One of Miami’s Newest Hotels Offers a Unique Experience
By Kylie Wang
The most recognizable hotels in Downtown Miami and Brickell are chains: the Four Seasons, the Intercontinental, the JW Marriott, etc. But there’s another type of property that deserves its own recognition: the unique, signature hotel. Little encapsulates that stand-alone experience better than The Elser Hotel, which sits in the heart of Downtown Miami, overlooking the Freedom Tower, Kaseya Center (the recently re-named home of the Miami Heat), and Biscayne Bay. Named after the old Elser Pier, where tourists used to take charters into in the early 1900s, it’s the latest jewel in the portfolio of properties managed by Highgate corporation.
Right from the start, The Elser looks, well, different. Its façade on Biscayne Boulevard is swathed in opaque, futuristic panels set at geodesic angles. Its public spaces, including a multi-story shared balcony overlooking the bay, use the exposed concrete columns that are the vogue for modern architecture. Because its footprint is relatively small, it has a surprising number of rooms – 646 in a slender 49-story tower.
The Elser also has residences, where owners can put their homes into a rental pool. This means that each room comes with a kitchen, fully stocked with high-end appliances, perfect for those looking for a longer-term stay. The spaces range from studios to three-bedroom suites, all with views of the city and water, and many include their own balconies. For those who want to spend more time in Miami than a few days, The Elser offers monthly stays starting at $4,000 per month and discounts up to 35 percent off for visits three nights or longer.
The amenities (along with wooden floors and a brick-lined lobby) are what really give The Elser a bespoke flair that is almost boutique-like, despite its depth of room options. The wood-paneled two-story gym is stocked with all the equipment you’ll need, and features weekly bootcamp, HIIT, and yoga classes. The main pool is similarly spacious, wrapping around the building on the same level as the shared balcony space, with a 16-foot poolside LED screen and a bar with drinks and light bites (flatbreads, sandwiches, salads). Breakfast is served here, though it’s a small affair, mostly consisting of pastries, coffee, and quiches. We recommend the wellness shots– the ginger one with cayenne will give you an effective morning wake-up call.
Though the Elser probably isn’t where you want to host your next conference given its lack of ballroom space, it does have co-working spaces, and the new cocktail bar and restaurant opens this summer. From the creators of Jaguar Sun, the downtown seafood and pasta hotspot, the lobby-level restaurant should prove an excellent spot for more intimate meetings.
Befitting its bayside location, The Elser also offers an immersive yachting experience in partnership with Spectre Seas, which has a fleet of James Bond-inspired yachts. The $5,000-plus adventure includes an overnight suite stay at the hotel, curated meals from
the hotel’s executive chef, and a private four-hour charter on one of Spectre’s vessels. With water sports, custom cocktails, and chef-prepared snacks, the package, available year-round, is a great way to close out a deal – or celebrate its closing.
For visits lasting a week or more, The Elser is hard to beat for its amenities and location. It lies across Biscayne Boulevard from the Bayside Marketplace as well as the arena where, besides Miami Heat games, major concerts are held. It’s also walkable to Miami’s downtown science and art museums, and an easy People Mover ride to the Brickell financial district. The hotel offers a bespoke experience that a stay at a larger chain hotel often lacks, and what’s better than working out on a treadmill with a vast view of the city?
