Set amidst the city’s iconic Art Deco architecture, the eight-story Moxy Miami South Beach began to welcome guests earlier this year into 202 rooms and six food and beverage outlets. It’s the vibrant Marriott brand’s first property in Florida—and it distances itself from its neighbors on the tiny resort-saturated strip thanks to ample, active outdoor space, which ranges from a peaceful 72-foot stretch of pool to an innovative open-air bar and restaurant and even verdant nooks for working within. In addition to its bright and colorful square footage, the Moxy also has a beach club on the ocean nearby.
Though it’s more like a resort than any other hotel currently under the Moxy name, the South Beach property does not lose its personal touch. Travelers will appreciate the thoughtfully designed guest rooms (which sport floor-to-ceiling windows) and their just-what-you-need approach, in contrast to the extensive nuance to the sprawling social and co-working spaces. The lobby—which includes the center island-shaped Bar Moxy, a Los Buenos taco bodega and a seamlessly integrated and plant-covered courtyard—is a microcosm of the overall amenities, and makes it quite clear that Moxy wants visitors to feel comfortable everywhere.
A circular skylight, glowing bright blue, is visible inside the lobby—and directly above it is the lengthy pool on the second-floor terrace. Rockwell Group designed this mezzanine area, which incorporates substantial lounge seating and private cabanas (an indoor-outdoor fitness center is only steps away). The views outward are charming, and privacy is protected thanks to lush vegetation. Rockwell Group and the Miami-based Saladino Design Studios also imagined the resort’s internationally-inspired interiors.
A nod to alfresco dining in Oaxaca and Mexico City, the Moxy’s open-air restaurant and bar Serena pairs craft cocktails with fresh, contemporary takes on traditional Latin and Mexican cuisine. It’s a tropical wonderland with a convivial atmosphere from brunch to sunset. Equally exciting, the refined seafood hot spot Como Como, which is a marisquería, and the speakeasy-like Mezcalista, a moody enclave which serves a vast selection of agave spirits, both set culinary standards—and an enchanting sense of environment—very high.
There’s arguably no place more stunning at the Moxy Miami South Beach than The Upside, its panoramic, guests-only roof deck. From a shallow circular pool with immersed chairs to a nearby daybed and comfy couches aplenty, it’s sun-soaked and welcoming. By day, guests can look at uninterrupted oceanic and skyline views, or tuck into quieter corners for conversation. At night, the Moxy uses a circular screen on the southern end of the roof to project classic films.
For visitors to Miami who want to spend their time outside—whether it’s privately or in a shared social setting—the Moxy provides much to savor. Remarkably, even though it bursts with opulent colors and patterns and decade-spanning design references, it also happens to be a practical choice with more accessible rates. And, of course, any guests interested in learning a little bit about their own future can step up to the lobby’s astrological payphone and listen to a horoscope reading—for free.
Images courtesy of Moxy Miami South Beach