A few weeks ago my husband and I spent the weekend in South Beach at the Faena Hotel. While I like Miami, the hotel truly was the main attraction. From the red and white decor throughout, to the candy striped umbrellas surrounding the intimate pool, to the leapard-clad couches in the Living Room lounge – no detail was overlooked. The Faena was a feast for my eyes.

To create the hotel’s vision, the owner Alan Faena brought in filmmaker Baz Luhrman, who provided inspiration, and wife and costume designer Catherine Martin, whose fabric designs appear in carpets and fabrics twined with leaves and flowers through out the hotel. As you enter the Cathedral lobby you are presented with Argentine painter Juan Gatti The Way to Futopia, the eight large-scale site-specific murals that invoke the epic themes of knowledge, love, war, passion and nature. “Miami was always about fantasy. We are trying to bring back that glorious moment of fantasy and glamor,” said Faena, “but to create it in a modern way.” Guest rooms combine classic Miami Beach touches — lamps resemble staghorn coral — with Art Deco motifs, contemporary art and plush fringed red couches straight out of a hacienda. “I want people to feel proud.”

What to Do:

The first night we dined on the modern asian cuisine at the PAO restaurant, and the second was spent down the road indulging on homemade pasta at Cafe Tua.

While it was hard to pry ourselves away from the pool during the day, we did squeeze in a visit to the Wynwood Art District where we ate brunch at Three and we were inspired by the colorful murals. I fell in love with graffiti artist Queen Andrea for her positive message (“Hello Beautiful”), use of color, and typography style.

To balance out all of the eating and drinking, we “enjoyed” two heart stopping workouts at Barrys Bootcamp and Soul Cycle. They were two of the best classes I’ve taken in awhile. Not surprisingly, the music was awesome, which really makes my workout. If you book Barrys make sure to stop in to see their neighbor GeeBeauty. A modern skin care boutique featuring the best beauty product collection I’ve ever seen. Two items on my list that we didn’t get to was a a sunset cocktail at The Standard Hotel and a peek at the colorful lifeguard towers. Next time!

My dress, that coincidentally coordinated with the hotel, is CJ Laing. Straw clutch is Aerin.