First of all, consider that the Raleigh’s icon is a pink elk astride the Raleigh shield: in other words, a bit of the rustic in the land of chic coral pink.
The rooms take getting used to. Think Adirondacks cabin. The terrazzo floors are original—but then so are the bathrooms, which means tubs from the Forties, and a mirror mottled with age, and window sashes peeling paint. Fortunately, there are also toiletries from Kiehl’s.
As for the closet, you can expect raw pine shelving—and a mini-fridge. Yes, that’s right: a fridge in the closet, along with an iron—as well as a couple bottles of alcohol and some tumblers atop one of those raw pine shelves. It could be a scene from Raymond Chandler, with Prohibition still in effect. I said to her, ‘Okay, Velma, let’s have a nip in the closet.’
There’s also a red leather chair with aluminum arms beneath a portrait of Frida Kahlo, who appeared to be eyeing a framed photo across the room of the Raleigh’s fabled pool.
Overall, after a couple drinks (in or out of the closet), the effect is almost raffishly charming. And besides, there’s that beautifully dressed bed—which is heaven to sleep in, and also those night-and-day draperies on a single rod, enabling the room to descend into complete darkness or be flooded with the Miami sun.
Public Spaces
To start, there’s that lobby—refurbished to its fabulous Forties glory, complete with Art Deco columns and rattan furnishings and potted palms—and immediately upon entrance, one is enveloped by an air of calm exclusivity.
Toward the rear of the lobby, there’s the Martini Bar, a private hideaway tucked behind a wall of photos of screen stars and royals, habitués of the Raleigh’s first glory years.
Next to it, the Lobby Lounge is furnished like a private club with upholstered sofas and chairs in pea green. And up front, there’s a well-curated boutique, a sort of Colette in the midst of Miami Beach.
But it’s outdoors where the Raleigh really earns its reputation. The Terrace Lounge, for example, makes for a calm oasis for dining al fresco, protected by massive seagrape trees.
And then that pool—surely the singular most recognizable feature of the Raleigh. Famous as the setting for Esther Williams’s Hollywood water ballets and complete with its own waterfall, the Raleigh’s pool (shaped like a keyhole or a violin, depending upon whom one asks) is sui generis—and endlessly alluring at all hours.
Breakfast
To be taken on the Terrace Lounge, with its view onto the pool, and the ocean beyond, as another day in paradise commences. Seated as such, breakfast could easily stretch into afternoon, though there’s also the lobby coffee shop and tabac, an adorable vestige from the Raleigh’s early years, complete with red leather diner stools and an aluminum-edged counter. In either venue, breakfast provides a surge of well-being—at being clever enough to find oneself here at the Raleigh.
Staff
Dressed in coquettish tennis skirts emblazoned with the Raleigh’s pink elk, the girls on the Terrace Lounge are veritable testimonials to Miami Beach’s good life, and the boys are equally adorable. Professional and attentive, the Raleigh’s personnel suffer not at all from hauteur.
Location
Ideal. Oceanfront. A few blocks from the thick of Lincoln Road. But truth be told, leaving the Raleigh’s beautifully manicured grounds can be difficult. There’s a reason that a section of the grounds (just beyond the pool bar—furnished with chaises, daybeds, and cabanas) is called the Oasis.
Overview
Balanced daringly between understatement and elegance, the Raleigh succeeds in treating its previous glory years with respect even as it reinvents itself for today. Its best customer? A person with self-confidence enough to appreciate the past while celebrating the present.
LINK: The Raleigh Hotel
