Miami news, Miami local news

South Beach’s new Mondrian condo-hotel made its debut during 2008 Art Basel after its $200 million renovation.

The 17-story building offers 335 hotel residences including studios, one and two-bedroom condos and tower suites.

British singer, Craig David, is the proud owner of one of the Mondrian’s tower suites. Dutch designer, Marcel Wanders was the visionary behind the magical, white and black palace property. He built upon the designs of Philippe Starck, a design pioneer who Wanders believes to be the “best designer on the planet.”

The South Beach Mondrian sits directly beside the beautiful Miami Biscayne Bay and exudes designs inspired by pure fantasy and furnished with pieces from Wanders’ design studio. There is an outdoor living area that extends to the bay; cabanas of 16-foot curtains; canopied day beds and an adult sandbox.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aQFGg7NtF8]

The interior features massive white spindle columns and crystal chandelier shower heads.

The most recognized piece, centered in the 4,000 square foot lobby, is the black metal spiral staircase that depicts an intricate lace pattern consistently found throughout the entire hotel.

The hotel-residence is meant to provide an experience, not just an accommodation. It was designed so that people feel as if they just landed in a wonderland of fantasy, magic and beauty.

Wanders’ intention with the South Beach Mondrian is to complement the Delano Hotel South Beach with a shared daring attitude, instead of competing against it. During its opening week in Art Basel, the Mondrian hosted several parties, dinners and happy hours.

Celebrities  in Miami including Mary-Kate Olsen, Russell Simmons, Marilyn Manson, Ivana Trump and Alex Rodriguez quickly graced the  South Beach Mondrian with their presence in its very first opening week. Despite all its wonderous allure, Wanders assures us that the Mondrian is actually still months away from perfection.

The internet welcomes new websites everyday. Vacationers looking for travel information or a vacation rental website should make sure that they ultimately rent from a legitimate and professional agency. There is travel information you can look into for indicators of a good company. First, find out how many years the vacation rental agency has been in business. The longer, the better. Potential renters should also check travel news to see if the agency has some credentials. Serious companies are usually active in their community. They are normally members of the Chamber of Commerce of vacation rental associations and of the Better Business Bureau. http://www.seflorida.bbb.org/Home.aspx

The Miami Better Business Bureau allows you to access reports and travel information on a company that you intend to do business with. The presence of a BBB logo on a vacation rental agency website indicates that it is genuine and professional. Check Tripadvisor.com for travel news or any comments left regarding the Miami Beach vacation rental agency in question. Tripadvisor.com is one of the largest travel news and traveler review websites and it will give you a good sense of what to expect from a lodging option or vacation rental. Another way to check up on travel information on a particular company is to type the name of the Miami Beach vacation rental company and “fraud” in the browser.