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Local Expert: Hal Peat

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April 26, 2008
Accomodation

The Park Central

Vintage Miami Deco restored faithfully to its original polish, plenty of contemporary amenities, and a location along Ocean Drive that remains timeless all combine to make The Park Central an ideal choice for the traveler who wants to dial in period atmosphere while having all the advantages of the living city just moments away

Originally built in 1937, in its heyday this mid-sized oceanfront hotel was a favorite Miami hideaway for Hollywood royalty of the period like Clark Gable, Carole Lombard and Rita Hayworth.  Its present developer and owner renovated the premises to its original grandeur some 50 years later, and in the years since The Park Central has again become a favorite among hip travelers and media types.  There are many retro touches to savor on a visit here, even the sounds harkens back to the Thirties and Forties with jazz and pop standards resonating in the public areas.  The hotel's rooftop lounge with its panoramic ocean views has been revamped to create a private oasis where guests can read, relax and unwind among plush wicker lounge furnishings and potted plams.  This top area is also the scene for the weekly Rooftop Cinema Program, featuring free screenings of Hollywood classic movies along with more contemporary films, all served al fresco with complimentary designer popcorn. 

The interior public spaces present the most powerful recreation of the building's original style and spirit, right there as you enter across the terazzo tiled expanse of the lobby to the refurbished mezzanine level.  The lobby leads up to a cocktail bar lounge a few steps up, and beyond that is Quinn's Caribbean Fish Restaurant.  A huge set of sidway-rotating ceiling fans with rattan wings complete the period style and become an ongoing motif elsewhere in the guest quarter hallways.  It's a touch of Key Largo -- or is it Casablanca? -- that is also a practical way of keeping the air well circulated in an enclosed building in an often humid climate.  The Park Central was named the 100th member of the prestigious Historic Hotels of America in 1993, but along with its eye to period detail and design, it continues to be a staple of the city's revitalized life.  For today's health conscious traveler, there is a fully equipped gym.

The rooms:

There are 113 deluxe rooms and 12 living room suites, with walls decked out in the original vintage black-and-white Gleason Romer prints of Miami Beach of the Twenties and Thirties.  Beds become the ultimate rest stop with plush pillow-top mattresses, crisp white bed linens and featherweight comforters, while the double-paned windows keep out the city noises.  Overhead again are those new retro aluminum celing fans, quietly circulating the air, plus bedside dimmers that allow guests to customize illumination.
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The Park Central - 640 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.  Tel: (305) 538-1611; 1-800 727-5236.

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