EAST Miami is a luxurious 40-story tower anchoring Brickell City Centre, a mixed-use development with al fresco shopping in the heart of Miami’s financial district. Part of Hong Kong-based Swire Hotels, it’s home to a vertiginous rooftop bar, Zen-luxe guest rooms and an elegant South American restaurant.
Location 8/10
When EAST Miami and Brickell City Centre opened in 2016, the five million square-foot, seven block development designed by local architecture firm Arquitectonica essentially transformed the character of Miami’s financial district. A destination unto itself, luxury shopping and a range of dining options is an elevator ride away. The rest of the neighborhood has continued to evolve into a well-rounded destination beyond the office crowd with dining, nightlife, entertainment and cultural attractions.
Design 9/10
A glistening modern tower with floor-to-ceiling windows, EAST plays up its East-meets-West appeal with natural stone walls and earthy brown marble tile floors in a lobby with dramatically high ceilings. While the hotel pays homage to its Chinese roots through clean and spare design, it also draws on international influences, ranging from South American cuisine to a Bali-inspired rooftop bar. It’s a refreshingly grownup-feeling hotel amongst its sometimes flashier neighbors.
Amenities & Hospitality 9/10
The poolscape is expressed through Brutalist concrete: an accent wall with “cheese hole” cut outs (a nod to 1950s MiMo architecture), monumental angular columns and slices across the deck to create two large trapezoidal pools and a smaller hot tub and cold plunge. There’s also a nearby fitness center.
Hospitality is gracious and competent.
Rooms 9/10
I recently checked into EAST for one night at the end of a particularly debaucherous weekend in South Beach and it was just the soothing antidote I needed, starting with a bubble bath in the soaking tub (complete with rubber ducky) set against a window in my corner king room on a high floor. Those floor-to-ceiling windows plus a wraparound glass balcony with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay and the city lights was like being on top of the world. The spacious room has a lovely residential-feeling layout with a wide entry hallway that leads to a large closet and modern bathroom with a rainfall shower in addition to the sublime soaking tub. The accent wall behind the bed is a shimmering representation of the sun reflecting on water, while a banquette-style sofa is built into another wall. The color palette is earthy and neutral with occasional pops of orange.
Food & Beverage 9/10
The hotel’s Uruguayan restaurant Quinto is set in a beautiful dining room with indoor and outdoor seating, plus the bar at their open-flame parilla grill where rib-eye steak with chimichurri, sweetbreads and fresh fish a la plancha are prepared. The food is great and the setting is chic, yet relaxed.
“Bull—How on earth do I know what I’m going to do, except that it’s fairly plain that I will go on drinking and drinking and drinking, and having a good time in bed whenever I can and hitting the keys on my new ‘Olympia’ typewriter—a good one.”
Tennessee Williams, 1957
For cocktails with unparalleled views and a buzzy scene, the rooftop bar Sugar is inspired by Bali with an intricately carved wooden bar and an Asian fusion small plates menu. There’s also the speakeasy-style Tea Room, a sexy den on the same floor, serving sushi and cocktails, as well as an “Asian Night Brunch.”
Breakfast is served at Quinto with items like pan con tomate and lemon ricotta pancakes, as well as a continental breakfast buffet with baked goods, fruits and cheeses. A grab-and-go café in the lobby offers fresh pastries and coffee.
Value 9/10
Rates from approximately $279 in low season and $449 in high; Book
The Bottom Line
A luxurious hotel for grownups in the heart of Miami’s Brickell financial district.
Contact
788 Brickell Plaza, Miami, FL 33131; 305-712-7000; easthotels.com/en/miami
