The Confidante Miami Beach Provides The Ultimate South Beach Getaway
Visitors looking for affordable luxury accommodations in Miami Beach should seriously consider The Confidante Miami Beach (part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt). The location, both on the beachfront and right in the center of Miami Beach, puts it at the junction of cool and convenient.
The 16-story property offers rooms with beachfront views, some with balconies. Floor space in the rooms is way above average at 250 to 600 square feet. On a recent media trip, our Deluxe Room had a set of shelves dividing the room into a sleeping area with a king-size bed and a living area with sitting space, writing desk, and a card table. The floor-to-ceiling windows had a sliding door leading to a private balcony where a lounger provided room to chill out. The hotel also offers even larger suites — up to 1,025 square feet, with separate bedroom, living space, and dining room.
I loved the inside-outside approach to eating. As well as the obligatory pool bar, the main restaurant, Bird & Bone, offered plentiful indoor seating and an equally large patio shaded by a pergola. Since Bird & Bone offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we swung by frequently.
At breakfast, there was an extensive buffet and an à la carte menu. The winning dish from the latter was avocado toast on a hearty slab of country bread and topped with furls of alfalfa sprouts.
For the prime-time evening menu, farm-to-table Southern food was the theme. Chef Richard Hales likes his plates to have huge quantities, and to include something fried whenever possible. Consider the Nashville Hot Sweetbread: The succulent thymus gland is encrusted with a crispy batter as wide as the organ itself, making for a crunchy mouthfeel. This is augmented by hot spice, honey, and mustard. The plate-filling quantity would defy any observer to guess that this was just a starter. Likewise, the appetizer of pan-seared sea scallops with "Hoppin' John" — heirloom red-eye peas and Carolina Gold rice — would serve just fine as a full meal, thank you. Black-eyed pea soup with hearty ham hock, crispy kale, and citrus zest provided an earthy starter bowl.
An alternative dinner choice is Talde, the third outpost of Filipino-American Dale Talde's casual fusion concept, following locations in New York and Jersey City. The restaurant succeeds in producing an innovative take on Asian fusion food and is well worth visiting even for those who aren't hotel guests. In fact, Talde is a magnet for millennials (some of them quite dressed up), with a lively atmosphere and bubbly, friendly waitstaff.
But Miami is all about the sunshine. Reaching the beach is simple through one of the carded exits at the back of the hotel property. From there, just walk to where you want to set up. Deckchairs and shades are available for hire. As well as the beach, many guests take advantage of the two outdoor pools with adjacent cabanas. The poolside cocktail bar and dining options are always close at hand.
The spa at The Confidante is up on the 10th floor rooftop, in the open air, along with a full-service hair salon Warren-Tricomi Studio. There is also a handy 24-hour fitness center along with an outside deck where fitness classes are held at least once a day — the price is included in the resort fee ($26/day). Other significant things included in the resort fee are beach activities such as yoga and CrossFit, complimentary bicycle and helmet rentals, and daily guest activities (e.g. adult cocktail culture classes).
You don't have to stay on property during your stay, of course. Little Havana, the Wynwood Art District, and the Design District are all within easy reach. This all makes The Confidante Miami Beach an ideal choice — whether you are into actively seeing the area or just want to chill near the pool.