Delano Rose Bar and Beach Club September 2016
Details
- Location: Delano Hotel, Miami Beach
- Cost: $24 per cocktail
The Arrival
The first part of the lounge is inside of the Delano Hotel, a 1930's art deco masterpiece. An intimate runway made of floor to ceiling gauzy curtains sway in the gentle beach breeze, leading you through the hotel. The experience is straight out of every movie and TV show set on Miami Beach, and they hit every mark to impress. The drinks are expensive, in the $20's, and fairly light on actual alcohol content, but that is a hallmark of Miami Beach.There is a dress code, that code determines your ability to enter and when. One should dress very well, and walk up like they belong there. Every time I have done this I have bypassed the line behind the velvet ropes.
The Rose Bar
Off to the side inside the hotel is the Rose Bar, a very nice and upscale sit-down bar, with a classy and clean layout. A few small bites are available, but they are strange fusion concoctions. The clientele is upper class. I saw at least 4 American Express Centurian cards being used in the 40 minutes I was there having a drink.Delano Beach Club
As the activity at the interior bar winds down, the bar outside at the end of the impossibly long infinity pool begins to ramp up. It's much more of an experience than inside. The drinks here are equally expensive, and the alcohol content even lower, I would recommend a serious pregame before arriving. It's incredibly easy to spend over $200 on drinks here and not even catch a real buzz. As the night meanders along, you begin to notice the accumulation of a large number of Beautiful People - the kind of international and at least somewhat, if not incredibly, affluent jet set, a feast for the eyes.Summary
Ok, so the location is visually beyond compare. Top of the world facility. Admittedly, the drinks are very weak, and very expensive. They do taste good, and I usually get one or two just for the social aspect of having a drink in front of me while conversing with people.Dress to impress. Old shoes or sneakers? Shorts? T-shirt? I wouldn't. Slacks, nice shoes, linen sports coat? Now you're talking. I love the ambiance mostly here and for me that makes up the lack of a complete experience with the drinks. If you want the quintessential Miami experience, the Delano should definitely be on your "must-see" list.