Airline network planners kicked off the holiday season dreaming about warm-weather destinations.
13.11.2023 - 17:57 / forbes.com
Acqualina Resort & Residences is my favorite hotel in Miami for the perfect family vacation. My two children love staying there and always beg to go back.
The property recently got a reboot of its Mediterranean villa-style aesthetic, and they make the property that much more appealing. The changes include a stunning lobby, a decadent adult pool experience, a new AcquaMarine kids club, upgraded rooms and suites and jazzed up restaurants.
The team behind the facelift includes owners Jules and Stephanie Trump, CEO Deborah Yager Fleming and the renowned designer Isabel Tragash of STA Architectural Group.
A Contemporary Light-Filled Lobby
The somewhat faded red fabrics in the lobby have been replaced with bright whites and accents of lustrous black millwork. Sleek furniture, bespoke rugs from Nepal, Brazilian marble, sumptuous velvet chenille fabrics and touches of smoke glass and warm metallic accents also figure in.
Your Home Away From Home
The 98 rooms and suites now feature elegant Miami Sofa Beds, glass-topped bronze metal end tables from Italy and other metals accents. The bathrooms have Italian marble floors, separate glass-enclosed showers, white textured wallpaper, LED-lit Italian sconces and Molteni vanities.
Indulgence by the Pool
The ocean view adult pool has been elevated with loveseats where you can spend the day reading a dishy novel or simply relaxing, daybeds and modern chaise lounges. I love the signature Acqualina hats and Hampton Sun products that the staff spoils you with when you book one of the four crimson cabanas.
A World of Wonder
Acqualina offers one of the best kids clubs around. Called AcquaMarine, it’s for children ages 4 to 12 and free for guests. It features a fun center with toys and a learning lab. It’s a great program to immerse the kids in marine biology while giving them the chance to make new friends on vacation.
Let’s Not Leave Out the Food
Acqualina has such an array of restaurants to choose from that you won’t want to leave the resort. For delicious, fresh sushi, there’s Ke-uH with outdoor dining overlooking the ocean. Il Mulino is a staple for Italian food, and you can’t beat Costa Grill for a delicious lunch beachside (the salads are a must!).
Avra, the buzzy Greek eatery from New York is a recent addition to the lineup. The gorgeous space opened at the new Estates at Acqualina, connected to the resort by a skybridge. Designed by STA Architectural Group, Avra offers a larger than life space with floor to ceiling windows, a bougainvillea-entwined pergola and three salt stone sculptures.
Incredible Experiences
In addition to the property’s renovation, Acqualina’s concierge has partnered with the Miami tourism board on excursions for its guests that allow
Airline network planners kicked off the holiday season dreaming about warm-weather destinations.
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December is upon us and for folks in Miami— or in the art world— that means: Art Basel Miami Beach. From December 6 to 10 (by-invitation private viewings are on December 6 and 7), the Miami Beach Convention Center will be home to 277 galleries; 25 of which will be participating for the first time, with two-thirds hailing from North and Latin America. In mediums ranging from paintings and sculptures to photography and digital art, some of the resounding themes this year include works that speak to nature, as well as cultural and spiritual geographies.
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The Cycladic island of Ios is a rocky, mountainous environment of winding roads sometimes blocked by herds of bleating goats and sleepy villages hugging cerulean coastlines. In the 1960s, backpackers discovered the nearly untouched island and it became known as a hippie haven, hosting all-night beach parties, with a handful of cheap bars operating in the Chora (main town). A few decades later, nearby Santorini and Mykonos began to outshine their neighbor, attracting hordes of tourists each summer and investing in new developments. Meanwhile, Ios only got electricity across the entire island in the 1970s and most residents here are goat herders or farmers. Today, Mykonos has taken the nightlife crown and both it and Santorini have become severely over-touristed. Ios on the other hand, remains a quiet, mostly undeveloped paradise.
Travel Advisors are experiencing growing demand from clients who want customized itineraries and experiences that meet their personal and changing travel tastes. Customized experiences that will give them a lifetime of memories and a few bragging rights at get-togethers with family and friends—that’s what they’re looking for.