January 24, 2017

HOTEL FAENA

I have never had a problem being alone. I enjoy it; in fact I need to be alone in order to be able to be around other people. And there is no better place for me to be alone than in a hotel.

Recently I took a trip down to Miami. I needed some sun bad. I had spent Christmas holiday in bed with a flu that carried over well past New Year. One of the great things about living in NYC is that Miami is a close and easy escape. No stress. Quick flight. I know my way around the town, I don’t need a car, the weather is usually great, and the hotels (up until recently) had been fun. I will say, though - over the last couple of years I started to notice that a lot of the hotels in South Beach -- at least my old reliables-- were either suffering from neglect and abuse or they were just too much. “Too much” in the sense that some of these hotels felt self conscious to me. Like, they were trying too hard to be the next topic of conversation and missing the point in some of the key areas. You know -- like how about a chair that I can sit in? With a back? Or hey! Maybe a cushion? Or, call me crazy… even a pillow?

Things like service, cleanliness, comfort all seemed to have taken a back seat to the promise of “luxury”. Another thing (and this is purely an “ageing out” thing) -- I started to notice a lot of these hotels had gotten really loud. The lobbies had turned into discos. I’m sorry, but I’m just not up for "Young Thug" at 9:00 am anymore. Anyway I was kind of at a point where I was, like, whatever to you and your "luxury" hotels South Beach. But this time I was desperate. I didn’t have a lot of time to go anywhere else, so South Beach it was. Last year in South Beach I was having dinner at one of my favorites, Casa Tua, with a friend and he had mentioned the Faena. How great it was. So when I was booking my flight I remembered him saying that and thought I’d give it a try.

“Great” works great as a description for The Faena - but its beyond great; it’s actually Fantastic! It’s got everything going for it. The number one thing its got going for it is Comfort. Welcoming and comfortable. The hotel is fresh and bright. The staff is kind and helpful. The rooms are beautiful. The food is delicious. The interiors are fun and cozy. So many secret little corners throughout the hotel to disappear into. I never felt cramped or rushed. I never felt disappointed. There was plenty of room and all the time in the world. Because I am not in the business of writing reviews I wont go over every inch of the joint with you, but I will tell you about my two favorite things.

The Spa and Hamam were my first favorites. I am a day dreamer (hence the being alone thing) and I am always cold. So to find a spa with a room that has a warm stone platform that I can lay on and stare up and out into space, alone with my thoughts, is like heroin for an addict. Its pure heaven.

The second thing was the hotels "living room". I love big deep couchs covered in velvet or chintz where I can fritter away the hours doing what I do best. Nothing. The Faena delivered.

Just off the lobby is the “living room”. A perfect spot on our planet to have a drink or a pot of tea. Meet a friend, have a chat, hold a hand, or just read a book. A fantastic room and even more fantastic for a loner like me.