Fontainebleau
Hilton |
Queen Of Collins Avenue
Back In Renewed Glory
By
Nina and Tim Boxer
 FTER
five years undergoing extensive renovation—to the tune of $65
million—the Fontainebleau Hilton of Miami Beach is ready to
reclaim the glory days of the Rat Pack. In the last century this was
the virtual home of Frank Sinatra, Sammy David Jr., Dean Martin,
Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop.
Contemporary celebrities who showed up here
include Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Placido Domingo and Rudy
Giuliani. The Specialist, starring Sharon Stone
and Sylvester Stallone and The Bodyguard starring Whitney
Houston and Kevin Costner were filmed on the premises.
Melanie Muss, director of development,
can’t wail till December 20, 2004, when she’ll kick off a
yearlong celebration of the venerable hotel’s 50th
anniversary.
We spent a couple of days to check out the
queen of Collins Avenue and were duly impressed. Ol’ Blue Eyes
would love it.
You feel the presence of the Rat Pack in the
revamped Garden Lobby Bar where their silhouettes and film clips
dominate the décor.
Elsewhere, the lavish 20-acre resort is truly
child-friendly. Cookie’s World is an octopus water attraction
surrounded by a lazy river raft ride. Kids find the 260-foot spiral
water slide a real thrill. Kid’s Cove is a supervised playroom
with an underwater theme, offering activities for kids ages 5 to 12.
Furthermore, children under 18 stay free in the
same room with parents or grandparents.
The resort’s beautiful Club Tropigala
features Las Vegas type shows. The signature Bleau View restaurant
features Mediterranean and classic cuisine. The wine list offered a
bottle of Champagne, Louis Roederer, Cristal, France, 1995, for
$225.
Next door they’re building a $2 million
Fontainebleau II, a 36-story condo hotel. Buy a luxury suite and
enjoy the experience of the entire resort.
For more visit www.fontainebleauhilton.com
or call 1-800 HILTONS.
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