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Miami's not just for snowbirds anymore, it's a year-round hot spot for kicking back on the beach, taking in the art deco architecture, and enjoying fantastic Latin-inspired food and drink. Everybody needs a weekend in Miami Beach every now and then, so why not embark on an impulsive getaway to this gorgeous Atlantic coast town? With Starpicks, it's practically a done deal. That's because the Four Points by Sheraton Miami Beach is one of this week's participating Starpicks properties, with last-minute rates of at least 20% off regular rates for stays during the next two weekends. So pack your flip flops and sunscreen, because there's a lot to do. It goes without saying that you're going to hit the beach, but after you've showered the salt off your skin, pay a visit to Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, a national historic landmark that might trick you into thinking you're in 19th century Italy. The ornate villa was the home of industrialist James Deering, who filled it with enough fine European paintings and sculptures to rival the great museums of the world. After you've wandered through the gardens, make your way to the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, which recounts the fascinating history of the region, from the Native Americans who arrived 10,000 years ago, through Ponce de Leon's visit in 1513, to its current status as a vacation playground and international destination. When it's time for dinner, drop by festive Taverna Opa for some delightful Greek seafood dishes and white wine and toast your good fortune. Of course, if Miami's not your thing right now, that's fine, because the Four Points by Sheraton Miami Beach is just one of dozens of participating properties this week, so check the list for the destination that's right for you.
Recently in Miami Category
MoreCheckmate! All the Right Moves at the World Chess Hall of Fame
Wednesday April 23, 2008
Miami is generally known more for fun in the sun than serious intellectual pursuits, but the city still has its brainy side. To wit, this beachy destination is also home to the World Chess Hall of Fame and Sidney Samole Chess Museum, a mecca, of sorts, for fans of this fascinating board game. The museum has exhibits dedicated to history's greatest players, from Benjamin Franklin to Bobby Fischer, including memorabilia from the greatest chess matches in history. Witness, for example, the table and chairs used in the classic 1972 match between Fischer and the Russian Boris Spassky (see video) in which Fischer captured the World Chess Championship in Rekyjavik, Iceland in what was widely seen as a Cold War battle. Several interactive exhibits will help you polish your own game as well, teaching both basic and advanced strategy, so you can move in, decimate your opponent's army, and capture his king. Not so genteel after all, huh? Who knows, you might get hooked on the game and become a chess master yourself. The Hall of Fame and Museum is a perfect place to soothe your sunburn after spending too much time on the beach, and it's convenient to several Starwood properties, including the Westin Colonnade, Coral Gables and the Sheraton Miami Mart Hotel.
Starwood Insider - Lucy Williams - Couture Living at the St. Regis, Bal Harbour
Thursday January 3, 2008
Lucy Williams is an Orlando-based writer for Starwood Vacation Ownership and thelobby.com's expert on the subject.
A piece of South Florida history recently vanished in a cloud of dust. Literally. On November 18th, the Sheraton Bal Harbour was imploded. Known as the Americana Hotel when it opened 1956, the hotel was once one of the most glamorous resorts in South Florida and a favorite of celebrities and the Secret Service, because visitors could safely enter the hotel through its underground parking lot. Frank Sinatra and the "Rat Pack" were common fixtures at its Carnival Supper Club. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton stayed there.
With the implosion of Sheraton Bal Harbour, a space is now cleared for the newest addition to the St. Regis collection, the St. Regis Resort & Residences, Bal Harbour due to open in 2010. Situated just across Collins Avenue from the Bal Harbour Shops, the renowned shopping center, just steps from the spectacular seaside scenery and minutes from the electrifying nightlife of South Beach, St. Regis Resort & Residences, Bal Harbour is positioned as the ultimate address in this exclusive beachfront enclave. This five-star resort hotel and condominium will also feature Residences for whole and fractional ownership. Rising 27 stories above nine acres, this destination offers breathtaking views of lushly landscaped gardens and 1,000 feet of pristine white sand on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
Jorge Pardo: Lamps, Beds, and Butterflies In Miami
Thursday December 20, 2007
Some call them sculptures. Others call them lamps. They hang illuminated, throbbing with color. They stretch across the floor, perched on elegant raw wood like lattices of lace. They exist, suspended, like microscopic sea creatures blown up one hundred billion times. They are the work of Cuban-born, Los Angeles based artist Jorge Pardo whose first comprehensive exhibition runs through March 2, at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami.
Over the past three decades, Pardo created most of his work in installation atmospheres such as museums, art galleries, and public spaces. Many of the 60 plus pieces in the exhibition were taken out of their original context, and placed into the setting of a room. A bedroom, living room, kitchen... A bed lies within the "garden." It's surrounded by enormous photomurals of the courtyard at Pardo's own Los Angeles home, a house which began as a work of art, but became the place where he actually lives. You see, many of Pardo's creations look like regular household items. But to the artist, they are so much more. Pardo goes beyond the everyday, and reaches for an aesthetic that transcends mere functionality, to integrate art completely into life. If you like what you see at MOCA, take a drive to the Aventura Mall, four miles from Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach. There, within a three-story atrium, hover nearly one hundred of Pardo's illuminated butterflies.
Insider News: Meet The LM100
Wednesday December 5, 2007
This week, Le Méridien relaunched their signature website, an interactive imaged based journey through the creative world of this chic brand and introduced the LM100, a community of creative experts and cultural innovators that are shaping the future of the hotel experience. Over the next few weeks, thelobby.com will be highlighting special features surrounding this event. Today, we meet some of the inaugural members of the LM100.
First and foremost, meet Jérôme Sans, Le Méridien's cultural curator, the man who has hand-selected members of the new Le Méridien family from the worlds of art, architecture, design, fashion and even coffee. Says Sans, "It's a family of international creators that are reinventing Le Méridien with the vocabulary of their challenging experience."
Indeed, it's a group with a global reach and equally bold initiatives. We start in the kitchen with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the renowned Alsatian chef, whose first task is redeveloping the LM breakfast. He'll be aided in caffeination by Andrea Illy, the guru of espresso, who is in charge of the coffee experience for the properties. Linda Grabe has joined the LM as its wine advisor and curator of all tastings of the grape. Eddie Roschi and Fabrice Penot, founders of the luxury perfumerie Le Labo, are now Le Méridien's official perfumers and have invented a new signature scent called LM01 for the brand.
Art Basel Sizzles South Beach
Monday December 3, 2007The art event of the year is upon us. Art Basel Miami, that wild, American sibling of the revered Swiss edition, takes place December 6 - 9 this year. I get a rush just thinking about all those cutting edge galleries gearing up to show their stuff at one of my favorite, easy-to-get-to, wintertime spots, South Beach! The video highlights from 2006 should give you a better idea of how exciting Art Basel Miami can be. Works by over 1,500 artists from all over the world will be on display, and for sale too, if you're looking to broaden your collection, or start one. Emerging artists will have the chance to show their work at the "Art Supernova" space, new this year. With art starting at a few hundred dollars we might just get the chance to drop a few bills. Who knows, the next Kehinde Wiley may be among this new crop.
With so much to see, plotting a course can be overwhelming. Here are a few events I wouldn't miss. "Concrete Waves: An Homage to Skate Culture" includes a DJ, live radio, and open air cinema; "The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse" features sculptures by de Kooning, LeWitt, Lichtenstein, Noguchi, and more; the "Art Sound Lounge" with its audio art; and a presentation of Julian Schnabel and Lou Reed's film Berlin, moderated by the writer Bob Colacello. On your way back to the Four Points by Sheraton Miami Beach, get in some celebrity spotting. Russell Simmons, Martha Stewart, Nicky Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan have all been known to make an appearance.
Visit "America's Stonehenge" in Florida
Thursday October 11, 2007Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida is more than just a quirky tourist attraction, although it certainly qualifies as that. This amazing stone creation of castle walls and towers, fountains, statues, and even a coral rocking chair is a monument to love and a mystery of engineering. Latvian immigrant Edward Leedskalnin spent the 1930's and 1940's creating this elaborate Florida landmark as a tribute to his lost love, Agnes, who broke off their engagement just one day before their wedding was to take place. How this small, frail man was able to maneuver over a thousand tons of rock into intricate formations is unknown to this day. A reserved man, he worked behind high walls or under cover of darkness with only the most basic tools, all scavenged from a junkyard. Yet his dedication in building a tribute to his unrequited love is inspiring enough to believe in almost anything. Coral Castle is convenient to several Starwood hotels, including the Westin Colonnade, Coral Gables.
Starpick Le Meridien Sunny Isles Beach
Thursday October 4, 2007
As the weather gets cooler up north, the action in Miami Beach only gets hotter. To get a jump on the season, consider a couple of days at Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach. This elegant resort located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami's sexy South Beach is one of this week's Starpicks properties, with last-minute rates of at least 20% off regular rates for stays during the next six weeks. So enjoy the warming rays of the sun while lounging on the beach, swimming in the pool, or seeing the sights of this eclectic city.
For an exciting overview of the local arts scene, pay a visit to the Miami Design District. There, MOCA at Goldman Warehouse is presenting an exhibit called New Art: South Florida, which features work by 14 up-and-coming artists who received 2007 South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowships. The kinetic, interactive sculptures of artist Billie Grace Lynn are particularly worth seeing, and might best be followed up with a cocktail at nearby Amendment XXI Lounge. Miami is one of many destinations on this week's list of Starpicks properties, so take a look and start planning your next getaway.
Romp in the Swamp in Florida
Tuesday September 25, 2007
While most people associate Florida with miles of sandy beaches, there's another side to the Sunshine State - a swampy side - and it's worth checking out. The Big Cypress Swamp is a watershed area of the Florida Everglades, and it boasts an ecosystem unlike any other in the world. With colorful birds, rare Florida panthers, and a few thousand alligators, it's probably best to have an experienced guide to show you around.
That's where Billie Swamp Safari comes in. Run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which has populated the area for centuries, tours involve rides in a swamp buggy or air boat (video) through 2,200 lush acres of picturesque wetlands, with stops at various areas of interest. Sightings of deer, water buffalo, bison, hawks, eagles, and, of course, alligators, are commonplace. Take a stroll on a boardwalk nature trail for a closer look, but don't get too close, because gators really do bite if you give them a reason to. You can always bite back, though, at the Swamp Water Cafe, which serves gator bites, frog legs, and other local specialties. Billie Swamp Safari is about two hours from the St. Regis Resort, Fort Lauderdale, which is about as far from swamp as you can get.
Design District Bears at Miami's Kuma Central
Thursday July 26, 2007
Just across the Julia Tuttle Causeway from the Four Points by Sheraton Miami Beach lies Kuma Central, a toy store unlike any other. Every item in the boutique is based on Kuma, an action figure bear created by toy designer Maria Sarmiento that takes its inspiration from urban street trends and both Japanese and American artistic styles. The result is an eclectic limited-edition collection of hip art toys that can't be found anywhere else, such as miniature Kuma figurines with names like Polar Madness, Geek, and Super K, as well as plush dolls such as Urban Kuma (complete with iPod and headphones) and Kuma Ninja (pictured). Kuma (Japanese for bear) items are at once toys and works of art, with elements of each world influenced by the other. Kuma posters and prints are available as well, ranging from $10 to $150. Personally, I think these little critters are super cool, and would make a great gift for kids of any age and an funky addition to the living room or bedroom. Kuma Central is located in Miami's up-and-coming Design District, so you might want to toast your new bear with a cocktail at the nearby I/O Lounge, a sleek DJ spot popular with Miami artists that's at once trendy without being pretentious.
[image via Kuma Central]
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