Loews Miami Beach Hotel revitalized – some might say rescued – South Beach when it opened in 1998. The 790-room, 17-story hotel remains the landmark property in the heart of bustling Collins Ave.
Now along comes Loews Coral Gables Hotel. Set to celebrate its first anniversary in November, the 242-room property is helping raise the visibility of one of Miami’s more storied communities. In a city and area built on ambition, Loews Coral Gables Hotel is the centerpiece of one of the most ambitious projects in South Florida history – The Plaza Coral Gables – a multi-billion dollar partnership project between Loews Hotels and Agave Properties, featuring offices, residences, restaurants and shopping.
Located in the center of Coral Gables, less than one mile from the famed Miracle Mile shopping and dining district, and only 15 minutes from Miami International Airport, Loews Coral Gables Hotel is a comfortable (and comforting) headquarters from where to explore Miami and South Florida.
“We came here at a perfect time – when (Coral Gables) needed a new project,” said Nadim Barrage, general manager of Loews Coral Gables Hotel. “We’re bringing in a newer clientele and expanding the horizons – from a hospitality standpoint – that might not have before considered Coral Gables.”
Nadim Barrage
Here’s what those people – from families to business and conference groups – have to consider: Loews Coral Gables Hotel features 30,000 square feet of conference space; spa and fitness center; a rooftop pool with bar and cabanas that overlooks the Coral Gables and Miami skylines; lobby bar; and the outstanding Americana Kitchen..
Named after the old Americana Hotel in North Miami, the Americana Kitchen is the culinary epitome of Loews Coral Gables Hotels’ culture and service.
“A restaurant inside of a hotel rather than a hotel that has a restaurant,” Barrage said.
Indeed. Accessible from the lobby, as well as an outside plaza entrance, Americana Kitchen features Executive Chef’s Ricardo Jarquin take on regional dishes, including plantain empanadas (my favorite), and regional fare such as Charred Ribs with an outstanding Carolinas barbecue sauce. Don’t pass on the pizza, made from an in-house wood stone oven, and the Citrus Crab Roll.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Americana Kitchen also hosts a Sunday Brunch. Check out the Cast Iron Baked Pancake.
“Keeping things simple,” Jarquin said. “I like to source locally as much as I can. That helps the local economy, which is important to me.”
That sentiment mirrors Loews Coral Gables Hotel’s philosophy that believes hospitality begins locally.
“The Coral Gables community is a tremendous force,” Barrage said. “There is an appetite in this community to support its local businesses. People like to live here and use Coral Gables. So, this is a very vibrant community for us to be in. Every single extension of the Miami experience is here.”
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Photos Courtesy of Loews Coral Gables Hotel