Chic in Miami: Soho Beach House

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When Stefan and I were in Miami, we stayed at the Soho Beach House in Miami Beach.  It is the perfect place for those who want to stay in a quieter and less over the top hotel.  It felt like we were staying in a friend's home. Before I show you the hotel itself, I thought I would start with our room and the chic hallways.  Martin Brudnizki designed the hotel but I was told that all the special little touches were due to the owner, Nick Jones.  The result is beach house meets English country mansion that somehow completely works. 

There are gallery walls of art all over the hotel including in the elevator lobbies on each floor, above.

I loved the pale blue tufted leather walls in the elevators or lifts as the British like to call them.

Hallways are an often overlooked decorating opportunity.  I absolutely loved the chic beachy look of the hotel hallways.  This is definitely going in my beach house file for future use.  It's so simple but perfect.  The seagrass runner is actually inset which means there is no curled up edges to trip over. The pale grey and white tile set on the diagonal also refers back to the tile in Cecconi's.

Even the simple doors were perfect.

How fun would it be in a big beach house to number the doors so your guests can find their room easily?

Instead of blue like the hallways, our room was green.

The grey and white tile floor was cool and reminded me of nautical flags.

The details such as the hooks and leather umbrella stand were definitely English touches.

We had a big room that included a seating area, not that we sat much in Miami Beach!

The best part of the room was that it really did feel like you were staying in a very chic but comfortable home.

We loved the vintage suitcases under the bed!

They even supply a beach bag to use during your stay.  Just wait until you see the pool and beach areas.  Talk about chic!

The armoire was the closet.

I read that Nick Jones's favorite color is petrol blue which reminded me of the color of the old leather on these chairs.

You can either watch the view or the television.

We preferred the view which included the pool area and ocean.  We also overlooked Cecconi's.

I loved that the chairs sat on a round seagrass rug.

The fabrics added to the English feeling in the room.

The bar was very chic.

You could even have someone come and make you drinks!

We had real crystal glasses in our room.

I loved the knobs on the bar.

This little chair was adorable.

I'm sure the tub in your room would be romantic if you were staying with your partner and not your friend!

The leather desk was chic too!

Another look at the comfy bed.

After dealing with the small bathroom on the cruiseship, we were most excited about the spacious bathroom!

Two sinks was a treat!

We both fell in love with the Cowshed Spa products!

We joked that the shower stall was as big as our entire bathroom on the cruiseship!  I took a shower even when I didn't need to just because it was so fabulous! I especially loved the dry waiting area to the side. And even the WC, below, had its own sink.  

As an architect and designer, Stefan and I were most impressed with all the details and special touches in our room and throughout the Soho Beach House.  Just wait until you see the rest of the place!

Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic

Soho Beach House Miami: More Interiors

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I don't want to start to sound like a commercial for Soho Beach House but I just had to post the rest of the interiors.  It really is one of the most well designed boutique hotels that I've ever seen.  I also think there are a lot of take away decorating ideas that anyone could incorporate into their home. 

The Soho Beach House only just opened last October 2010 in what was formerly the Sovereign Hotel.  As you can see in the photos, the old sign is still up because they were required to keep it.  They also had to keep the pink terrazzo floor in the lobby which they covered with a large area rug. 

It was hard to get a good shot of the lobby but it's filled with comfy English style armchairs and little tables.  You can dine in the lobby so in some of the evening photos, you'll see the tables are set. 

Later in the day, the block the lobby tables with a screen so people walking into the hotel don't disturb the people eating.

I loved the mix of color and patterns though out the lobby and entire hotel. 

An evening view of the lobby.  It was cozy and clubby. Soho Beach House is a private club but anyone can book a room at the hotel.  You then have member privileges for the duration of your stay.

The chandelier was stunning!

The desk in the reception area was eclectic and very chic.

The best part of the lobby were all the gallery walls of art.

It was all in a black and white palette which was interesting. 

The doorway leads to the reception desk.

More artwork.

I read that there are over 150 pieces of original art on display at the hotel and I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually more. 

It was interesting to see how the lobby area changed as the light through out the day changed. 

On the second floor is the Club Bar which extends to an outdoor area that can be covered in inclement weather.

All of the chairs are different but because they are the same shade of brown, they all work together perfectly.

We sat outside here on our first night and it's just as nice as night as it is during the day. 

The Club Bar overlooks the pool and has a great view of the ocean.

The mounted fans were a nice touch and probably necessary in hot Miami!

This would be a fun place for a birthday lunch or even a bridal or baby shower on a sunny day.

I really want to live here.

The Club Bar also includes an actual bar. 

Love the jars of matchboxes.

And the bright blue color.

This tile floor extended from the Club Bar into this lobby and was really spectacular.  This is also going in my file for future reference.  I will have to find out if it's new or vintage.

There are two parts to Soho Beach House, the original building which was the old Sovereign Hotel and a new 16-story oceanfront tower.  On the eighth floor of that building lies the library and meeting room which can be used for private meetings and functions. 

I mentioned that petrol blue is owner Nick Jones favorite color and that is the same color as the dramatic draperies.  They also pick up the color of the ocean beyond.

I loved the beat up look to the leather chairs around the conference table.

The hotel is full of snazzy chandeliers and there are more in this room.

On the side of the building, there is a decorative scrim to block out the other hotels.

I love the mix of prints and patterns of the upholstery fabrics and carpets.

The red rug picks up on the beach and pool area pops of red.

There were lots of fun objects on these and other shelves through out the hotel.

Another view of the library.

The room was full of interesting objects like the turtle shells.

But the best part of the library and meeting room is the terrace!

Could you imagine having a meeting out there?!  I'd never get any work done!

I love all the different patterns of the floor tiles.

The amazing view!

I also got to peek into the Cowshed Spa that was designed with lots of rough wood.

I think this might be an exercise room but not sure.  I wish I had booked a treatment for something! 

A cute shelf in the Cowshed Spa.

I loved this little coffee bar area in the spa.

I love the mix of plain white tiles, marble and rough wood against the gleaming silver of the pots and coffee maker.

Another chandelier!

The gym was full of vintage touches like the old boxing gloves.

We stayed during the week so the hotel was not that busy so the gym was empty when I took a tour.

I couldn't quite capture it but the leaning mirror was very old and had a great patina.

The gym actually made me want to work out and I wished I had brought my sneakers and work out clothes.  But they definitely weren't fitting in my over stuffed suitcase!

The ladies locker room had more artwork!

It was too dark to get many good photos but the bathroom in the ladies locker room was really chic.  I love the tufted leather seat above and the other sitting area below.  I really think the Soho Beach House will especially appeal to New Yorkers and anyone who loves good design.  And if you want glitz and glam while you're in Miami, the Fountainbleu is right next door!

Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic