well designed

More restaurant

Tides-Restaurant

More Lobby

Tides-Lobby

Tides-Lobby

The tides-exterior

The Raleigh-poolside

Here I am , back from my well deserved, wonderful Floridian holiday. Before you get crazy and think I went to Tampa, you should know I flew straight to South Beach and lounged at the Raleigh (http://www.raleighhotel.com),/

favorite poolside hangout ever for two weeks straight with a Mojito in one hand and a copy of Vanity fair in the other. Being completely free with nothing but time on my hands (awesome) allowed me to visit various spots I had been dying to visit.

First on my list was the Tides(http://www.tidessouthbeach.com/), it's been around since 2007 and although many attempts at a visit were made on my part they never really worked out. I remember blogging about it at some point, feeling that I had a pretty good grasp on the vibe and essence of the hotel, but I was not prepared for the experience at all.

Kelly Wearstler is a genius; she is a designer's designer. I see a lot of great things, but very few re-energize and inspire me. This hotel is exquisitely put together; this designer focuses on the details, the bigger picture is just a result of well contemplated fine points. The combination of materials and finishes as well as their application are flawless. The spaces are layered, rich and enveloping. It's hard to leave, much less enjoy your new destination. This hotel is tough to beat! I was all around impressed, but the washrooms (lobby) really did me in. Not only are the material selections mind blowing (exotic stones and wood veneers) but they are so perfectly combined. I love it when designers focus on detail; there is such beauty in natural materials and they can truly be taken to the next level when a designer integrates the very forgotten element of tradesman ship.