The single most important guiding principle in my travels, one I will never compromise on, is the quest for authenticity. By this I mean that the best way to experience a destination is through its traditions, culture, contemporary life, and local architecture. I certainly did not invent this concept. Tourists’ desire for authenticity and staged authenticity has been identified by scholars who see tourism as the modern embodiment of religious pilgrimage. In Miami Beach, it is the legacy of Art Deco architecture, which has been synonymous with the glory of this region.
While I would have preferend to stay in Art Deco hotels when visiting Miami Beach, up until recently, it was almost impossible to find one that is on the level of comfort and interior aesthetics that I love while also being within proximity of the Miami Art Week events and particulary Design Miami. That is, until I found out that the famed historic Hotel Greystone, a part of the Salt Hotels company, originally opened in 1939 during the Golden Age of Miami Beach, recently underwent an extensive renovation and has reopened with its glorious new look. Years ago, the hotel was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as the building that contributed to Miami Beach’s Art Deco legacy, but before the renovation, it was not as attractive.
The historic district of Miami Beach is certainly a special place, one which has come to capture the imagination of architecture lovers from across the globe and has been recognized as the home of America’s largest concentration of the so-called Art Deco architecture. Do not confuse it for other modernist districts of the same period, because this architecture style—developed in South Florida—was a local and gentler form of modernism. With its pastel accents and geometric lines and curves, it has a distinctive appearance unlike any other Art Deco or modernist architecture.
Hotel Greystone is an architectural gem unlike most of the new hotels surrounding it. It was originally designed by Henry Hohauser (1885-1963), the Miami Beach legendary architect responsible for some of the best buildings of the Art Deco era. In fact, Hohauser was so influential that in 1993 he was ranked as one of the 100 most influential people in the history of South Florida by the Miami Herald. Kevin O’Shea, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer for Salt Hotels—who personally collaborated on the design with Holly Muhl, the owner of Bowenholly—told me that in devising the restoration program, the two sought to turn the hotel into “an oasis in the vibrant neighborhood of South Beach.” To achieve this, they used blues and greens in the interiors in order to capture the “natural colors of Miami—the beaches, the ocean, the rich foliage.” The renovation was extensive in an effort to preserve yet modernize the historic sleek, modernist building.
As a lover of architecture, staying at the Greystone was a special treat; not only because architecture and decor are always the point of departure, but also because it feels like a home away from home, and it is filled with spectacular taste. Clearly, it is the product of people who understand that less is more when you are away from home. The simple furnishings, lack of art, and the clean, sleek, monochromatic interiors are just the way I love. It brings harmony and beauty to the experience, allowing me to relax in peace during the hectic art week, when I am running between Design Miami, leading tours, dinner parties, and endless meetings. And let’s not forget that Hotel Greystone it is under a five-minute walk to both Art Basel and Design Miami.
