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Story & Photography by Barbara Penny Angelakis
Fontainebleau Miami Beach
4441 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach FL 33140
(305) 538-2000
www.fontainebleau.com
After the fall of Fulgencio Batista’s Cuba on December 31, 1958, the baton of beach resort getaways was passed to Miami Beach and the half-moon shaped Fontainebleau Hotel was the place to see and be seen.
Morris Lapidus was the architectural genius behind the Fontainebleau and his success story is mythic. Although the Fontainebleau had opened in December 1954 to less than enthusiastic critical reviews, the building delighted the people for whom his design effects were created. His reverse vision of designing a free-flowing interior to help guests feel unfettered by restrictive walls, and allowing the sweeping curved exterior to develop naturally like a protective skin, instead of designing the façade and forcing the interior to fit into its limitations, was a  revolutionary concept for which he paid a harsh critical price at the onset. Lapidus believed in the flow of hard surfaces - so that there were no straight lines to box in your body or your imagination. He also used color abundantly, to draw people in as moths towards a flame. Lapidus was a master of wit and nuance, and created a fantasyland playground for adults… and also proved the critics wrong in their initial assessment of his work. Famous was his staircase to nowhere that was the centerpiece of the lobby. Female guests at the Fontainebleau delighted in getting dressed to the nines, taking the elevator to the cloak room on the mezzanine level, dropping off their ubiquitous pastel-dyed mink stoles that were requisite in Miami Beach at that time, puffing their teased hair, and graciously sweeping down the fabled staircase as admiring eyes scanned their descent. In its heyday, everyone that was anyone stayed at the Fontainebleau. Celebrities and regular folk alike flocked there to rub shoulders with heads of state and royal visitors and to partake in its storied elegance and luxurious décor and services.
But by the affluent 80s, with the rise of so-called disposable income, the country’s taste for far-flung adventure increased and Miami began to lose its luster and appeal to the general population now eager to explore destinations further afield. Keeping up with the Joneses was honed to a finer point than ever before and touring Europe became the rage while Miami’s great hotels fell into decline… not even the fabulous Fontainebleau was spared. But everything that goes around comes around and when the old South Beach art deco section of Miami Beach was revitalized by the artsy crowd led by the ebullient Italian fashion designer and trend setter Gianni Versace, Miami Beach rocketed to prominence again and paved the way for the return of the resort hotel.
After 2 ½ years of hard work - and a billion dollar investment - the Fontainebleau rises again, bigger and better than ever. The Chateau, housing the original main building, has been completely restored, and three new towers (Sorrento and  Trésor for guest accommodations and Versailles for ballrooms, conference suites, and meeting rooms) have been added. Also new is a blue glass architectural variation-on-a-theme of the half moon original designed building, this time with star appendages, and built to house the 40,000 square foot Lapis Spa. All buildings are connected through interior hallways. The outdoor pool area has been vastly expanded and a children’s pool has been added along with a “for adults only” pool, all within a few steps of the beach. The new owners wisely choose to stay as close to the Morris Lapidus design philosophy as possible, but with an eye towards the 21st century. Whatever well-known signature elements could be salvaged from the original lobby were renovated, such as a portion of the marble floor with its bow-tie design; the staircase to nowhere; the snake-like marble low wall under the staircase; the giant structural pillars; and the elevators with their red marble façade. As necessary, modernization was introduced, as in the original decorative wood panels over the concierge desk that have been converted to glass panels  that change color with the changing light, and the Bar Bleau that is the focal piece of the lobby and was originally carpeted in blue and now has a blue toned glass LED backlit floor. Other innovative state-of-the-art effects are bar and restaurant menus and bills, with LED lighting for ease in reading in dimly lit rooms and interactive touch-screen lobby panels that list services and directions, not to mention that they provide entertainment for the kids. Rooms have all the electronic amenities you would expect from a 5-star hotel and more, such as flat screen TV with entertainment package plus smaller TV in bathroom, iPod, dock and radio combo, iMac computer with Internet access, and 2-line phones in both bedroom and bathroom.
No expense was spared in acquiring the best in art and artists, such as the three massive crystal chandeliers in the Chateau lobby by Al WeiWei, famed designer of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics “Bird’s Nest”. The James Turrell color walls titled “Tall Glass” consist of programmed LED panels behind etched glass that constantly change color, theme and patterns over several hours, presenting the viewer with a continually shifting light and color palette. Contemporary artistic works by Robert Rauschenberg, Darryl Pottorf, Yves Klein, Mineo Mizuno, Rosalyn Drexler, Urs Frei, Don Suggs and many others are scattered throughout the property. But all of the cultural artifacts and historic walks down memory lane would be for naught if the level of service and attention to detail were not also elevated to an art form. The ratio of staff to guests is very high as is the staff training; creating an efficient and user-friendly atmosphere.
And for pure sybaritic indulgence the restaurants and bars at the Fontainebleau can’t be beat. Gotham Steak is Michelin-star chef Alfred Portale, of New York’s Gotham Bar & Grill fame, first entry in Miami Beach. Winner of The James Beard Foundation’s “most outstanding chef” award in 2006, his stylishly elegant two-level restaurant with its glass-enclosed wall of wine, does not disappoint. Of the many tempting appetizers offered, I finally settled on the Red Snapper Ceviche with heirloom tomatoes, mango, radish, and shaved red onion. While not an authentic style Ceviche in that the fish was presented as filets instead of strips or cubes, it was sweet, tart and spicy all at the same time and was so good that I sopped up the marinade with the delicious popover rolls from the breadbasket. Although I was in a steak restaurant and several of my companions ordered what turned out to be generous sized, dry-aged steaks that they declared wonderful, I was in the mood for fish and I ordered the Blackened Cod marinated in miso sauce with bok choy and shitake mushrooms over sticky rice… and was I glad I did. This striking dish was exceptional in flavor and preparation with large flakes of perfectly cooked cod sliding on the fork with enviable integrity. The one caveat was that the miso sauce was a tad too salty but that is a small objection, since even the sticky rice and mushrooms were properly cooked and seasoned.
Scarpetta, means in Italian little shoe and as defined by Executive Chef Scott Conant - also a James Beard award recipient - refers to the bread used to sop up left over sauce because its just too good to remain on the plate. Chef Scott knows of what he speaks because all the dishes we tasted were innovative and much too delicious to be left on the plate. Scarpetta’s menu is regional Italian with sophisticated embellishments and is the second under the name; the first was opened near the meatpacking district in New York City. Chef Scott recommended the tasting menu for our party and dish upon dish of wonderful  creations appeared tableside. Outstanding was the Creamy Polenta with Fricassee of Truffle Mushrooms, Mozzarella in Carozza with Stewed Baby Tomatoes and Crispy Fritto Misto. Pasta is made fresh in-house by a highly trained pasta maker and each type actually tasted different from the others. Not to be missed was the Duck and Foie Gras Ravioli. The entrees were split between fish and meat dishes and each one was a winner in both taste and presentation, with the broiled veal chop a spectacular choice for meat lovers. Deserts were also presented beautifully and held up in flavor but my favorite was the light-as-a-feather Coconut Pannacotta in Guava Soup. The physical restaurant is nautical chic with a high level of energy and is not recommended for a peaceful, quiet lingering dinner, but perfect if you are in the partying mood and plan on taking in one of the exciting bar and nightclub options available in the hotel. Regardless, the quality of the food and creative combinations of ingredients make Scarpeta a must-do dining choice.
Hakkasan, by Alan Yau unfortunately has yet to open but promises to be another winner for the Fontainebleau restaurant group. Chef Yau is an award-winning  exponent of Cantonese cuisine and has the only Chinese restaurant to hold a Michelin star in all of Great Britain. Instead, Corporate Executive Chef Sean O’Connell invited us to Blade Sushi Bar and Lounge for an Asian feast and Sake pairing, especially prepared for our party. The starter was the famous Florida stone crab served on a bed of deep ocean seaweed, taro root and a pickled ginger dressing. Yellow tail tuna, and salmon Sashimi came next that was fresh, cut and served perfectly as was the Sushi plate that followed. But the highlight of the dinner was the grilled sea scallop served over chopped sea urchin with sake foam and the plum glazed duckling with natural au jus topped with a deep fried tempura shitake mushroom.
Yes, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach is a fantasyland experience where you can explore your sensual side with gusto; dress in those 6 inch heals you bought and have been hiding in your closet; drink purple cocktails and laugh the night away; flirt with your husband of 11 years as if you just met; and treat the two of you to a couples massage in the opulent luxury of the Lapis Spa. Or, you can rent a cabana for the day and allow your family to be pampered and cared for by a bevy of friendly, professional servers. Whether you are single, married, with family, young, old, or other, you will find your fantasy fulfilled at Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
© February 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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