EPIC Hotel Miami Review
Good morning everyone! I’m back from a glorious four day trip to SE Florida and wanted to do a hotel review of the exceptional, EPIC Hotel in downtown Miami!
Valet:
Pulling into the EPIC Hotel, you know you are in for an experience. Although the space in front of the hotel is far too small and therefore chaotic it is properly staffed and extremely efficient. Staff throughout the hotel, including the valet are dressed in uniforms that appear to be straight out the hit show Magic City. It’s classy, sexy and very “old school” Miami … I loved it! The space in front of the hotel was lined with high end luxury cars including Ferrari’s , Lamborghini’s, Bentley’s , a Maybach and more. While a bit pretentious , it certainly foreshadowed the high end experience that is the EPIC Hotel. The valet greeted us warmly, obtained a bellhop and made us feel right at home.
Staff here at the EPIC Hotel, including the valet go that extra step. He greeted us, asked us our names, where we were from and engaged in pleasant conversation. The truly astonishing thing is.. when bellhop came over … our valet introduced us to the bellhop by name and commented on where we were from and why we were in Miami. That was a very nice touch. In a place full of genuine and wannabe “players” we received a welcome fit for a queen.
Lobby:
The lobby of the EPIC Hotel is quintessential Miami… and that is a GREAT thing! Most of you know I’m a huge Miami Vice fan .. both the show and the movie. The lobby at the EPIC Hotel is absolutely stunning and embodies a modern .. minimalistic & “haunting” South Beach attitude with a twist.
Check In:
The staff at the EPIC Hotel are genuinely friendly and exceptionally well trained. The only glitch I experienced at check in was that initially I went into the wrong door and ended up in the residential portion of the EPIC property. This glitch aside, the front desk staff were fantastic and were able to get me into my suite well ahead of the standard 3:00pm check in time. It does help that I’m a Kimpton In Touch member .. I love their hotels!
Room:
I have been fortunate to stay in some really nice hotels and resorts over the years. Without question, this was the nicest … sexiest room I have ever stayed in .. anywhere. For reference, I was in room 2119 which is classified as a “Waterview One Bedroom Suite”. At 950 sqft it is not only huge but well thought out. The rooms are ultra sophisticated and channel the same modern, minimalistic, quintessential Miami inspiration as the lobby. Contemporary marble flooring, sophisticated artwork, modern furniture, fine linens and high tech equipment abound. There was plenty of storage in the concealed, modern closets and the mini bar was stocked with everything a mini bar should have. I found the room to be immaculate, which I’m very critical of. The floors were clean, the bed was crisp, white and unmarred.
All of that said, the outstanding features of this room are yet to come!
- The Bedroom: I have never stayed in a bedroom like this. It was awe inspiring and honestly .. a little spooky at first! The bed and furnishings were modern and minimalistic. What really set this room apart however were the windows .. those glorious floor to ceiling windows! The bedroom appears to and feels like it cantilevers out over an inter-coastal waterway. The windows, which are at least 10ft tall are set in a 180 degree curve that completely surround the viewing area. You literally feel like you are sleeping out over the water and the city. It’s fantastic! To reduce the sun and limit the voyeurs there are two sets of blinds that can be closed. You guys know me… I slept nekkid and left the blinds open!
- The Bathroom: The bathroom in 2119 is as sexy and functional as any I have encountered .. and that goes for private residences as well. Gorgeous floor to ceiling marble, a huge glass shower with rainfall shower head open to a gigantic, modern, deep bathtub with spa like “jets”. These jets are not like those in a typical whirlpool tub but rather they appeared as tiny, flat holes in the bottom. I loved that the toilet was tastefully separated from the rest of the bathroom and behind it’s own door. The vanity area was functional and modern allowing up to four people to “primp” simultaneously. And to top off this masterpiece of a bathroom .. those same wonderful windows from the bedroom extended through the bathroom leading to a breathtaking balcony. The views were fantastic!
- The Balcony: The only balcony I have ever seen that compares to this was the one attached to the grand suite at Casa De Los Suenos in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Here at the EPIC Hotel, the balcony off the living room is HUGE. Large enough for a full sized dining table plus two lounge chairs and still there was room to roam, dance etc. The views were terrific. To our left and straight ahead we could see all the way to Biscayne Bay. To our right we looked over the drawbridge and part of the inter-coastal waterway. I loved it out here and had nearly every meal on the balcony as we watched the rich and famous pass by in their yachts.
Room Service:
Let’s start with this… The service from room service was outstanding! Polite, fast and genuinely eager to please. The food from room service was good but no better than room service from lets say a full service Marriott. That’s not bad .. but it won’t blow your doors off.
Zuma:
So once again, I know I am spoiled and have had the pleasure of dining in some of the worlds finest eateries. With that said, I was told that Zuma was one of the top 100 restaurants in the world .. Personally I wouldn’t go that far. Zuma is indeed a terrific restaurant with an eclectic asian inspired menu. The decor is sophisticated .. I loved the high ceilings .. and the staff is first rate. Best of all, they have a fantastic wine list which is actually tough to find in downtown Miami! Please don’t misunderstand …. the food is fantastic, I would absolutely recommend and eat there again. I personally however would not list it in the top 100. You have to have some pretty spectacular food to make that distinction in my list.
Area 31:
Unfortunately Area 31 was closed for renovations at the time of my visit .. but I will be going back in the not too distant future & I’ll update at that time.
Pool:
The pool area at the EPIC Hotel in Miami is impressive. Located on the 16th floor it features two asymmetrical infinity pools surrounded by a 15, 000 square foot deck boasting water and city views. As soon as you enter the pool area there is a cabana where we received a warm welcome and were asked to go ahead and find our preferred seats. no sooner had we sat down than the gentleman arrived and provided us with two towels and asked if he could get us drinks or something to eat. The pool scene was “Miami Cool” with beautiful men and women sunbathing and having a cocktails while a fantastic DJ & live violinist mixed ambient / trip-hop music. I really loved that music! I truly enjoyed a casual day, lounging poolside without being bothered. If there was one downside to the pool area it was that at about 2:30pm the sun disappeared behind the building and never returned … boo! I wanted more time in the sun!
Customer Service:
Simply top notch. Customer service here is on par or better than any Ritz Carlton or JW Marriott I have stayed at .. and for me .. that is saying A LOT!
Location:
So this is a tough thing to review! I chose this hotel because of the reviews & reputation. However, I would always prefer to be on the beach or overlooking large expanses of water. That said however, for it’s downtown location… if you must .. or want to stay downtown … it really is ideal. Within two blocks of the EPIC Hotel there is:
- A Starbucks
- A CVS / Grocery
- The Miami Convention Center
- Numerous Excellent Restaurants Including Cipriani’s
- Miami River Walk
- Bayfront Park
My Only Gripe:
The only thing I found really odd about this hotel was that it does not have a gift shop / store inside the hotel. I drink a lot of bottled water … 3 liters per day minimum & my husband drinks 4+ .. that meant a number of trips to the CVS!
