Loews Miami Beach Hotel is in the middle of the diverse and very hip Art Deco district of South Beach. While very posh, Loews recognizes the business needs of their clientele; data ports are located in all rooms and suites. There are 2 buildings in this complex: the 18-story Tower contains 680 rooms, and 62 luxury and presidential suites; the St. Moritz has 100 extravagantly appointed rooms in the romantic Art Deco style.

The air-conditioned lobby was a center for enjoyment and relaxation; there are big comfortable sofas and intimate groupings of tables and chairs where food and beverages were offered throughout the day. As I walked through the lobby, one of my first impressions of the hotel’s service level was formed by being offered trays of iced bottles of water, so cold they were “sweating” in the air-conditioning. Bottled water was available at any time in the lobby. In the afternoon, small cups of strawberry-flavored ices and freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies were also offered there. Huge curving staircases led up to the second floor meeting rooms. Chandeliers hang from the third level ceiling, suspended in a shower of sparkling light from the picture windows looking out at the porte cochere entry. This is certainly a grand stairway befitting a grand hotel.

For dining and lounging, there are several choices. Of course, I had to sample each to attest to the quality of the service and the food and drink. Preston’s is the oceanfront terrace restaurant featuring American and New World cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Phone in advance for service hours and to make reservations, which is recommended.

The Hemisphere Lounge offers the most extensive martini menu in SoBe - 240 options for your martini-consuming pleasure. One late afternoon, I sat on their veranda and sipped Mai-Tai’s while munching on their delightful snack mix - a unique mixture of spicy, hot, and crunchy munchies served in an exquisite glass dish that was more like a vase. I looked for it in the gift shop and was most disappointed I could not find anything like it to bring home with me. The service people are extremely friendly and helpful.

Nautilus is a poolside grill and bar that serves light fare all day. Nautilus opens at 11Am and closes at dusk. After a hot afternoon walk on the boardwalk, it is very refreshing to stop at the Nautilus and have a beer or two to cool down. The wait staff wears really “cool” shades and seem to have fun while working quickly and efficiently to serve guests lounging around the pool. The bartender was very professional; he stayed on top of drink orders while attending to the needs of the bar clientele.

SoBe Coffee Bar, located in the Tower, serves fresh roasts and exotic blends with freshly baked light fare throughout the morning. I had a coffee and muffin (huge, moist and yummy) while deciding whether to walk around SoBe taking photos or head to the pool for a little exercise and a dip. Heavenly!

One of the things I most appreciated about the Loews Miami Beach was their people. They give “service” a whole new meaning. When we questioned our server, he admitted Loews has stringent hiring policies towards customer service and an extensive customer service training program. The people learn to anticipate guests’ needs and to take as much time as is needed to answer questions, provide services, and be as attentive as required. It was extremely refreshing to be in a hotel that literally anticipates and then caters to every need their guests have.

The next time I stay at Loews, I shall bring my Terrier-mix, Andre. Loews is a pet-friendly hotel and providing pet amenities such as local dog-walking routes, puppy pagers and area pet services (i.e. veterinarians, pet shops, groomers, etc.). From my observations and inquiries, Loews Miami Beach seems to be one of the most “pet-friendly” hotels I’ve visited.

Please contact the travel agent below to book your perfect Miami Beach vacation:

Carlanne Mccrystal
Professional Travel Advisor, Personal Travel Concierge Services
TopDawg Travel
2515 4th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121 USA
Phone: 206-728-6064
Cell: 206-227-0549
Toll-Free: 866-687-8699
email: carlanne@topdawgtravel.com

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Tags: Art Deco district, florida, Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Luxury, martini bar, Miami Beach, pet friendly hotel, SoBe, South Beach

This entry was posted on Monday, March 23rd, 2009 at 10:08 am and is filed under Hotel Review, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.