The Faena Miami

On our recent trip to Miami we stayed at the unbelievable Faena Hotel. The Faena is an Argentinian hotel located in Mid Beach. The creator of the hotel, Alan Faena wanted his hotel to feel like a movie come to life, which it actually does. (more like a crazy fever dream) The hotel is maximalism at it’s best. The people watching is incredible. When you enter the hotel you are immediately transported to another world. The “Cathedral” is the lobby entrance with beautiful murals and mosaic tiles filling the room. When you walk outside the star of the hotel, the Damien Hurst gold Woolly Mammoth is on display outside. Unfortunately they might be taking it away because it is not supposed to be in the sun, and when we were there the glass was cracking.

Back inside, check in is a very personal experience, nobody is standing up behind a desk. We were exhausted after a red eye flight and were able to upgrade to a room that was ready overlooking the pool and ocean. The original hotel was called the Saxony built in 1928. It underwent a massive renovation to become the Faena. You can tell the history still in this hotel by the elevators and the hallways. The room was pretty standard but still incredibly beautiful and upscale with great attention to detail. Honestly one of our our favorite parts was the high-tech toilet. The terrace and the view of the pool and beach of course was worth the pricey upgrade.

We decided to get the full Faena experience by pretty much doing everything at the hotel. The first day I checked out the spa.. The spa is beautiful of course with many amenities including a Hamam. In the morning we had a beautiful pool day and it was not crowded at all. At the pool we were greeted by a huge iguana that came by our chairs. I love the location of the hotel as well in Mid Beach. It is still very walkable but away from the craziness of South Beach.

We at at both restaurants on property, Pao and Los Fuegos. Pao is located up a beautiful spiral staircase. In the middle of the restaurant there is a Damien Hurst Statue of course. I highly recommend the fried chicken and the wagyu bao buns. Los Fuegos is Argentian food, and you can actually see them smoking everything outside of the restaurant. When we at there, Alan Faena was also there just a few tables away.

All in all it was a truly wonderful stay and probably the craziest hotel we have had the pleasure of staying in. I think for us this was a one time experience and not sure if we would stay here again because we definitely got the full experience.