South Beach is a cool place right…all the sun bathers, great cocktails, over-indulgence and late night partying. But what a little bit of calm and wellness, detox and purification? Although Bali might be the first place you think of when self-care is concerned, Miami’s Royal Palm Hotel might also be a shorter plane ride option.
A little background, the Royal Palm Miami was originally in the 1920’s as the very first luxury hotel in South Beach. In 2012, The James Hotel Group renovated and expanded the property into a modern, yet laid back hotel. The hotel just recently joined the Starwood Group, ready for its next evolution. This beautifully restored, 390-room beachfront property is a modern reincarnation of Miami’s first luxury hotel. Highlights at The Royal Palm, Miami-South Beach (formerly The James Royal Palm) include two swimming pools, two restaurants, three bars, a nightclub, a full-service spa, stylish rooms, and a located on Collins Avenue, close to Ocean Drive. The rooms are modern and bright with original paintings by local artists hanging on walls throughout the hotel. Guests have to pay a daily “beach fee,” but they receive a lot in return, including free bikes, paddleboards, umbrellas, beach chairs, and fitness classes.
What we loved about the hotel is it’s boutique style, a more intimate feeling to a large hotel. The staff is kind and laid back and the property is bathed in white, with accents of wood, green, sand and orange. The self-care products in the room are all natural and non-toxic and guests are treated with triple-filtered water in a large glass bottle daily. We were also able to indulge in organic morning coffee and freshly pressed juices at the Hotel’s coffee bar – (cool fact) which was the Royal Palm’s original reception desk in the 20’s.
The menu at the Florida Cookery (the hotel’s main restaurant) has many healthy options and also does give the opportunity for vegetarians and vegans to enjoy some great menu options as well. When visiting, we did try the Ocean Drive Chopped Salad, Ratatouille and Sweet Potato Puree which were all amazing. Make sure to also try their special key lime pie – this is a must, you are in Florida! Not on the menu? No problem. Simply connect with the concierge in advance and request a special meal. Nothing is impossible. Something we also loved about the restaurant is it’s own herb garden on full display. They grow their own organic herbs to supply the dishes in the restaurant – both delicious and stunning to look at.
So we did the beach and the pool but needed a little more detox…and booked a treatment at the Renew Spa. The spa is an intimate wellness retreat on the 4th floor of the property. The space is centred around the healing benefits of salts and essential oils. We recommend you try their signature Renew Massage which you have the pleasure of customizing when you are there. Relax, Breathe, Renew. Once the treatments are done, make sure you take advantage of the Spa’s private sun terrasse, which has an exceptional view of the ocean.
After the beach, pool, and spa fun – we suggest you grab one of the hotel’s bikes and head for some shopping or for a bite to eat on Lincoln Avenue – the people watching is great here too. Then for a special treat, ride your bike on Washington Avenue to the corner of 14th street and stop at Java + Juice, a great little place with the best freshly pressed juices and health wraps in South Beach.
If you are traveling with children, this is a great hotel in Miami as it is completely child friendly with a special play room which is impressively stocked and another play area with toys on the beach too.
More info at : royalpalmsouthbeach.com
Perks : Great pool, beach access, modern design, great staff, kid friendly, great location, free bikes, morning freshly pressed juice.
To improve : kids seats for bikes, more veg-friendly options on menu, sound proofing of rooms.