The Raleigh was built in 1940 and was recently renovated. The lines and design of the pool make you feel like you are back in glamorous 40s Miami. Inside the hotel there are pictures of all the old celebrities who stayed there ... my favorite was Liberace! I think he hung out in the wading pool.
Is that not the most genius thing ever invented? Even better ... eating breakfast in bed by the pool. I had Eggs Benedict with salmon.
Saturday and Sunday we got to the pool by 9 to get the best spot. No one was there for hours, so we had the pool to ourselves. I practiced my synchronized swimming.
We hung out here with P. Diddy, Mischa Barton and Jake Gyllenhall but they ran out before we could take their pictures. They're so crazy like that!
We had drinks with J. Lo and Marc Antony here. Then Gloria Estefan stopped by. A celebration of great Latino artists if you will.
This is a private little beach area between the Raleigh's pool/cabana set up and the beach outside.
The white thing used to be a diving board back in the day and is now a fountain/waterfall -- not for jumping. Of course some bozo kid decided he would try it. Then after doing it twice he and his parents got kicked out of the pool. Buh bye.
We ducked into this Mexican dive to avoid the rainstorm and for chips and margaritas ... accompanied by chocolate covered Nutter Butters!
Jenny carried the champagne all the way from DC! And cheeses with a cutting board, strawberries, chocolate, assorted dessert, cheeses and crackers. That's a prepared girl!
I could get used to this kind of a Sunday morning ... Starbucks in the morning, mojitos in the afternoon.
"All that makes you wild and free/
this is where I long to be/
La Isla Bonita" -- Madonna
I love the architecture of the hotels on Collins, especially the examples of Art Deco that have been well preserved.
Despite the package of Nutter Butters, bag of plantains, various imported cheeses, wines, sushi and pizza we ingested during the course of the weekend.
Pool boys move beds by the pool to make room for the DJ, who spins at the Raleigh each Sunday afternoon and evening. He played some good Madonna remixes!
This was taken at an artist cooperative off Lincoln Road. The featured artist, Lazaro Amaral, is a Miami resident who makes these great, huge pop portraits. Love him.