Pack your bag Gansevoort lovers, the oh-so-hip design hotel started in NYC’s Meatpacking District has opened its second location in Miami Beach. Think larger and hipper; the Floridian flagship dwarfs its cozier NYC sibling with a structure that spans an entire city block containing 334 rooms and private residences. More Fontainebleau than Raleigh, the concept returns to the days of ’60s North Miami where larger hotels made their mark with splashy lobby lounges and self-contained resort areas. The two-story lobby features wood-paneled columns and larger-than-life shark tank containing over seventy types of exotic sharks, stingrays and cockle-face fish we hope never to see at the hotel’s beach club. Pretty-face staffers front an illuminated reception area opposite a large lobby lounge with oversize wingback chairs and ’50s inspired loungers. Since opening in early-February the crowd has included local celebrities like the Rubell family and Wilhelmina models strutting to their in-house office with look-books in hand. At times the hotel can feel like a cruise ship you never have to leave between dinner at either Philippe by Philippe Chow or STK by One Group and the morning workout at super-sexy David Barton Gym. But perhaps the most luxurious amenity of all, the infamous Gansevoort pool is a seafront infinity resort area with minimalist loungers and all-day tanning scene of Miami’s fittest and finest. There is little doubt it is the best pool in Miami for now, especially when it morphs into a hip lounge and nightclub scene anytime after sunset.

I found this review at jetsetreport.com and I have very little to disagree with. Except for one thing: I wouldn’t stay here. It was fun to visit for the day, drink by the pool and have an awesome dinner at Phillippe, but just not my style. Too hip for me, too big, too impersonal. I could see most singles or couples having a great weekend here: clubbing by night and lounging poolside by day. It’s a place to party, not relax.

Also, the decor: more fun than The Tides but less luxurious. The lobby boasts these gigantic white club chairs and sadly the leather  or vinyl has already begun to sag and ripple. The rooms were South Beach sleek, but a bit cold.

Phillippe was delicious and the bar area of the restaurant was chic (I’m a sucker for black & white decor) but the back of the restaurant seemed unfinished. Same menu as Phillippe in NYC, which I love. 

David Barton’s Gym is a wonder. How anyone could work out there is beyond me. It is a Moroccan night club/natural history museum with exersize equipment. Homophobes need not apply. The place is seething with men in bikinis sweating. See below:

We even checked out Louis, the brand new night joint inspired by 18th century Europe with its chic, opulent glamour and intriguing architectural solutions. However, the crowd was so lame it was scarier than the guillotine: totally un-chic crowd. Maybe thats how I got in…