Mondrian Miami

Mr & Mrs Smith have just returned from a review trip to this Miami boutique hotel, and just as soon as they’ve unpacked their sunglasses and swimwear, a full account of their stay in the US will be with you. In the meantime, just to whet your wanderlust, here’s a quick postcard from Mondrian Miami…

Anywhere you can by a Rolls Royce from a vending machine in the lobby is definitely worth a gawp. At Mondrian Miami, as long as you have an accommodating enough credit card, you can pick up a Rolls, a Bentley, a one-bedroom penthouse (or more practical extras such as T-shirts and shampoo spray) after check-out.

With 335 rooms, ‘boutique’ may not be the first word that springs to mind when describing this hotel, but Dutch designer (and Starck devotee) Marcel Wanders has rendered the Mondrian’s brilliant white interiors to create a strikingly intimate atmosphere. Try not to be alarmed by the hotel’s intriguing motif – giant images of dolls’ heads are plastered throughout the lobby, public areas and in the clean-cut modernist rooms. These are intended to represent ‘superheroes’ watching over you, apparently – presuming superheroes take an interest in the decadent antics of the South Beach sophisticate crowd.

Jostling for star-attraction status with the sublime Asia de Cuba fusion restaurant, the buzzy Sunset Lounge scene bar, and the heaven-like Agua Spa, the Mondrian’s poolside has quickly become one of the most coveted sun-soaking spots in Miami. Gigantic cabanas – fully fitted with flatscreens and lounge furniture – have been created from curvily topiaried wraparound hedges, and ornate lounge furniture upholstered in splash-proof red rubber sits enticingly beneath billowy white drapes. It’s the perfect place to posily park yourself for the day, admiring the breath-stealing views of Biscayne Bay.

There are a hundred places to be seen in this town, but Mondrian Miami may be the only one you need to see…