JW Marriott Marquis Miami: A Star Studded Opening

The opening of the JW Marriott Marquis Miami was a star-studded event fitting the brands very first Marquis designation. Just like any media event, it gives the hotel an opportunity to showcase the amenities while allowing mere mortals like myself the opportunity to brush with celebrities. The buzz was electrifying in the lobby as each celebrity is ushered through the red carpet. Brooke Shields, A-Rod, Angie Harmon, Anna Kournikova, Venus Williams, Tim

Hardaway and Helio Castroneves to name a few.

Chef Daniel Boulud put out a nice spread at his lobby level db Bistro Moderne to start the festivities. Models in black dresses led the partygoers to the 19th floor afterwards for more hobnobbing with the celebrities. DJ Arie entertained the crowd of 500 in the basketball court where A-Rod won the celebrity shootout to benefit the boys & Girls Club of Miami. Champagne and Grey Goose martini's flowed while guests enjoyed the golf lessons, virtual bowling and cigars by the pool. 

My hats off to the team at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami opening. There's no doubt in my mind that the Marquis will be a standout in the Miami luxury hotel market.  

Forget the heat. Here's Miami's coolest place to chill.

My arrival in a yellow mini van taxi from the Miami airport was not exactly the grand entrance I had planned upon seeing all the Bentley's and Ferrari's lined up in the motor lobby of the hotel. Bienvendo a Miami! On this night, the Miami Heat was hosting its opening party with the same circus of reporters and photographers during LeBron

James' Cleveland exodus announcement. But for me, my excitement revolved around the opening of the first JW Marriott Marquis Miami.

The JW Marriott Marquis Miami is the first of its kind. The epitome of the JW Marriott brand, the Marquis symbolizes the best of what the brand has to offer. From it's two gigantic JW Griffins in the motor lobby, to the 60-inch flat screens in each room, to the NBA regulation basketball court on the 19th floor of the hotel. In fact, the building itself is home to not just the Marquis, but also the 44-room Hotel Beaux Arts, the Marquis' boutique counterpart which sits atop the building. I was in Miami for a JW Marriott brand meeting, attend the hotel opening and also here to lend my support to the hotel general manager, Florencia Tabeni, who was one of the first general managers to reach out to me when I first joined the team. The glitz and glamour aside, opening a hotel is quite a feat and Ms. Tabeni's team has done a fabulous job of living up to the hype.

I whisked myself through the crowd of stargazers and hotel associates in tan suits and was graciously greeted by the front desk supervisor. Despite the fanfare, it has been a long day of airport layover's and transfers and I was ready for a little nap and shower before dinner. My AHA moment came immediately after I opened the door to my room. There I was, inside one of the most well appointed guest rooms I have ever encountered. Plush bedding, 60-inch flat screen and a bathroom worthy of a spread in Architectural Digest. Luxury is about the experience and the rooms at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami add an exclamation point to that statement.

Here’s the skinny on the room amenities. An illy Francis Francis Metodo Iperespresso machine that looks like an Apple iTV in a red box. A Samsung 60-inch built in TV screen so big that leaving my bed to go to dinner very difficult.  A computer on the desk is a business traveler’s champagne and strawberries. And the bathroom, A one-piece slab of Italian marble for the vanity, a deep tub with all the trimmings, a glass enclosed shower, and a pristine Duravit "cubist" toilet.  And the bed, it’s a JW and a good night’s sleep is guaranteed with the plush pillow top and cornucopia of pillows.

Chef Daniel Boulud's db Bistro Moderne highlights the food and beverage offerings at the hotel. There is also the ThreeFortyFive restaurant, the MET Cafe & Bar and the illy Intermezzo cafe. A swanky wine store, cigar shop and gift shop complete the menu of amenities on the second floor. The 19th floor houses the stainless steel pool and deck, the basketball court, golf school, billiards room and the virtual bowling alley. The 20th floor is home to the the RikRak Spa and ultra modern 24-hour fitness center with stunning views of the city below. 

The  Marquis gives me a very good reason to come back to Miami. And the best part is, if the Marquis is full, there is another JW Marriott hotel a few blocks down the road.

THE ARRIVAL

The Griffin waterfall in the motor lobby

The Lobby

Two giant Griffins await the guests

THE GUEST ROOM

Well appointed rooms

Shower door detail

Vanity with stool

Each room is equipped with a desk top computer

The rooms and bathrooms are spacious

Glass enclosed shower and deep tub

Room art

illy espresso machine in each room

THE PUBLIC AREA

The gift shop on the second floor

Meeting room lounge

Lobby Lounge

Enclave in the lounge

Lobby lounge fireplace

Concierge lounge on the 36th floor

Fitness center with stunning views

NBA basketball court

Virtual bowling alley 

Hotel Beaux Arts welcome desk in the lobby

Intermezzo Cafe

Mod seating at Intermezzo

Ann Arbor's Best Little Noodle Bar

The Spicy Seafood Ramen with Spicy Chili Broth ($9). Beware, this bowl is hot by Asian standards!

My son and I have this tradition of hitting the local college town's Indian restaurant after a football game. So when in Ann Arbor, our choice is Shalimar right on Main street. However, the line at Shalimar was a long as the lines at M Den before each Wolverine game. So our second choice is always Asian. 

On this visit to AA, we were joined by my friend, Jimmy Le, a huge Wolverine fan, and my father-in-law, Greg Hoelscher, a Buckeye fan who donned a Michigan hat for the game. Jules and I, are of course, Iowa Hawkeye fans. And on this night, the Hawkeyes were walking a bit taller after handing Michigan its second loss in-a-row in conference play. 

Greg was out-voted 3 to 1by the Asians. Jimmy, Jules and I were in favor of the noodle bar versus a sports bar for burgers and fries. To my delight, Tomukun Noodle Bar looked very inviting and American-friendly when it came to its
wood interiors and cleanliness. However, Asians were the majority inside the restaurant, a good sign if you want good Asian food. And you know what, the food gets passing grades from the Asian boys, and in fact, even Greg loved the food. I must say that outside of traditional sushi restaurants, Tomukun is the best noodle house in Michigan. The three noodle bowls we ordered were amazingly authentic with enough depth in flavors to leave a lingering sensation in your mouth. 

By now, you probably know that I have this weakness for pork buns. How does Tomukun pork buns compare to the other buns? You just have to read my next post on the" battle of the buns."

Tomukun Pork Buns with Pork Belly, Pickled Vegetables, Scallions and Savory Sauce ($6)

Pho with Sliced Steak, Cilantro and Onions ($9). This one is a keeper.

My son prefers the Buffalo wings over Asian wings, but Tomukun's Sweet and Spicy Korean
Style Wings ($5) gets his stamp of approval.

Tomukun Ramen with Rich Pork Broth, Pork Belly, Spinach,Scallions and Egg ($9)

Lots of Asians in an Asian restaurant is always a good sign

The servers at the bar were pleasant

Tomukun Noodle Bar

505 E. Liberty

Ann Arbor, MI. 48104

734.995.TOMU

One last look: Chihuly's A New Eden

West Michigan bids farewell to Dale Chihuly's amazing installation, A New Eden, at the Fredrik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park this past weekend. I took one last peak at the best show to date at the famed outdoor garden. I previously had the opportunity to experience about half of the glass works which included installations at the Meijer Gardens waterfalls and pond (click here to see my post). This last trip gave me a sense of closure with the hopes that

Meijer Gardens bring back Mr. Chihuly's work for a third time in the very near future.