranean restaurant, bar and lounge from charismatic restaurateur Ramzi Zahr. This reasonably priced eatery, which also offers an exciting list of cocktails, and a sidewalk cabana/hookah lounge, showcases executive chef Jouvens Jean, formerly of Atrio and Solea, who creates a melding of Mediterranean inspired spreads, kebabs, salads, entrees, and by popular demand, sushi. An intimate 2,500 square foot space that seats 60 indoors and up to 70 outdoors was designed with the harmonious balance of yin and yang in mind. The interior boasts dark wooden tables, bar and chairs with white leather upholstery and funky white chandeliers. Crisp white walls are tastefully dressed in the vibrant art by Chady Elias who will change his “interactive art” exhibits every few months. For more information, visit www.SawaRestaurant.com or contact: 305-447-6555 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305-447-6555 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Legendary NYC burger spot, Shake Shack set up shop in Miami in June 2010. This location, housed on the ground floor of the cutting-edge 1111 parking garage, differs from its NY siblings in that it’s mostly an indoors affair. There’ll be tables outside eventually, but for now the handsome interior, with its 30-foot ceilings and counters made from repurposed bowling alleys, is where you’ll bring a date before catching a movie across the street, or after a long day of beach volleyball with a gaggle of Eastern Bloc women (Estonians prefer extra relish). As far as the retro-American snack grub, here’s what you should expect: griddle-cooked burgers on the smallish side, made with fresh-ground, antibiotic- and hormone-free Black Angus beef. They’re cooked to order, so while you’re waiting for your ShackBurger (American cheese, lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce), you can sink a straw into one of the restaurant’s trademark super-thick shakes made with vanilla custard. And because it’s an indoors joint, you can also cut loose with an Abita, ShackMeister Ale or Brooklyn Lager. 111 Lincoln Rd Building on Lenox Ave; South Beach; 305.434.7787 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305.434.7787 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Goldman Properties will be opening a 4,000 sq. ft. restaurant in Wynwood, the emerging arts district, next door to Joey’s, called Wynwood Kitchen & Bar. The patio dining will be on the green area that houses Wynwood Walls, the largest collection of museum-quality street art in the U.S. It’s slated to open November/December 2010. For more information, contact Susan Brustman, (305) 573-0658 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (305) 573-0658 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, sbrustman@brustmancarrinopr.com.
EPIC Hotel & Residences celebrates the opening of ZUMA, London’s award-winning restaurant, making its U.S. debut. The brainchild of German chef Rainer Becker, ZUMA offers a sophisticated cuisine philosophy inspired by the informal Japanese dining style called Izakaya. www.zumarestaurant.com or www.epichotel.com.
ATTRACTION ACTION AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Coral Gables Cinematheque – This much-anticipated art cinema located directly across the street from Books & Books on Aragon Avenue will offer international programming, opening late August/early September 2010. www.cinematheque.org.
Coral Gables Museum – Opening October 10, 2010, the Coral Gables Museum will be located at the city’s historic fire and police station on Aragon Avenue. The museum will showcase the civic arts of architecture, urban design, planning, and historic and environmental preservation. www.coralgablesmuseum.org.
DECOBIKE, the official City of Miami Beach public bike sharing and rental program debut in June 2010. The Green Transportation Revolution has begun and the City of Miami Beach and its world-famous South Beach Art Deco district is helping lead the way with green practices and sustainable transportation initiatives. DECOBIKE Miami Beach is the new ZERO-pollution public transit system for residents and visitors alike that is also healthy, fast, and efficient. It requires no fossil fuels and has the efficiency equivalent of over 3,000 miles per gallon. The City of Miami Beach is helping lead the way with green practices and sustainable transportation initiatives. DECOBIKES will include approximately 1,000 Custom Program Bicycles, 100+ Solar-Powered, DECOSTATIONS located in the Public Right of Way will include all major attractions, shops, hotels, condos, offices, beaches, parks and civic centers in South Beach, Mid Beach and North Beach and will have Automated Operation 24/365. www.decobike.com
Doral Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort, will host Patriot Golf Day on Sunday, September 5, with all proceeds benefiting the Folds of Honor Foundation, a scholarship fund for dependents and spouses of service members that have been killed or disabled as a result of military service. Cost for participating is $150 per person, and tee times start at 8:00am. www.doralresort.com or www.marriott.com/miadl.
Homestead-Miami Speedway will host both the IndyCar (October 1 through 2) and NASCAR (November 19-21) Championships in 2010. Construction has been completed on a $3 million, state-of-the-art leaderboard as well as LED displays featuring high-resolution graphics and statistic information. The enhancement offers the finest technology available in motorsports, allowing fans to experience all of the on-track drama as superstars Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick, Dario Franchitti-and South Florida-residents Juan Pablo Montoya, Helio Castroneves, and Tony Kanaan-all race for Championship glory. Tickets are now on sale and available by calling 866-409-RACE begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 866-409-RACE end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visiting THEChampionshipTrack.com.
Jungle Island have welcomed several new residents to its animal family this summer. Joining the jungle are a family of prairie dogs, a baby camel, a baby zebra and a family of marmosets (the smallest primates in the world). The new Garden Outpost will provide a wide variety of fun including Floating Beach Balls, life-size, see-through spheres to climb inside to literally walk on the water of a crystal clear pool. Also, through the end of summer, guests can meet the wild wonders Dr. Wasabi has found from his world travels – from a baby warthog to an alligator snapping turtle; baby Hamadryas baboons to African penguins. www.jungleisland.com.
South Beach’s Lincoln Road celebrates its 50th anniversary since being redesigned by famed Miami Modern (MiMo) architect Morris Lapidus. Recent enhancements to this iconic Miami attraction include new luxury stores on its east end at Washington Avenue and recent block-long expansion west to Alton Road, which includes 4-3, MAC, Journelle, Osklen, Coltori, Swarovski, All Saints and Herve Leger. The promenade’s captivating 1111 Building and its iconic new parking garage will become another mainstay for visitors of Lincoln Road, with its open-air design, black and white geometric stone paved plaza, and native Floridian landscaping, a tribute to the flora that once dominated the region in the early 20th century. And in January 2011, the Frank Gehry designed New World Symphony performance hall will also open.
The City of Miami Beach and Arquitectonica, an international architecture, interior design and planning corporation headquartered in Miami have executed an Agreement for the development of a Campus Master Plan for the Expansion and Enhancement of the Miami Beach Convention Center. Arquitectonica has presented a preliminary plan for the expansion of the Miami Beach Convention Center which includes: a new 60,000 square foot multi-purpose space; a 20,000 square foot junior ballroom; 200,000 square feet of new exhibition space; more than 100,000 square feet of additional meeting space; and expanded parking. Arquitectonica, now working on architectural designs and other elements, predict improvements would cost over $500 million. http://www.miamibeachconvention.com
The newly renamed Zoo Miami (formally Miami Metro Zoo) will open this summer a new $168,367 Indian Rhino Encounter Station where zoo patrons will have a unique opportunity for up-close and personal encounters with Indian rhinos. www.miamimetrozoo.com
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TRANSPORTATION
Coastal Car Worldwide and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino have entered into an exclusive agreement to provide round-trip luxury shuttle transportation from 1665 Washington Avenue in South Beach to the Hard Rock Casino. The shuttle service will serve as the gateway for Miami Beach tourists and locals to visit the area’s premier gaming facility. Upon arrival at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, all passengers over 21 will receive $25 in FREE casino play and a $7.50 meal voucher thus covering the entire shuttle price. www.CoastalCar.com/HardRock.
A New Car Rental Center has opened at Miami International Airport, for the first time bringing under one roof all the major and many of the smaller car rental companies that offer vehicles at MIA. The opening of the rental car center will mark completion of the first major phase of the $1.7-billion Miami Intermodal Center travel hub, which by 2015 will connect in one site virtually all county modes of transportation: aircraft, cars, Metrorail, Tri-Rail, Amtrak and perhaps in the future high-speed rail. The MIC, as the travel hub is known, is one of three major transportation projects underway in South Florida — along with the $1.8-billion reconstruction of Interstate 595 in central Broward, and the $1-billion construction of a tunnel under Biscayne Bay to the Port of Miami. The new system will replace the multiple rental car shuttle buses now operating at MIA, one of the key contributors to traffic congestion on the MIA road network. Reducing congestion at and around MIA and linking modes of transportation in one hub have been key concepts behind construction of the MIC, which includes the rental car center, the still-under-construction Miami central station and transit services and major upgrades on roads leading to the airport. The MIA Mover station will be housed at the Miami central station, which will also house new platforms for Metrorail, Tri-Rail, Amtrak and eventually perhaps a high-speed rail to Orlando and Tampa.
RETAIL NEWS
The Coconut Grove Business Improvement District (BID) recently completed a $56,000 village-wide beautification project to its central business district by installing more than 100 beautiful hanging flower baskets along the central business district’s sidewalks, and erecting 6 colorful bicycle racks within the District in shapes of an electric guitar, and actual bicycle and other artistic designs. This project has encouraged bike and pedestrian friendliness in Coconut Grove. www.coconutgrove.com.
The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is a non-profit sales and marketing organization whose mission is to attract visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches for leisure, business and conventions. For a vacation guide visit our website at www.MiamiAndBeaches.com or call 1-888-76-Miami begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-888-76-Miami end_of_the_skype_highlighting (US/Canada only) or 305-447-7777 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305-447-7777 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. To reach the GMCVB offices dial 305-539-3000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305-539-3000 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Meeting planners may call 1-800-933-8448 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-933-8448 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (US/Canada only) or 305-539-3071 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305-539-3071 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit www.MiamiMeetings.com. Follow GMCVB on Twitter: @miamiandbeaches or on Facebook: Facebook.com/miamiandbeaches.