Miami Beach’s postcard aesthetic is, for better or worse, predictable: Art Deco curves, sun-faded pastel paint, perfectly landscaped palm trees. Yet the Faena Hotel Miami Beach — which has just received Two MICHELIN Keys — blows all of that convention clear out of the turquoise blue water.
The U.S. outpost of Argentine hotelier Alan Faena’s eponymous concept, which launched in 2004 in Buenos Aires, is in a design class all its own. Its maximal, outré, conspicuous look isn’t for everyone, but even if its over-the-top visuals aren’t for you, they can still be appreciated.
There is a lot to take in. As you enter, paneled murals depict the Faena’s “mythology” through ultra-baroque scenes. See: macaws, skulls, pelicans, pegasuses, toucans, bleeding hearts, and winged roses. This heady ingress is courtesy of the artist Juan Gatti and, together, the installation is called The Way to Futopia (the added F winking at the hotel’s first initial).
Follow this menagerie through to the opposite doors and you’ll find the Faena’s crown jewel. It’s a monumental artwork by Damien Hirst called Gone But Not Forgotten, which renders a three-meter-tall wooly mammoth skeleton in dazzling gold plate. It’s garish and breathtaking, and, even though it was very expensive (north of 15,000,000 British pounds), it pays dividends in words of mouth and social media exposure (it’s one of the most Instagrammed sites in all of Florida).
There is a steady stream of people taking pictures in front of the ancient bones — gone, but not forgotten, indeed.
By check-in, there’s a white-neon Tracey Emin piece that writes out “Just Let Me Love You.” In the penthouse, which boasts (among many impressive amenities) an amazing ocean-spanning outdoor deck, a colorful photograph by Tony Kelly hangs behind an orchid and two gold velvet chairs.
Back downstairs and in a tucked away bar, a wood and lacquer panel features a pair of eyes, staring out at patrons. This piece is by the Argentine artist Amaya Bouquet. In the Living Room, leopard and tiger-print couches, while seemingly loud, create a cozy and intimate atmosphere. The circular golden chandelier above helps set the mood. It all somehow binds together to create this kind of fantasy release – it’s likely unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.
While the Faena Hotel Miami Beach holds many distinctions – it’s a world class luxury property – design is no doubt one of its flagship attractions. It’s wild, it’s crazy and it’s fun, and it begs the question: why not escape into futopia?
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Top image: Faena Miami Beach
