I love Miami. I went to Miami the first time 9 years ago when I was 21 and got to experience The Fontainebleau, The Liv, Shore Club, The Delano & so many incredible areas in between. Thankfully, I've had many opportunities to go back and always find something new to love about Miami.
Now that I live in St. Petersburg, FL I love being able to jet down to Miami for a quick getaway. A couple of months ago I headed down and we stayed at Nobu Eden Roc. Before moving to Florida I lived in Dallas and frequented the Nobu there. I've been to Nobu restaurants all over the country and love them. So naturally, I thought the hotel experience with them would be incredible. It is a 5-star hotel and they are usually exceptional. I will say we were completely disappointed. From the moment we got there, everything was running poorly, the staff was rude and unhelpful. We got to the point where we were joking about how terrible it was. We left after one night and went to the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. Talk about a breath of fresh air. It was literally like night and day. The Loews property and staff run incredibly well. They continually exceed all of my expectations. We stayed our second and last night there and then I spent the next day enjoying some of the amenities before heading back to St. Petersburg. I got in contact with their team and told them what an incredible experience I had and I couldn't wait to come back. I ended up chatting with their PR director Linda Villafane and we scheduled a girl's weekend for me and a guest. I have to give Linda a quick shoutout because she is absolutely incredible. She goes above and beyond just like the rest of the Loews staff.
A few weeks ago, my girlfriend and I drove to Miami and checked into the Loews. From the time we checked in until the time we checked out, everything far exceeded all of our expectations. One thing I love about the Loews is that during COVID, especially with Miami climbing in cases, Loews has a ton of safety protocols in place and because their property is so encompassing, you can check into the Loews and realistically just stay there the whole time and not run out of things to do. By just staying at Loews and not hopping around to a lot of other places, we definitely felt safer and more at ease.
The check-in process was smooth and the staff welcomed us in the warmest way. She quickly introduced us to a VIP manager, Kayla and she made sure we had contact info for anything we may need. We got to our beautiful ocean-view room and were greeted with the loveliest bottle of champagne, charcuterie and a hand-written note from Linda and the team. The level of attention to detail with Loews is unparalleled. I also love that as soon as you check in, they start a text thread with you. They send you updates about your reservations, reach out for anything you may need and if you do happen to need help with anything you can directly text that thread for support. It is such a nice touch. I also commend them on efficiency. When I got to the hotel, I needed a few personal hygiene items I forgot. I called down to the desk and within 10 minutes, a staff member had it to my door.
We changed into swimwear and headed down to the beach. When you stay at Loews you get 2 free daily beach chairs included with your reservation. The staff will have you point out which chairs you'd like and get everything set up. You can also order drinks and food at your chairs. The staff is extremely helpful and works to get your order out quickly.
The first night we were thrilled to attend the kickoff of their new candlelight music event. When you combine candlelight, live music, incredible ambiance, tasty food and champagne all under a blanket of stars, you get a pretty incredible experience.
If you know me, or you’ve followed me for long, you know how much I love live music, especially when it’s set in an incredible setting. I’ve been to over 350 concerts. In non-pandemic years I typically go to multiple concerts or live music shows a month. Obviously, that’s been different during the pandemic & I’ve missed live music more than I realized. Loews Miami made my day when they invited me to the launch of their outdoor candlelight dinner & concert series. They executed it safely & flawlessly by making sure tables were spread out, attendance was limited & safety measures were in place.
The weather was perfect, the hundreds of candles illuminated the space perfectly, & they had a primarily female band featuring the incredible Melinda Rose from The Voice. The pork belly bao was to die for & we topped it all off with the best glass of Prosecco.
They partnered with Fever Originals to bring its popular Candlelight Series to Loews Miami Beach Hotel for open-air musical performances under the stars. Enjoy live music ranging from jazz to classical on their Americana Lawn, surrounded by the flicker of candlelight. Enhance your experience with a specially curated menu of candlelight bites and delights. Reservations required and space is limited. Their next event is March 25th - a tribute to Nina Simone & Billy Holiday (here is the link to book). Use code CANDLELIGHTLOEWS for is 20% off of any Candlelight shows at Loews Miami.
After that we hopped over to Bar Collins inside the hotel and enjoyed their beautiful patio and flavorful drinks. Bar Collins is just off to the side of the lobby of the hotel so it is a super convenient option if you want to grab a drink but not leave the property.
The next day we were totally spoiled in a daybed at the SOAK Cabana area. The staff working was exceptional and took such great care of us the entire time. They brought us out a wonderful bottle of Rosé to kick off the day. We had an opportunity to meet their director of food and beverage, the sushi chef and a few other staff members. They were all so incredibly welcoming and accomodating. We were in the perfect spot of the cabana area and had an equal amount of shade and sun so we were able to stay cool despite the crazy hot temperatures. We also ended up making friends with the group on our side and had such a great time. It was a full day of Rosé, tasty food, sunshine and fun. Literally couldn't ask for a better pool day. I've had the ceviche each time I've been at Loews and it is great. It's light and served with plantains which makes it the perfect poolside snack. The conch fritters are a little heavy but super tasty. The chicken rice bowl was probably our favorite. It's a good midday meal especially if you are day drinking at the pool. They also sent out an empanada-style dish. They were great but they were a little heavy for a pool day. All of the food on the property is light and fresh. While all of the food was great, the sushi was probably my favorite part of our food experience at the cabanas. Sushi is one of my main food groups. The chef was very kind and brought out a full delectable selection and explained each item to us. We devoured it all and shared a few bites with our new friends.
After a day at the pool, we decided to stay in our hotel room, sip on some champagne, enjoy the ocean view and order in for the evening. We donned robes and eye masks and fully immersed ourselves in just relaxing and enjoying the moment. The beds and the view are so inviting in the ocean view rooms which make it even better for a relaxed evening in. I don't know about you but I love pulling on a silk robe, pouring a glass of champagne, ordering room service, and just vegging in a nice hotel room. It was the perfect ending to our long pool day!
The last day was a half-day for us before we got on the road and headed back to St. Petersburg. We kicked off the morning with a cup of coffee and a stroll on the beach followed by breakfast at Preston's Market. When we walked in the staff greeted us and said he remembered us from the Candlelight Concert Series which was another example of their staff just really executing on attention to detail. We sat at a beautiful table on their patio overlooking the pool. For breakfast at Preston's, you can choose to just go through their buffet or you can order one of their specialty breakfast menu options. We ended up ordering the avocado toast and the lobster benedict to split. They were heavenly. The lobster benedict melts in your mouth. It is the perfect combination of ingredients. It is a little heavy and rich though so you may want to split it. The avocado toast was topped with perfectly poached eggs and bacon. It was in the top 3 of all avocado toasts I've had. Every bite was full of fresh avocado, crisp bacon, and the perfect amount of egg. We also enjoyed a great cup of coffee and some great freshly squeezed juice. We opted out of the mimosas since we were enjoying our coffee but we saw them at other tables and they looked fantastic.
We ended our stay with a few hours at the cabana before we hit the road. We were thrilled to see the same staff there again and enjoyed getting to chat with them a bit more before we left. Once we were ready to leave we utilized their user-friendly text system to get our car from the valet and it was there in just a few minutes.
From check-in to check-out, Loews Miami makes each of its guests feel cherished and valued. The property is immaculately clean. There are also security in place at certain walk-through areas which is a great added measure to ensure safety and security if you are there on a girl's trip. There is so much to do and enjoy on the property that you don't even need to leave the resort if you don't want and will still have such an incredible Miami experience.