The beautifully restored Art Deco hotels along Miami’s famed Collins Ave. have a stunning new addition to their ranks following the $47 million renovation of the Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club. Part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, the Cadillac dates to the 1940s and was originally designed by prominent Miami Beach architect Roy France. The redesign of the property which occupies a full city block by Bill Rooney Studio adds a dose of European Riviera nautical-inspired glamour to the period-correct Art Deco details, giving the hotel a contemporary flair blending modern with traditional.
Crisp white stone floors, white walls with Art Deco-inspired decoration, warm ambient lighting, and accents of smoky blue punctuate the public spaces, making them chic and inviting. The lobby retains its original terrazzo floors and flowing chandeliers, with a wraparound mezzanine balcony overlooking space and a terrace overlooking the pool deck with a stylish bar/lounge in between. Upstairs there are 357 guestrooms, with luxe touches like marble floors, white-washed, exposed beams and wooden fixtures. The color palette is blue, grey and gold and the walls are hung with photographs of 1940s beach scenes.
Aside from its iconic facade, and prime stretch of white sand beach, the hotel’s dual pool areas are its most alluring feature, ringed with comfortable chaise lounges, lush green turf and shaded cabanas. A raised area of wooden decking and canvas umbrellas houses Bungalow by the Sea, a casual beachside restaurant and bar offering fresh juice and coffee in the morning, a raw bar, and craft cocktails, chilled wines and light bites in the afternoon and at sunset. Standout dishes include tuna poke nachos with crispy shrimp chips; mini Maine lobster rolls with shoestring fries; house made wild cured salmon; and a wagyu beef cheeseburger with baby arugula, heirloom tomatoes, white cheddar and red onion jam.
It’s the perfect foil to Donna Mare, the authentic trattoria located off the hotel’s lobby focused on locally-sourced food including Neapolitan pizza, homemade pasta, simply grilled wild fish and grass-fed meats in an intimate setting evoking the old-world atmosphere of coastal Italy remixed with modern Miami style. Time Out Miami has cited it as one of the city’s nest new restaurants. The quality and variety of the offerings has already led the Cadillac to be named one of Departures magazine’s “favorite hotels” in Miami while the New York Post put it on the list of the most “draw-dropping” pools in South Beach.
“We took a lot of effort to preserve the beauty of this place,” Neil Shah, CEO of the hotel’s operator, Hersha, told the Miami Herald. “We’re going for European sensibility in style, design and service.” Designer Bill Rooney adds, “The new Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club has been designed to facilitate luxurious lounging of an era gone with an international flare, all inspired by the past glory of the hotel and Miami Beach. A balance of catered service that helps you let down your hair after a long day in the spotlight. From the poolside cabanas to the bar in the lobby, the hotel welcomes you into the smoothest scene in Miami with open arms and a drink on hand.” Sounds good to us.
