Palms Hotel & Spa Ready for Winter

With today’s official completion of a luxurious $20 million enhancement project, The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach reintroduces itself as one of South Florida’s most exclusive independently owned hotels, where wellness and environmental awareness are at the center of each experience.

The extensive 16-month enhancement project was designed to further the hotel’s long-term commitment to providing guests with an overall sense of well-being, while highlighting the hotel’s inspiring natural surroundings with botanical and coastal design elements. Included in the project are the addition of a 5,000 square-foot luxury Aveda spa, a new signature natural gourmet restaurant and lounge Essensia, beautification of the pool and garden facilities, renovated meeting and event facilities and upgrades to the lobby areas.

Palms Hotel Lobby

Rooms have been completely redesigned with new spa-inspired bathrooms highlighting both style and function, while upgraded furnishings and amenities in the sleeping area offer a more luxurious and sensuous experience.  The hotel also kicks off 2010 with a 4-diamond rating by AAA and many upgraded services, including 24-hour room service and daily turn down.

“Through the years, our family has always sought to improve our product”, said Katja Janzon, Vice President at The Palms Hotel & Spa. “The reinvention of The Palms is by far my favorite undertaking. No stone was left unturned as we thoroughly evaluated years of guest feedback. We have made sure all guests’ needs are addressed so they will remember their stay for its complete offering – service and aesthetics.”

All 251 guestrooms were redesigned, including 144 city view rooms, 88 oceanfront rooms and 15 superior oceanfront rooms with sofa bed and extended seating area, as well as 4 suites.

The décor of the renovated guestrooms draws upon the soft hues of sand and sea with custom designed wood furnishings, contrasting fabrics in varying shades of brown, cream and turquoise, floral photography artwork and lamps containing seashells and starfish. Rooms also feature pillow-top mattresses and 400-thread count Egyptian cotton linens. Spa-inspired bathrooms highlight all-new fixtures including a rain shower head, aqua-colored glass and Carrara marble mosaic tiles. Moreover, the majority of rooms now contain a separate powder room for additional comfort.

Palms Hotel Room

Topping off the project is the rooftop suite level, where two junior suites offer a sofa bed, seating area and private terraces overlooking the city, and two one-bedroom oceanfront suites, which feature a spacious living room and oceanfront balconies. Additional guest rooms on that level allow for suites to be extended to 2-bedroom configurations.

The suites’ color scheme is inspired by the hotel’s signature green and brown graphic identity, combined with crisp white furnishings, bleached wood look-alike tile floors, custom designed rugs, custom wall coverings and light fixtures. All rooms are equipped with the most current technological devices, including wireless internet access, flat screen cable TV with on-demand pay movies, two phones, with voicemail and speaker phone, an iPod alarm clock radio, Keurig coffee makers and large work desk.

During the renovations, The Palms also initiated a series of environmental practices that led to an honorable designation from the state of Florida’s Green Lodging Program. High energy efficient lighting in 100% of the hotel’s guest rooms, high efficiency air filters and reusable versus disposable products are just a few of the initiatives that were put into place.

In celebration of its “reinvention”, the hotel is introducing a special series of events in January and February, showcasing the hotel’s new signature restaurant and lounge Essensia, which was recently praised as “exceptional and healthful” by The Miami Herald.

Events include Jeannetti’s Indulgent Journeys: Culinary Creations from Farm to Table created by the hotel’s new executive chef, Frank Jeannetti as well as Sunday Brunch.  Jeannetti’s Indulgent Journeys is aimed at South Florida foodies who appreciate high quality dining in an unpretentious setting, featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients with an emphasis on sourcing locally whenever possible. These specialty menus allow Chef Jeannetti to play with the ingredients and create “out-of-the box” menus.

Beginning February 5, they will be offered on Friday and Saturday nights for $65 plus tax and gratuity per person and also feature a wine upgrade for $25, which includes 3 glasses of wine, carefully paired with the week’s menus. These wines will come from the restaurant’s 100% sustainable, organic or biodynamic wine menu, and are not typically available by the glass. Ten percent of all proceeds from Jeannetti’s Journeys will go to the Common Threads Miami chapter, an after-school program held in major US cities, which teaches children ages 8 to 12 about nutrition, physical well-being and diversity through hands-on cooking classes.

Launched in early January, Sunday Brunch also gives locals a chance to enjoy the hotel’s serene indoor and outdoor ambiance and focus on seasonal, fresh ingredients at the price conscious $39 per person (plus tax and gratuity), including a complimentary glass of Prosecco or Mimosa.

Also in honor of the project’s completion, The Palms Spa will run a 25% discount for Miami residents from Monday through Thursday, noon to 3pm, on all spa and salon services and to lunch patrons at Essensia in January and February, (offer cannot be combined with other specials and promotions). For information on all events and current promotions taking place at The Palms Hotel & Spa, please visit www.thepalmshotel.com or www.essensiarestaurant.com and become a fan of The Palms Hotel & Spa on Facebook.com/thepalmshotel.

Just minutes from the heart of South Beach, The Palms Hotel & Spa combines genuine service, laid-back sophistication, and oceanfront serenity into a destination where complete wellness and environmental awareness are at the center of each experience. Privately owned and managed by The Krause family, who also own the boutique-style Circa 39 Hotel, The Palms recently completed an extensive renovation of its public spaces, including the addition of a luxury Aveda spa, a new signature natural gourmet restaurant and lounge, Essensia, enhanced pool and garden facilities and renovated meeting and event facilities. Included in this impressive $20 million enhancement project is the upgrade of the hotel’s 251 guest rooms.

With lush gardens and a tranquil pool area, The Palms sits on its own stretch of beach just 12 miles from Miami International Airport and is also a member of Summit Hotels & Resorts, a collection of the finest independent luxury hotels and resorts around the world. For reservations or further information, please call 800.550.0505 or visit www.thepalmshotel.com