HOTELS
Stuck for a place to stay? Six new hotels debut this winter, from Miami Beach to Brickell.
The Confidante (doubles from $229)
The Thompson hotel was renamed after its purchase by Hyatt earlier this year. It’s retaining the snazzy midcentury vibe, but refreshing the F&B with a boho poolside bar, Nina’s House.
Ideal guests: Jennifer Aniston, Russell Crowe or other Thompson loyalists
Washington Park Hotel.Courtesy of Washington Park HotelWashington Park Hotel (doubles from $137)
This complex of art deco buildings in South Beach is funky and affordable.
Ideal guests: South Beach habitués such as Chloë Sevigny and Hilary Swank
The Langford Hotel (doubles from $199)
The Beaux Arts-style Miami National Bank building has been repurposed into a swanky, art-heavy hotel with a dazzling rooftop bar, Pawn Broker.
Ideal guests: Art Basel veterans like Lenny Kravitz and Katie Holmes
East Miami.Photos Courtesy of Swire HotelsEAST MIAMI (doubles from $259)
This gleaming Brickell skyscraper boasts a bilevel rooftop bar, Sugar, and Quinto la Huella, a sibling restaurant to the original tony Parador la Huella in Uruguay.
Ideal guests: Punta del Este regulars Shakira and Naomi Campbell
SLS Brickell (doubles from $319)
SLS has added a second hotel in Miami — this time, a Philippe Starck-designed retreat in a Brickell tower. Miami’s own Michael Schwartz is cooking rustic Italian at Fi’lia, and Spanish expat José Andrés is taking reservations at his first fish-focused place, Bazaar Mar.
Ideal guests: SLSers like Chrissy Teigen and Nick Cannon
ME Miami.Courtesy of Meliá Hotels InternationalME Miami (doubles from $419)
This 129-room hotel, the Spanish hotel chain’s first stateside property, is nestled in the nascent Arts & Entertainment District.
Ideal guests: Headliners Louis C.K. or Morrissey from the nearby Arsht Center
SHOPPING
Roman Jones.Terry RichardsonNightlife pioneer Roman Jones owns a trio of hot spots in Miami’s emerging downtown: cocktail bar Baby Jane, warehouse Club Space and the Greek restaurant Kiki on the River, which opens this month. The style-setter offered to share his favorite addresses with us.
The Swap Shop
Jones is a regular at the area’s best flea market, up in Fort Lauderdale. He browses the booths for oversize sunglasses and spiked bracelets. “It’s great fun, and great people-watching too.”
Alchemist
Alchemist.Michael StaviridisA trio of concept stores, on Lincoln Road and in the Design District, they stock Zaha Hadid Design, Rick Owens, Chrome Hearts and the ultra-hip Vetements from Paris.
Brickell City Centre
“The open-air shops at Brickell City Centre are totally transformative for the neighborhood,” says Jones. Kiton, Acqua di Parma and Bruno Magli are among the luxury brands opening at the new retail nerve center.
UNKNWN
This sneakerhead mecca in Aventura carries most major brands, from Bathing Ape to Hood by Air, but there’s one key lure for Jones. “They are one of the few stores that carry both Yeezy and Raf Simons for Adidas, so it’s a one-stop shop.”
NIGHTLIFE
The Broken Shaker.Adrian Gaut
Jacob Briars.Jennifer Mitchell PhotographyJacob Briars helps train bartenders worldwide in his role as global advocacy director at Bacardi. “The major difference between Miami and other cocktail capitals is an openness to new ideas and influences, and experimentation,” says the mixologist. Here’s a look at four of his faves.
The Broken Shaker
This 4-year-old craft cocktailing hub began as a pop-up before proving so popular it was made permanent. Ask owners Gabe or Elad to make a “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” a gin-and-pineapple mashup.
Beaker & Gray.Brett HufzigerBeaker & Gray
A perfect pit stop in the art-heavy neighborhood of Wynwood. “If you need a pick-me-up after a long day of trying to understand street art installations,” says Briars with a laugh. He recommends the “Presidente Negro,” with Bacardi Ocho, Cardamaro and cognac-infused Cointreau Noir.
Employees Only
Briars is looking forward to the upcoming Miami counterpart of the New York speakeasy, soon to open inside the historic Coral House that’s part of the Washington Park Hotel complex. Expect white-jacketed bartenders and white-glove service.
Komodo
Nightlife vet Dave Grutman, who owns superclub LIV, makes his first foray into cocktails with this Asian fusion restaurant-bar in Brickell. “The drinks are seriously good, and the energy is perfectly pitched,” say Briars, who suggests trying a yuzu daiquiri.
Komodo.Komodo


