Moxy Hotels has announced the launch of Moxy South Beach in Miami – the brand’s first resort-style property – and revealed its F&B offer.
Lightstone, the developers behind three award-winning Moxy hotels in New York City, has created a stylish, playful open-air concept celebrating Miami’s cosmopolitan culture and breezy outdoor living.
With a design that blends the glamour of mid-century Havana, the artistry of contemporary Mexico City, and the tropical vibrancy of Miami, the 202-room hotel features two pools, a nearby Moxy Beach Club and six new dining and drinking concepts.
The Miami restaurateurs behind Coyo Taco and 1-800 Lucky were enlisted to create six new exclusive concepts, drawing on Mexican, Caribbean, and local flavours.
Beginning at the signature Bar Moxy, guests can simultaneously check-in and order a handcrafted cocktail. Retro-style swivel barstools surround the oval-shaped bar, while an infinity mirror installation above contains the phone number of El Floridita, the legendary Havana watering hole, paying tribute to Miami’s Cuban heritage.
Facing Bar Moxy is Los Buenos, an all-day bodega and taco stand, which will serve up tacos on hand-pressed tortillas and burrito bowls, as well as a variety of specialty coffee drinks, including super-strong and sweet Cuban-style cafecitos.
On the second floor, an open-air rooftop restaurant and bar, Serena, channels the enchanting rooftop and patio restaurants of Oaxaca and Mexico City. Located on a vibrant, lushly planted terrace, the venue has a laid-back yet sophisticated look and feel. Lounge and table seating — plus an enticing menu of shareable dishes and hand-crafted cocktails — create an inviting atmosphere for sunset cocktails and nibbles, leisurely lunches and dinners, or brunches accompanied by live music.
The hotel’s eighth-floor rooftop bar, aptly named The Upside, has a shallow lounging pool, al fresco movie screening area, whimsical seating options, and 360-degree panoramic views of the ocean and Miami Beach. A sinuous canopy on the rooftop provides shade during the day, while showcasing a geometric mural by New York artist Edward Granger when illuminated at night. The piece is a nod to the thriving street art scene in nearby Wynwood and acts as a colorful beacon for the hotel.
Opening April 2021 is Como Como, a marisqueria (seafood restaurant) and raw bar centred around the fuego, a wood- and charcoal-fired grill utilising ancient Mexican techniques. The open-cooking concept allows diners to watch the culinary process firsthand, while a ‘tequila tree’ sculpture theatrically dispenses the agave spirit from hand-blown glass spheres. The restaurant also serves diners in its outdoor courtyard, a verdant space layered with coloured tilework, hanging plants, and a sign reading “Besos De Mezcal,” hinting at the night to come.
Also opening in April is a mezcal lounge, Mezcalista, accessed either from the back of the marisquería or through a discreet entrance on Washington Avenue. Guests will be able to sip and savour an assortment of over 100 types of mezcals and tequilas in this intimately lit, catacomb-like lounge.
“We’re creating concepts that give people a lot of choice,” says Sven Vogtland, co-founder of Coyo Taco Group. “You can head up to Serena for a sunset drink and a bite, sit down for an elegant meal at Como Como, or enjoy the intimate energy of Mezcalista while the DJ spins. Or you can have all three in one night. We’re providing a variety of vibes and environments, which in turn will attract a real intermingling of different types of guests.”
Interiors at the property have been designed by Rockwell Group (public spaces and bedrooms), while three of the F&B outlets – Serena, Como Como and Mezcalista, have been overseen by Saladino Design Studios. Exteriors meanwhile are by Kobi Karp.
