Five-Star South Florida
Miami's newest luxury hotels are pulling out all the stops to draw you in. Even if you're a toddler.

No sooner had we settled into our room at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove than we heard a knock at the door. Aren, our 16-month-old son, toddled over to open it, but his tiny hands couldn't reach the knob.

"Room service," the voice on the other side announced.

Did we order room service? Hardly, but that didn't stop a hotel employee from delivering a silver tray with an enormous, freshly-baked M&M cookie - Aren's favorite - to our room.

Luxury properties like the Ritz-Carlton make it their business to know what you (and your kids) like when you're away. In the Miami area, where a new luxury hotel seems to open every month, properties are going out of their way to distinguish themselves from one another - whether it's a decadent rooftop pool, a museum-quality collection of classic cars or white-glove personalized service.

And they've got something for everyone. Even if you're still in diapers.

Aren, we should note, is not easily impressed. He's been to more countries and stayed in more hotels at the tender age of one than we had before we met. But his eyes were locked on that still-soft cookie as it was carried across the room and placed on the table.

"This is for you, Master Aren," the hotel associate said, completely straight-faced.

The boy climbed onto one of the oversize chairs, sat down, and began eating the cookie as if somehow he had expected it. (In fact, before we arrived, a hotel representative discreetly asked what kind of cookies he liked. Only later did we learn that this attention to detail is routine for frequent guests.)

The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, which opened in September 2002, offers the same amenities you'd expect to find at another Ritz-Carlton - lavishly decorated rooms, attentive service, a spa and hallways filled with original art. But then again, so do the other Miami luxury hotels that have sprung up in the recent past.

If this new hotel has a distinguishing feature, it it's almost certainly the Bizcaya Grill, its restaurant. In less than a year, chef Willis Loughhead has managed to win several awards for his contemporary American dishes, which include Florida Keys yellowtail snapper with baby calamari Escabeche and pommery mustard and peach-stuffed double-cut pork chop.

We brought Aren along to meet Chef Loughhead for lunch, but he seemed more interested in playing in the nearby fountain than sampling the entrees that had landed Bizcaya on a list of the top 75 restaurants in the world, according to a recent magazine poll.

A toddler, after all, has a limited appreciation of fine dining.

The classic car exhibit at the Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort in nearby Sunny Isles, Fla., proved to be more Aren's speed. The hotel, which opened in early 2003, displays developer Michael Dezer's prized collection of automobiles, which include a vintage 1928 Duesenberg valued at about $1 million, a 1950 Mercury used in a James Dean movie and the first convertible Mustang.

You don't have to explain the appeal of wheels to a little boy.

"Car, car, car!" Aren squealed as we walked among the vintage vehicles.

He was especially mesmerized by a 1967 amphibious auto - he knows the word "boat" too, but didn't seem quite sure of what to call it - and tried to climb under the railing to assume his rightful position in the driver's seat. We stopped him just in time, trying in vain to explain that these cars were just for looking, not driving.

The Sonesta also offers something not ever luxury property in town can: a great beach. As a matter of fact, of the new luxury hotels that have opened in the last year, the Sonesta is the only one with a strip of sand in front of it - never mind the stunning ocean views from its high-rise rooms.

It's obvious that the planners didn't take their location for granted, though. Guest rooms are thoughtfully outfitted with mini-kitchens that feature granite counter-tops, plus sitting areas with spacious sofas that make you feel as if you never left home.

Alas, even though the Sonesta welcomes kids, its rooms are not entirely childproof, as we discovered. Actually, we'd like to take this opportunity to apologize for the water glass that Aren pulled off the table and broke. He didn't mean it. Really.

The newest of Miami's luxury hotels, The Four Seasons, sets itself apart in other ways. The property, which opened in October 2003, is located in the tallest building in Miami, a 70-floor skyscraper in the middle of the city's financial district. Strictly speaking, it's a business hotel - with lots of breakable things for toddlers to get into. But then you discover the rooftop pool. Not just one pool, but several of them. And then you realize that the Four Seasons Hotel Miami has a fun side, too.

After we checked into the hotel, and baby-proofed our room by moving the guest directories, magazines and water bottles to a higher location, we changed Aren into a swimsuit and caught an elevator to the pool level. That's where we found a lap pool, a children's pool and a one-of-a-kind wading pool filled with islands that were planted with palm trees.

The view of Biscayne Bay and downtown Miami from the pool deck is panoramic. As we stood on the edge of the water taking in the skyline, we almost felt as if it didn't matter that were weren't at the beach and struggling to find a good spot for our towel and lawn chair. Besides, the service here was second to none.

While Aren thoroughly enjoyed the pools, it was the music that managed to hold his attention. The Four Seasons hid speakers in the foliage (wouldn't want to have loudspeakers out in the open for everyone to see) and he couldn't figure out where the tunes were coming from. He ended up spending a lot of time looking for the source of the sound while we relaxed in the cabana, which turned out to be a pretty good thing.

Traditionally, a luxury hotel is no place for kids. But as we visited Miami's three newest hotels, we were surprised at how many other children had brought their parents along for a vacation or business trip.

Christopher Elliott and Kari Haugeto are writers based in Key Largo, Fla. This article was written in October 2003. Last update October 2003.

Top photo: View of the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove from Biscayne Bay. [Photo credit: Ritz-Carlton]

Second photo: Aren takes one last look at his favorite spot at the Ritz-Carleton Coconut Grove. [Photo credit: Kari Haugeto, Not2far]

Third photo: Unique car exhibit for guests at the Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort. [Photo credit: Sonesta]

Bottom photo: The lobby of the Four Seasons Miami. [Photo credit: Christopher Elliott, Not2far]

Publication-quality high-resolution digital images are available upon request.

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