Sherman's Travel

A pair of hotel openings hit Miami Beach this week, just in time for Art Basel. Whether down south for the art or the sun, check out these two affordable newbies.

Surfcomber The totally renovated and rebranded Surfcomber (now a Kimpton Hotel) opened yesterday on Collins Avenue. The 186-room oceanfront hotel has a playful vibe, stylish accommodations, and Kimpton’s personalized service and amenities. The pool deck and bevy of cabanas look inviting, as do the opening rates from only $149/night. www.surfcomber.com

Shelborne South Beach This Art Deco mainstay which spent the last two years under renovation reopened Wednesday. The look is retro glam, the vibe is sexy. The hotel’s own exhibition “Art of Night” features intimate celebrity images from nightlife photographer Seth Browarnik, but the catwalk runway connecting the two beachfront pool decks seems like the ultimate stage for eye candy. Opening rates here start from $159/night. Note: not all rooms have been renovated so be sure to request one. www.shelborne.com

For general trip-planning info, see our Miami Travel Guide.

Art Basel Miami is only a week away – have you nabbed your hotel room yet? If the answer is no, fret not: Lords South Beach is offering 10 percent off room rates, while they last. A real steal, considering most of South Beach is already sold out and/or raising rates for the event’s duration. And what is a gay to make of the pandemonium that takes over the city from December 1 through December 4? Why, keep it in the family, of course. Not only can you sleep at the Lords South Beach, but you can party there, too.

As the city’s premier gay hotel, you can bop from fair to trade show to gala opening and end up back at your home-away-from-home for a party amongst the queers – but not before first grabbing an ice cream sandwich from the CoolHaus (www.eatcoolhaus.com) truck parked out front, or hitting up the late-night action at Twist (www.twistsobe.com), just around the corner. While unwinding in the rooms, look for works by NYC-based artist Trong G. Nguyen, who will be installing his works at random, including Is Heaven for Homos, Grilla Girls Gone Wild, and HNH Oz Slippers. Think of it as your Art Basel Gay HQ.

Read on for the full schedule of the hotel’s Basel-week events: Read more