The beautiful people drawn to South Beach, Miami have plenty of impressive hotels to pick from, but Angler’s Boutique Resort has managed to claw its way past most of them in customer raves and repeat visits. It’s not the flashiest and it’s two blocks from the ocean, but it succeeds through personal attention and great food accompanying the large, well-equipped suites.
Those without a room key and have often discovered the hotel through its indoor-outdoor restaurant. This restaurant has been through three iterations in a decade though. First it pivoted from Italian (and a chef who won on the TV show Chopped) to a Latin-inspired menu from a chef who grew up in Colombia. Now as a Kimpton hotel, the restaurant is Seawell Fish ‘N Oyster.
I dined under the second iteration, when Chef Carlos Torres designed a menu that was bursting with flavor yet allows the fresh ingredients to shine. It included dressed-up versions of Latin American classics like Ropa Vieja and Arroz con Pato, though in this case the former adds sun-dried tomatoes and avocado red-onion salad to the usual shredded beef in sauce.
Ceviche, empanadas, and a spiced-up Peruvian jalea with shrimp and squid also made an appearance, though I went with the duck flatbread as a starter and it was excellent. Signature cocktails with roots in Latin America and a good craft beer selection are more pluses. Outdoor seating is available too, under trees strung with lights.
Angler’s South Beach Rooms
Two of the four buildings comprising the hotel date back to the 1930s, but were built in a Mediterranean Revival style rather than the prevailing Art Deco. The whole complex got a revamp in 2007 and now the spacious rooms and suites are tricked out with all the latest electronics: complimentary Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, DVD players, iPod docking stations, universal remotes, and safes. Some have a surround-sound stereo system.
The four room categories run from junior suites to bi-level villas, some having a party-sized whirlpool on a terrace, others situated next to the swimming pool pictured at the top. The largest ones are true suites, with a separate bedroom, full living room, and master bath stocked with robes and Gilchrist & Soames toiletries. High-thread-count linens are on the comfortable beds and you can stock up the wet bar or pop open the minibar.
This being South Beach, you’re probably not choosing a hotel based on what extra services it has in house, but you can book a poolside or in-suite massage.
Rates officially start at $399, though you’ll often find them below $300 off season or on weekdays. See more details and room descriptions at the Anglers Boutique Resort website or check prices at Hotels.com. Note that if you’re searching other sites, you might need to try “Anglers Resort” (without an apostrophe) as it sometimes shows up that way online.
Review by editor Tim Leffel, who often travels through Miami on his way to checking out the best hotels in Latin America. Photos courtesy of Angler’s Resort.