I am always on the lookout for restaurants, cafés or hotels that do things slightly different. Where the focus lies on the tiniest details and where you can truly experience something special. I recently stayed at The Setai hotel in Miami Beach and that stay exceeded all expectations.
This Asian inspired hotel is located just behind world-famous Ocean Drive and seems to have invented the word elegant. The lobby is dark, even somewhat mysterious and leads to an amazing courtyard. All rooms are spacious suites, decorated with luxurious elements like silky soft linen, Aqua di Parma toiletries, a rainfall shower and thick soft bathrobes you would absolutely like to take home.
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During the day, you can leave the cool hotel to soak up the scorching heat of Miami Beach, but then there’s also a gym and swimming pool. Or three pools, to be precise, which each differ a few degrees in temperature. And otherwise there are always the hotel’s restaurants, like the new Jaya with a focus on Asian shared dining (amazing Peking duck!).
The breakfast buffet is without a doubt the best I ever experienced. Not only because of the very extensive assortment – from green smoothies to a real ‘avocado bar’ – but also because of the quality of the ingredients and the elegant dishes.
But what struck me most is the intense attention that’s put in personal service and genuine hospitality. Not checking in while you’re standing in line, but being welcomed with a homemade cocktail and a cold towel, will make your stay very different from the very beginning. Or how they are spontaneously bringing by cold drinks and frozen grapes, to cool off on a hot summer day at the pool. It’s exactly those little details that stand out and make all the difference to me.
Let me be clear: Miami Beach is definitely not cheap and a stay at The Setai comes with a price tag. But whenever you want to celebrate, splurge or truly relax: this hotel is the epitome of understated chic luxury.
