East, Miami to open May 31 at Brickell City Centre

Amid the hustle and bustle of Brickell, a new hotel is promising to offer a calm retreat.

East, Miami, opening May 31, will mark the first for the Swire Properties brand. The 40-story, 352-key hotel is part of Brickell City Centre, a $1.05 billion, mixed-use project.

“The idea is to create a hotel with a pulse and energy,” Laurent Fraticelli, general manager of East, told The Real Deal on a tour of the property.

Entering the lobby, guests are greeted by a fountain of hanging copper pipes, a lobby bar on the left and a “floating” front desk on the right. The bar, Domain, turns into a coffee bar in the morning serving pastries, coffee and tea. At night, the wooden cabinets slide to reveal liquor bottles.

The hotel’s public spaces and rooms were designed by Clodagh Designs, while Los Angeles-based Studio Collective designed the restaurants: Quinto La Huella on the fifth floor and Sugar on the top floor.

Step into the elevators, and you’re surrounded by infinity mirrors.

East, at 788 Brickell Plaza, has 255 guest rooms, 97 suites – including 89 residence suites – all designed with minimalism in mind. Every room has a balcony, construction sound-proof floor-to-ceiling windows and Panther coffee. Off-season, rates will start at $259, in season at $450. When it opens, introductory rates will begin at $195.

The hotel has three floors and 20,000 square feet of event space on levels 6, 38 and 39, including a 250-person ballroom and event space with 270-degree views. When the retail component of Brickell City Centre opens on Nov. 3, hotel guests will be able to access it on the second and third floors, Fraticelli said.

On the 40th floor and rooftop is Sugar, a bar and Balinese garden that offers views of Brickell to the south, Brickell Key to the east and downtown Miami to the north. The Asian-inspired restaurant, which features furniture made in Vietnam, will serve tapas.

Both Sugar and Quinto La Huella will open on Monday. With 97,000 square feet, Quinto La Huella will feature a parrilla at the center of its kitchen, wood fire ovens fueled with local red and white oak, and a sushi counter highlighting Florida’s coastline. The South American eatery will have 359 seats, a private dining room and expansive outdoor terrace.

Martín Pittaluga, a co-owner of both Quinto La Huella and Parador La Huella in Uruguay, told TRD last fall that Brian Williams, managing director of Swire Hotels, had visited Pittaluga and his partners’ restaurant in Uruguay, which led to his invitation to open in Miami. “EAST’s idea was to bring a Latin American restaurant to Miami because of the large Latin population,” Pittaluga said.

Brickell is currently undergoing massive redevelopment with new condo towers rising, including SLS Lux, Brickell Heights, SLS Brickell, Brickell Flatiron and Echo Brickell. East Miami, with its restaurants and meeting space, aims to bring new life to the area.

“The beach is done,” Fraticelli said. “The future is here.”