Forget room service, in Miami Beach it’s all about the Beach Butler… Palihouse Miami Beach’s seaside genies come complete with an Instagrammable convertible jeep to whizz guests from welcome mat to white sand in minutes.
If you want a true Art Deco hotel hangout with pool – and those wheels to the beach –Palihouse Miami Beach is where it’s at.
Set in a cool area of Mid-Beach Miami Beach in a restored Art Deco building, the original Greenbrier Hotel (established in the 1940s) has been reimagined as Palihouse Miami Beach and opened in October. Honouring its past, everything from the achingly hip palm-fringed pool area to the lobby lounge to cocktail bar has a hint of nostalgia, but in the coolest way possible.
There’s no mistaking that you’re in Miami Beach when you check in to this boutique bayside hotel. From the pastel-hued patio, to the red bathrobes etched with a P (for personality, clearly), here’s what we loved most about Palihouse Miami Beach.
What to pack? Get kitsch with pops of pastels to rival Miami’s art deco buildings. Here’s what to pack for a Miami Beach weekender.
THE VIBE
Far from your average hotel, Palihouse Miami Beach is not only newly restored but lovingly curated to make it feel more like one-of-a-kind luxe beach lodgings. With extreme eye candy everywhere you look, the hotel lobby is packed with details from the chic mis-matched upholstered furniture to showpiece ornaments, like the life-size vintage dog statue sitting on a cushion that greets guests as you walk in (real life dogs are also welcome). Even the check-in staff have the coolest hotel uniforms I’ve ever seen, decked out in crisp stripy Breton tees and bandana neckerchiefs.
Though every communal area has its own distinct personality, the hotel’s interior aesthetic is inspired by combining eastern seaboard styling and boho Mediterranean beach flair – think aged materials and tactile textures – which is all oh-so pleasing to the eye (even for a die-hard minimalist, like me). Relaxed and friendly but still sophisticated, it’s exactly the vibe you want from a Miami Beach hotel that’s surrounded by palm trees.
THE BEDROOMS
Ever walk into a hotel room that feels more spacious than your own apartment? That’s exactly what you get with Palihouse’s generously-sized Studio Rooms, which are flooded with natural daylight thanks to the oversized windows that give you a view of the Indian Creek that sits directly opposite the hotel. While the lobby walls are awash with muted turquoise, all the guest rooms are painted in two-toned peach and white with cool tiled flooring and aged rugs.
Old and new elements combine with the modern, beachy-striped headboard juxtaposed with vintage crockery hanging on the wall above it. There are lots of Ps to spot in the room, from the super-cool signature etched ‘P’ bathrobes, to the embroidered ‘P’ cushion sitting on the beds. Most rooms come with kitchenettes – all the better for chilling your champagne – and the modern tiled bathrooms come complete with walk-in rain shower and custom ‘P’ Palisociety products.
THE POOL
Honouring its former 40s hotel namesake, Greenbrier Swim & Social includes all the hotel’s social spaces from the pastel-hued front patio facing the Creek, to the chic outdoor pool area – regular events include ‘Mezcal Mondays’ and ‘Poolside Palomas’. Surrounded by lush palm trees and giant banana leaf plants, the pool is quintessential Miami Beach perfection. Think green wooden cocktail hut, plush striped loungers and fringed parasols, aka Instagram heaven on a standard sunny Miami day.
Tucked away from the main street in a private courtyard, the limestone covered pool area feels like a true hideaway. With an all-day menu (there’s no formal restaurant here), Greenbrier serves up American hotel classics, like lobster rolls, Paliclub sandwiches and signature Greenbrier salads with beets and bacon. The craft cocktails you can order from your cushioned wicker sun chaise longue draws inspiration from Miami’s diverse cultures with names like Sharp Little Guy, Falling Up, and Uncle Shelby; the latter of which includes a curious combination of bourbon, Cynar, banana, date, vanilla and coconut.
THE EXTRAS
Back to that complimentary Beach Butler service, because how many hotels are that dedicated to your seaside addictions? Palihouse may only be located two blocks from the ocean but a bright blue custom convertible electric Moke (we defy you not to Instagram it) is parked up outside the hotel. The designated Beach Butler whisks guests to the beach to set you up with umbrella, beach chair and towel set-up for the day – and bring you back again when you’ve had enough sun and sand.
A ‘sac de plage’ sign is also left swinging on your bedroom door where, instead of the traditional breakfast in bed, you can pre-order beach bag brunch/lunch and refreshments in a cooler bag so you don’t have to move from your sun lounger. If you want to be more active and explore Miami Beach’s vibrant boardwalks and culture hotspots, there are also chic Palihouse bicycles that guests can access. As you’d expect from a hip hotel like Palihouse, music isn’t loud or obnoxious but carefully curated background tunes from the ‘Pali Vibes Playlists’ – a handpicked selection of tracks that’s updated weekly so you can download the songs that remind you of your stay.
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