Mandarin Oriental-Miami is sweet on its suites

MIAMI -- Known for its lavish accommodations, spa and restaurant, the 4-year-old Mandarin Oriental-Miami is a draw for the world-famous, such as tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and for CEOs of international industries. 

Guests get a glimpse of the hotels grandeur as soon as they walk through the entrance.

The lobby is replete with sculpture and furnishings especially commissioned for the hotel, including a 30-foot tropical black bamboo tree from Mexico, marble from Brazil and a panel of trilevel windows that overlook Biscayne Bay to the east and Miami to the west.

Sweet sleep

All 327 guest rooms have 10-foot-high ceilings and come equipped with three dual-line phones, including a cordless phone. Rooms also have high-speed Internet access, a Bose radio system, fax machines and dataports.

The interior is luxurious in all guest rooms -- Frette bed linens, spectacular views, separate Spanish marble shower and bath, two plush bathrobes and slippers and Molton Brown toiletries.

The Mandarin Oriental-Miami is known for its suites, which are favored by Pavarotti and Hollywood and sports celebrities.

Thirty-one suites are available in four sizes, spanning from 628 square feet to the 2,365-square-foot Oriental Suite. The Oriental Suite, located on the top floor of the hotel, has a working fireplace, a kitchen, a grand piano and $100,000 worth of audiovisual equipment in its own theater-style media room.

The Mandarin Suite, which includes its own luxury spa, debuted in May.

We had seen an increase in occupancy and demand for our Oriental Suite from celebrities and executives from around the world, said Jorge Gonzalez, the hotels general manager. Our new Mandarin Suite was designed to offer a choice for our guests seeking the ultimate in luxury and accommodations.

In addition to the spa, the 2,000-square-foot suite also offers a large living room; a formal dining room; a full-service kitchen complete with a private chef who cooks customized, gourmet meals; a master bedroom; two-and-a-half baths; audiovisual equipment; and two plasma TVs.

As for the private spa housed within the suite, there is a spa serenity room with an infinity-edge soaking bath; color-therapy lighting; a tear-drop ceiling fountain; a relaxation area with a two-person, glass-enclosed steam shower; a personal therapist; and a spa butler on call 24 hours a day.

Casual dining

Dining in Cafe Sambal, a casual hotel bistro, is an out-of-the-ordinary experience because of the wide-ranging menu -- mini French pastries, exotic truffles, a full sushi bar with sake menu and gourmet Vosages Haut-Chocolat bars.

The design is equally luscious. A decorative pool with a small waterfall adds a soothing background sound. Comfortable, off-white, woven rawhide chairs, dark wood tables and surrounding white walls distinguish Cafe Sambas comfortable decor.

The casual hotel restaurant serves breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. ($4 to $16), lunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ($9 to $20) and dinner from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. ($20 to $31), daily.

Shaken and stirred

Mandarins M-Bar, with its two-story, floor-to-ceiling windows and Blue Bahia marble-topped bar, is a favorite of local residents, hotel guests and downtown Miamis business crowd. The M-Bar offers all the classic drinks, including liqueurs, starting at $12.

A menu of 250 martinis are divided into categories: sweet, tangy, naughty-but-nice and odd-balls. Martini varieties include the James Bond, the Old Blue Eyes Favorite, the signature Mandarin Martini and inventive specialties such as the Cajun Martini, the Coffee Lovers Martini, the Martini of the Night and the popular Sour Apple Tini.

Top-notch entertainment

Guests are in for a treat in the Lobby Lounge, located at the north end of the lobby. From 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., except Sundays, Paraguayan folk harpist Roberto Perera plays a mix of Latin, pop and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. Perera played on Gloria Estefans Latin Grammy-winning album Abriendo Puertas, and his own Dreams & Desires. He won a Billboard magazine award for top Contemporary Latin Jazz album.

First-class dining

Azul, the intimate, waterfront restaurant that seats 120, is Mandarins signature eatery and the first Miami restaurant to have been honored with the AAA Five Diamond Award- in 2003 and 2004. Floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides ensure that all diners have bay and city views while indulging in Miami native chef Michelle Bernsteins diverse menu.

Azuls distinctive cuisine blends Latin flavors with those of Asian, new Caribbean and classic French cuisines. Appetizers are priced from $8 to $21, main entrees $20 to $35, and the lunch menu ranges from $14 to $24.

Azul offers pashminas in an array of colors to keep guests warm and reading glasses in a variety of strengths. Adjacent to the main dining area is Azuls champagne bar -- champagne bottles are supported in a miniature canal filled with ice, next to a sleek aluminum bartop designed to keep drinks cold.

Spa bliss

The three-level, 15,000-square-foot spa overlooking Biscayne Bay focuses on the individuality of each guest by first evaluating the clients wants and needs. Every spa encounter begins with guidance and explanation as to the chosen treatment by a member of the staff.

The most-requested signature treatment is the Ayurvedic Holistic Body Treatment, which blends stress-relieving techniques from several parts of the world -- China, Europe, India and Thailand, according to  Osa Mallo, the spa director.

The effects of the one-hour-and-50-minute treatment are so intense they can still be felt more than three days later, said Mallo.

The spa features separate male and female relaxation lounges with a water wall and an abundance of fresh flower arrangements. Other amenities include sauna and steam rooms, a manicure/pedicure salon, five private cabanas for outdoor massages, a Pilates studio, yoga classes, a fitness center with cardiovascular equipment and 17 private treatment rooms.

On the top floor of Mandarins trilevel spa facility are six private suites, which are sheathed in marble. They offer pre-eminent spa experiences: two of the spas Mandarin Suites include a personal multijet tub overlooking Biscayne Bay, two are custom-designed for Thai massage and two are designed for couples who want to share their massage experience. In addition to the individual treatments, the Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Miami offers full- and half-day packages.

Beach Club

The Mandarins private beach, a tropical oasis with indigenous palm trees and shrubbery, lies just steps away from the hotel. Hammocks, white-cushioned day beds and sleek lounge chairs, all created in authentic Thai style, are there for guests use.

Beach butlers pamper guests with cool towels and mist services along with a selection of frozen fruit delicacies, refreshing tropical drinks and spa cuisine. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, offers outdoor massages for singles and couples performed in private cabanas alongside the waters of Biscayne Bay.

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