Hotel Review: St. Regis Bal Harbour - Grand Luxe Oceanfront Suite
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TPG contributor Nick Ewen recently stayed at the luxurious St. Regis Bal Harbour in Miami. Here's his review of the property.
The rain was coming down in buckets as my wife and I pulled up to the St. Regis Bal Harbour, the first stop on our "stay-cation babymoon" in South Florida. Little did I know that the torrential downpour would be one of the only setbacks during a fantastic--albeit too short--one-night stay at the property, which further cemented our love of the St. Regis brand.
Check-in and First Impressions
As we pulled up to the gloriously covered valet stand, we were immediately greeted by a parking attendant and bellman. They welcomed us to the hotel and assisted us with our luggage. The initial entrance is slightly underwhelming, a sparsely decorated room with a strange piece of silver modern art suspended from the ceiling. However, my disappointment soon turned to amazement as we entered the actual lobby.
The lobby consists of three different octagonal shaped open rooms with double ceilings and dark marble floors. Each one includes a stunning chandelier that is rendered even grander by the prism-like decorative mirrors on the walls. The bellman pointed out the wine vault and casual bar/restaurant with live jazz in the evening before showing us to the check-in desk.
As is the case with many luxury hotels, our check-in was processed while seated in comfortable chairs. The friendly agent pulled up our reservation and was delighted to confirm that an early check-in (it was about 12:15 p.m.) was available. She thanked me for being a Platinum member and went through the on-property benefits we would receive, including a welcome gift (Starpoints, a bottle of champagne, or free breakfast), complimentary internet, access to the Reméde Spa facilities (a $35 value), and a late check-out. She then informed us that we'd been upgraded to a Grand Luxe Oceanfront Suite, gave us the key and wished us a pleasant stay.
The hotel shares an elevator bank with the property's luxury condos. Instead of pressing a button to call an elevator, you swipe your key and are told which one to board. Our room (1401) was one of just two on that floor accessed using Elevator 4, giving it the exclusive feel of a penthouse.
The Suite
The suite, at over 1,200-square-feet, was simply stunning. There's a full bathroom upon entering the hallway and the room quickly opens up into a full dining/living room with a direct view of the first of two outdoor balconies. The glass dining room table is illuminated by a quirky light fixture that looks like large copper tubing hanging from the ceiling, and just behind it, tucked expertly into the wall, is a full kitchen, including a dishwasher, wine fridge, and full set of dishes and silverware. This area also houses the exorbitantly priced minibar ($10 for M&M's? No thanks).
A narrow hallway to the right leads past a well-hidden washer and dryer and into the second half of the suite. The humongous bathroom is to the right, and includes double sinks, a large walk-in shower, and one of the deepest soaking tubs I've ever seen. Bath products in both bathrooms are Laboratorie Reméde and quite lovely to use.
The bedroom consists of a large sitting area and plush king-size bed. Sliding glass doors give access to a second balcony, which includes slightly different (and more comfortable) loungers. The lingering rain hurt the initial view from the balconies, but the next day was quite an improvement.
Dining & Bars
Since it was lunchtime, my wife and I chose to grab a quick bite in the St. Regis Bar, which serves Asian-inspired fare in a casual lobby setting. This is also where you find the Wine Vault and its 19-page wine list, ranging from $28 half bottles of a French rosé to $8,000 for a bottle of 1990 Petrus.
For dinner, we opted to stay on property to dine at Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's J&G Grill located on the lobby level, overlooking the ocean. Since our stay coincided with Miami Spice, the restaurant was offering a three-course meal for just $39, an excellent value considering this is one of Miami's true fine dining institutions.
I devoured my first course of roasted quail with goat cheese and an apricot puree, my entrée of cider-braised short ribs with yogurt polenta and a marrow and mushroom fricassee (paired with a 2012 Roth Pinot Noir), and a key lime pie for dessert. My wife ordered a la carte and was equally impressed with her roasted carrot salad over mixed greens with avocado, citrus, & sour cream and her filet mignon was cooked to perfection.
Breakfast is also served at J&G, and though my Platinum welcome letter indicated that there would be an $8 upcharge for the full buffet, our waitress included it at no charge. The spread is impressive, with the usual hot dishes, cereals, and pastries, plus some unique items like mixed greens with grapefruit, cranberries, walnuts, a Caprese salad, Nutella crepes and bread pudding.
Pool & Other Amenities
The ground floor is located one level down from the lobby, and that's where you'll find the spa and fitness center, as well as the pools and beach access. There are three pools on premise: one for condo residents, one for hotel guests, and an adult's only pool. My wife and I spent a few hours lounging at the adults-only Tranquility Pool, which is on a separate level from the other pools, and thus a true oasis. I tried a Bloody Sunrise, their twist on the chain's signature drink. Take a traditional Bloody Mary, add Clamato juice, fresh key lime, and a key lime ice cube, and you have a perfect South Florida poolside beverage.
Hospitality
The little personal touches made a big difference. A couple of hours after check-in, our butler delivered a welcome gift to our room: four baby girl-themed cake pops. At dinner that evening, the bartender mixed my wife a fantastic non-alcoholic grapefruit martini, and the waiter offered it at no charge.
The service was outstanding throughout the property. We accidentally wandered into the residents' pool area at first, and the attendant not only pointed us in the right direction, but actually walked us over to the Tranquility Pool. From there, we were taken great care of by our waiter and pool attendant. Then, after a short walk on the beach, we were rinsing our feet when a different attendant came running over with a towel and dried our feet for us. Talk about pampering.
On the downside, we checked in around noon and checked out at 3 p.m. the following day and never received any maid service. It wasn't a big deal (since we had everything we needed), but an interesting observation, nonetheless.
Overall Impression
We really enjoyed our stay here, and we were quite sad to leave after just one night. The hotel definitely caters to high spenders who value luxury--nothing is cheap on or around the property, so be prepared to pony up. And speaking of the surrounding area, there's not much to offer by way of activities, save for Bal Harbour Shops--again, the most luxurious shopping in town. For these reasons, I wouldn't recommend it for families, although we did see a number of kids during our stay.
Points & Pricing
The St. Regis Bal Harbour is a Category 7 SPG property, requiring 30,000 – 35,000 points per night. If you book a five-night stay, the fifth night is free, dropping your nightly redemption rate to 24,000 points. Room rates during the month of November start at $829 per night on weekdays and $2,477 per night on weekends. It's wise to use your Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express in order to earn double points on your stay.
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Have you stayed at this St. Regis or others? How do you like this hotel brand?
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.