We’re steering off the boulevard (pun intended) this time around and instead of highlighting a particular street in a fascinating destination, the recent experience at COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach warrants a dedicated post to the property.
Sitting along coveted Miami Beach in the heart of the city’s Art Deco district, the COMO Metropolitan is everything you can imagine when it comes to serenity, class and hospitality.
THE DESIGN
Formerly known as the Traymore Hotel, the hotel was built in 1939 and served as a hospital during the Second World War. Much of the facade and flooring are still intact following the original construction and the building itself is protected by the Historic Preservation Board.
With interiors refurbished by Italian designer Paola Navone, the hotel’s design features modern and shimmering style alongside elegant accents of marble, pastel colours and natural light found in its public areas as well as within its 74 rooms.
THE EXPERIENCE
Themes of wellness, calmness and superior hospitality run throughout the COMO Metropolitan.
Its Shambhala Urban Escape spa offers revitalizing massage options, facial and body treatments, a beauty bar, and a fitness and nutrition centre. The rooftop pool features mesmerizing views of Miami Beach; the ground pool includes spacious cabanas, a bar and restaurant serving nutritious and flavourful cuisine; and the shaded garden on the boardwalk is the ideal setting for relaxation.
Every staff member inside the property is warm, genuine and eager to assist. I have visited and stayed in many different hotels but the welcoming nature found inside the COMO is unmatched.
THE DINING
The Traymore restaurant sets the dining tone for the entire hotel including room service and the pool bar. Curated by award-winning chef Michael Schwartz, the menus are a testament to COMO’s focus on healthy, organic and flavourful cuisine deep-rooted in the philosophy of ‘balance.’ All dishes are light yet filling and the menus offer a variety of options for breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner.
For breakfast, dine on the terrace and try the kimchi and avocado toast served on sourdough bread; the chia yogurt parfait with passion fruit, papaya and puffed grain; and freshly squeezed orange juice. For lunch, head to the pool bar and indulge in a mojito alongside a chopped salad filled with kale, cucumber, avocado, kohlrabi, tomato, quinoa, sunflower seeds and tahini dressing. And for dinner, sit inside Traymore’s private dining room and sip on the ‘Hail to the Sun’ cocktail infused with chinola passion fruit liqueur, mint, lime, agave and club soda while savouring the crudites appetizer served with goat cheese-garlic dip and rye toast; the grilled spice-crusted chicken with bok choy and kumquat-lemongrass dressing; and the red curry noodles with tofu, sugar snap peas and mung bean sprouts.
BOULEVARD 