Bringing together the design talents of Rockwell Group, Saladino Design Studios and Kobi Karp, Moxy’s first resort-style property boasts no fewer than six creative F&B concepts.

The new Moxy Miami South Beach is a playful scheme celebrating Miami’s cosmopolitan culture.

A fresh approach for Moxy

The first resort-style property under Marriott International’s Moxy brand, Moxy Miami South Beach brings together 202 guest rooms with an exciting lifestyle offering including two pools, Moxy Beach Club, and six drinking and dining concepts. Developer Lightstone previously created a trio of Moxy hotels in New York City.

Through its design, this eight-storey property combines the glamour of midcentury Havana with the artistry of Mexico City and Miami’s tropical vibrancy. All of this is just steps away from the sand and at the forefront of a historic neighbourhood that’s repositioning itself as Miami’s new Art Deco District.

“Opening the hotel during this unprecedented time presented Lightstone with a unique challenge,“ said Mitchell Hochberg, president of Lightstone. “Moxy South Beach isn’t a response to the pandemic, even if it feels like an antidote to it.

“In a way, the design anticipated the needs of the current environment, so we’re able to accommodate what people are looking for right now: contactless check-in, outdoor spaces, and a do-it-yourself ethos. But we always stayed true to the roots of the Moxy brand, letting guests curate their own experience while they escape reality for a few days in South Beach – and the icing on the cake is that it’s all at an attractive price point. That’s an idea with timeless appeal.”

A celebration of Miami’s culture

For Moxy Miami South Beach, Rockwell Group designed the room interiors, Saladino Design Studios oversaw the interiors of F&B outlets Serena, Como Como and Mexcalista, and the exteriors were designed by Kobi Karp. Here, indoor spaces blend seamlessly with outdoor areas, and public gathering places are designed with private enclaves such as poolside cabanas and open-air meeting studios.

The lobby provides several relaxation areas, with amusements like the hotel’s modern spin on a foosball table, along with three meeting studios and a restaurant, which all converge around a courtyard. The indoor-outdoor theme continues in the Muscle Beach-inspired fitness centre, rooftop movie-screening room and nearby Moxy Beach Club.

Guests will be able to relax by the second-floor terrace’s 72 ft cabana-lined pool and peer down into the lobby through a transparent cutout at the pool’s base. The hotel’s eighth-floor rooftop, meanwhile, is home to a shallow lounging pool with submerged chaises and daybeds shaped like lily pads.

Ranging from Quad Bunk, Double Queen and King to residential-style suites, guest rooms come decorated with vibrant Miami colours and by day are flooded with light owing to their floor-to-ceiling windows. Taking inspiration from the Clyde Mallory Line, which transported passengers between Miami and Havana in the ‘40s and ‘50s, rooms are designed to resemble ocean-liner staterooms.

“Our design concept for Moxy South Beach celebrates Miami’s uniquely multicultural style, from eclectic art deco motifs and Miami modernism, to Cuban and other Latin American influences,” said Greg Keffer, partner and studio leader at Rockwell Group. “To capture the bright, carefree sophistication of South Beach, we blurred the boundaries between indoor and outdoor amenities, and created light-filled guestrooms that have a feeling of openness.”

A new lifestyle hub for Miami Beach

For the drinking and dining venues, Lightstone drew on the expertise of Miami restaurateurs Coyo Taco Group. Bar Moxy is distinguished by its oval-shaped bar, retro-style barstools and infinity mirror installation paying tribute to Miami’s Cuban heritage, while the all-day bodega and taco stand Los Buenos stands out for its hand-pressed tortillas and burrito bowls. Elsewhere, open-air rooftop restaurant and bar Serena channels the patio restaurants of Oaxaca and Mexico City, with a menu of cocktails and shareable dishes, and rooftop bar The Upside boasts a lounging pool and movie-screening area with views of the ocean and Miami Beach.

Not to be outdone, seafood restaurant and raw bar Como Como, due to open in April, will feature an outdoor courtyard, a wood- and charcoal-fired grill that utilises Mexican cooking techniques and a tequila tree sculpture dispensing the agave spirit. And mezcal lounge mezcalista is also making its debut in April, giving guests the chance to try over 100 rare mezcals and tequilas.

“We’re creating concepts that give people a lot of choice,” said Sven Vogtland, co-founder of Coyo Taco Group. “You can head up to Serena for a sunset drink and a bite, sit down for an elegant meal at Como Como, or enjoy the intimate energy of Mezcalista while the DJ spins. Or you can have all three in one night. We’re providing a variety of vibes and environments, which in turn will attract a real intermingling of different types of guests.”

These venues will be complemented by an energetic cultural and lifestyle programming featuring several exclusive partnerships ranging from classes with local fitness guru Starr Hawkins to surfing with Surfrider Foundation, screenings with Miami Film Festival and weekly live music series by Prism Creative and Tigre Sounds.