First and last happy time at the Thompson Hotel Miami because it will now be The Confidante. Will it be the same, better or worse?

I just came back from a fantastic week in Miami Beach, Florida. I was there with my wife. She has to be in Miami for a couple of meetings and we decided to make a week holiday of it. I did take my laptop to check on a few work related things, but mostly spent time enjoying the hotel, the beach, the boardwalk and some parts of Miami.

Thompson Hotel Miami (soon to be The Confidante). ©Canadian and World Tourism

One of the pools. ©Canadian and World Tourism

While we like to stay in South Beach somewhere within walking distance from Lincoln Road, this time we figured it would be nice to try something else. The Thompson Hotel is rated 4 Stars on Expedia Canada (by comparison, the Loews is rated 4.5, the South Seas 3.5 and the Fontainebleau 4.5). 3 to 4.5 stars are not inexpensive hotels. In Canadian dollars you would be spending between $250 to $400 per night (plus resort fees and taxes). The Fontainebleau is probably one of the most expensive (old Frank Sinatra’s hangout and the home of the LIV club). Do your research because sometimes a 4 or 4.5 star hotel has better rates than a 3.5 star property.

The bed at the Thompson Hotel Miami – very comfortable. Loved the pillows. ©Canadian and World Tourism

We stayed 7 nights at the Thompson Miami. And we really liked it. Not sure if I want to say we loved it, but close. It’s a cool hotel. Dates from the 1950’s when the Hotel Lord Tarleton opened on the site and it was the tallest modern building in Miami at the time.* Today the Thompson consists of 3 towers and more than 300 rooms. Thompson Hotels has managed the site since 2014.
Atmospherics
One of the things I really liked about the Thompson is its use of atmospherics. There was always the same pleasant smell in the lobby and the entire patio and 2-pool area has speakers everywhere and discreetly placed so as not to be too conspicuous. The music I would call EDM atmospheric, so not quite full on EDM, but cool Miami mood music.

©Canadian and World Tourism

Staff
The pool and serving staff were all excellent and friendly. We only had one glitch during the stay. On Friday no one showed up to make up the room, even after I called housekeeping once (around 3 in the afternoon) and then asked front desk (around 4:00 pm). At around 5:30 when we needed the room to shower and rest before going out, I finally went down and talked to the manager. First, I gave him the positive feedback about the week and then told him about the room and to please not to send anyone then because we needed the room. He did the right thing for the guest and gave us a $$ credit for the inconvenience.
Food
The Seagrape Restaurant offers a buffet or a la carte breakfast. The buffet is good but not great. The a la carte menu offers various omelets and pancakes and the like, I had the pancakes twice. Very good. And the buffet twice as well if I recall correctly. Dinner selection is quite good. Even though we did not try every dish on the menu, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Waygu Burger. It was excellent (medium rare) with rosemary fries!

The Branzino fish in Banana Leaf. Just scrumptious. Talde Restaurant Miami. ©Canadian and World Tourism

Talde
Brooklyn’s Chef Talde opened his Miami edition at the Thompson Hotel. I had never heard of the restaurant but we decided to check it out. Excellent food. The Branzino Fish in Banana Leaf with Thai basil, mint and cilantro is amazing. Highly recommended. My only caveat with the Talde is the focus on Hip-Hop music during dinner hour (say between 6 and 8 pm). The music was more conducive to late night hours or a pure play bar than a restaurant to enjoy a meal and some conversation.

Mojito at the Thompson Hotel Miami. ©Canadian and World Tourism

Drinks
Excellent cocktails. I had Mojitos and Daiquiris. But warning. Cocktails in Miami are not cheap! Most mid to high-end places will charge anywhere from $12 to $18 for a Mojito. Add to that 20% gratuity (most places add this 20% to the bill as a matter of course) and taxes and you can be looking at $18/20 mojitos or daiquiries, margaritas or Piña Verdes.
The Beach
The Thompson has 2 pools (no diving) – one adults only and another for children and families. The water in the pools tends to be quite warm so for cooling off we would go to the ocean. The beach is literally outside the hotel just crossing the boardwalk. The hotel has excellent beach towel service both by the pools and by the beach.

The main tower at the Thompson Hotel Miami (soon to be The Confidante). ©Canadian and World Tourism

The Future. The Confidante Hotel
While I was in Miami, I googled the Thompson Hotel to learn more about it and found out that this month, the Hyatt organization is closing the purchase of the property. It will soon be part of the new Unbound Collection of boutique hotels that Hyatt is acquiring around the world. From what I read, it looks like not much will change from the current Thompson Hotel Miami. Though, while press releases and reports mention that the property will use Hyatt’s reservations systems and will benefit from Hyatt’s marketing machine, it’s not clear whether Hyatt will be the actual hotel manager. Will have to wait and see. My wife would love to go back, but we’ll have to wait for the reviews (and where the room rates will be).

Source: canadianandworldtourism.com

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