ME Miami’s Bar, Lounge and Pool offer panoramic views of the city’s bay
ME by Meliá is set to launch its first North American luxury lifestyle hotel in vibrant Downtown Miami in April 2016. ME Miami will be located in the epicentre of the city’s cultural hotspots, such as Pérez Art Museum, Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center and the hotly anticipated Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, which will open in summer 2016. It will also be within close proximity to the thriving Miami Design District, Midtown and the Arts & Entertainment community.
ME Miami is a collaboration with private-equity, alternative investment manager, CGI Merchant Group. It is a key addition to Meliá Hotels International’s expanding hotel portfolio and the company, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, already has a strong presence in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. CGI 1100 Biscayne Management, LLC, an affiliate of CGI Merchant Group, owns the hotel which will be managed under the Meliá Hotels International brand ME by Meliá. CGI Merchant Group purchased the building in January 2013, and led the redevelopment of the original hotel from 56 to a129 guestrooms. The design-forward property underscores the ME brand’s practice of opening destinations in capitals of culture and cool, a key characteristic that proved appealing to CGI.
The entrance of the new hotel
The luxury lifestyle hotel will boast 129 spacious rooms across 14 floors, including three ME+ suites, many of which feature their own private balcony with views overlooking Biscayne Bay and Downtown Miami. Situated on the 11th floor, the signature Suite ME will offer guests tropical floor-to-ceiling vistas, as well as a private bar. Additionally, a luxurious Personality Suite and Style Suite will be located on the 14th floor. ME Miami’s interiors will be a fusion of contemporary and innovative design with cream and grey hues, accompanied by bursts of gold and silver to reflect the city’s energy and vibrant personality. Upcoming global fashion photographer, Alberto Van Stokkum, has been commissioned by the brand to create a bespoke collection of artworks exclusively for ME Miami that will be showcased throughout the hotel.
ME by Meliá hotels are renowned for their breathtaking rooftop spaces, with the brand’s flagship hotel ME London and ME Milan Il Duca featuring rooftop bars with impressive, panoramic skyline views. Located on the 14th floor terrace, ME Miami will feature two swimming pools; a main pool and infinity pool. It will also offer a bar and lounge area, surrounded by sunbeds and cabanas, so that guests can relax and take in the views of Miami’s skyline.
Situated on the 14th floor, guests at ME Miami will also be able to indulge in ‘ME time’ at the SkinC Spa, which offers a range of bespoke treatments and therapies, and the Spa Suite or unwind at one of the hotel’s pools. The property will feature The ONE Group’s signature STK steakhouse restaurant, providing an array of reimagined classic American cuisine for lunch and dinner, accompanied by sets from resident DJs. With indoor and outdoor dining areas, STK’s outdoor terrace will showcase views of the Miami skyline for guests to dine and lounge in style.
André P. Gerondeau, Executive Vice President of Hotels at Meliá Hotels International, said: “The opening of ME Miami is not only historic because it’s the brand’s first-ever foray into the US market, but it is also an acknowledgement and celebration of Miami’s thriving downtown community, which has undergone an extraordinary and exciting cultural renaissance. As the brand does with all of its destinations, ME Miami really places the guest in the middle of urban vitality and momentum. We’re excited about what we’ve achieved here, and know that our guests will find ME Miami a distinctive and compelling addition to an already robust portfolio of unique properties.”
The pool- and Relax Area of the ME Miami
Raoul Thomas, Chief Executive Officer at CGI Merchant Group, said: “CGI, and its entire development team, is excited to work with a brand of Meliá Hotels International’s caliber and is thrilled to see the fruits of more than two years’ of work come together so beautifully. Investing in the coveted location of 1100 Biscayne and making it home to the first ME by Meliá in the U.S. is a true milestone and responsibility for CGI. We look forward to introducing this exceptional space, culinary experience and creativity to the Miami community and beyond.”
ME Miami provides a 24-hour fitness centre, with state-of-the-art Techogym equipment. The hotel will feature 1,026 square feet of flexible, prime meeting space available for events and conferences. It will also offer guests the latest audio-visual equipment and complimentary Wi-Fi.
ME by Meliá is for cultured, fashionable guests who are driven by new experiences and opportunities. The ME brand is renowned for its first-rate concierge service; guests will experience the best of Miami through a dedicated Aura Manager, who is devoted to making each stay unforgetable.
The opening of ME Miami follows closely in the footsteps of ME Milan Il Duca, which opened in May 2015; ME Mallorca and ME Ibiza launched in 2014; and the flagship hotel, ME London, opened in 2013 and ME Madrid, the first ME by Meliá hotel, launched in 2006. The brand will continue to expand with openings in key markets including ME Caracas in 2016, ME Barcelona in 2017 and ME Dubai, which has been designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, is set to launch in 2018.
