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Dog Driven: Pooches Living the High Life
Media Buzz
By Phil Galewitz
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Published Sunday, January 15, 2005
Christmas Day in Miami, and the crowds were gathering outside the AmericanAirlines Arena for the highly anticipated contest
between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers.
For a while, I considered buying a ticket from a scalper, but both the parking and the traffic were atrocious as I neared the
arena. So I kept driving south on Biscayne Boulevard past downtown and the entrance to the Rickenbacker Causeway to Key Biscayne.
Within 20 minutes, I was at a far more serene setting to watch Shaq and Kobe and D-Wade do battle: A suite at the Mayfair House
and Spa in Coconut Grove.
Here, I could swivel a 42-inch widescreen plasma television so I could watch the game from the spa on my room's spacious balcony.
With a cold beer in one hand as I sat in the 105-degree water in the spa, it was impossible not to feel anything but relaxed.
The 179-room Mayfair is located adjacent to the CocoWalk, the urban shopping and entertainment plaza at the center of Coconut
Grove. But even just a block away, the hotel seems largely removed from the busy area. From the street, the hotel is nearly
invisible because it's wrapped by a mall.
While Christmas Day was surprisingly crowded in the Grove with many restaurants open for lunch, the many amenities at the hotel
made it difficult to leave.
Valet parking made checking in a breeze. Large wooden doors led to a lobby filled with stained-glass windows and antiques. I had
a room on the fifth floor above a mall plaza, which was hidden by leaves and lattice work.
My room seemed at least twice the size of a normal hotel room and was quite bright with ivory walls and light bronze-colored
tiles on the floor. Even the bathroom was spacious with two sinks and large shower. A dark mahogany chair, desk and queen-sized
bed mixed well. Large patio doors opened onto a roomy balcony that held the spa and large wicker sofa filled with pillows.
I tested the service at the hotel with several calls for ice and help with heating and then cooling the spa. Each time, the
response was quick and helpful.
The hotel features an exotic outdoor courtyard that's filled with orchids and other plants and trees, which provided a soothing
view every time I rode the hotel's window-filled elevator.
It was the little things that made the Mayfair a place I would return. While there were several lamps in the room, the hotel also
provided four candela lamps, small portable and rechargeable lamps that gave the room a terrific glow no matter where I put them.
Several copies of Ocean Drive magazine were in the room along with an assortment of cookies and chips that could be paid for on
checkout.
A ceiling fan on the patio kept the air flowing above the spa. Thick curtains kept the room dark in the morning. A terrycloth
robe was also provided as well as extra pillows.
The bed looked and felt inviting with several red throw pillows, a soft headboard and comfy mattress. The speaker system for the
large television also played my compact discs.
The only knock against the hotel was the outdoor noise of Christmas night revelers could be heard clearly after midnight. Here's
where the DVD player came in handy. Without making any apology, the desk clerk noted the noise is common on weekends.
The hotel's spa and Thai restaurant were closed for the holiday and the rooftop pool was under renovation. It mattered little to
me that day.
After the basketball game ended, I walked five minutes out of my hotel into Cafe Tu Tu Tango on the second floor of CocoWalk.
Wanting to eat light, I went with an assortment of appetizers including some incredible spring rolls, Spanish antipasto and a
spinach dip served with pita chips.
The next morning, I finally took that stroll around the many shops of Coconut Grove and enjoyed an outdoor breakfast of bagel
with lox and cream cheese at Le Moulin Du Grove. The 1 p.m. checkout at the Mayfair meant I had no need to rush back to my room.
After a one-night stay at the Mayfair, the only rushing I had planned was to get back to this
hotel next time to check out the spa.
Getaways are reviewed anonymously by Palm Beach Post staff and all expenses are paid for by The Post |
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