By Paul Rubio

 

Dream South Beach

Earlier this month, South Beach woke up to some new, fabulous crash pads. The Collins Ave. newbie, Dream South Beach (www.dreamsouthbeach.com; 305.673.4747), merges sexiness, eclectic modernism, historic preservation and a bit of South Beach big pimpin’ smack in the center of the beach’s renowned party zone. Dream delivers the full throttle “scene-y” beach hotel experience within two sensationally refurbished, archetypal Art Deco buildings and has quickly gained status as the beach’s latest “it” hotel.

 

Given the size constraints of the original 1939 Art Deco building, the rooms are primarily boutique sized. But the Dream team has worked magic on the interiors, instituting meticulous design details that include colored bed lighting for a trippy fantasia atmosphere, glass closets, dramatic chandeliers in every room, and warm hardwood floors. These seductive rooms are indeed made for friends (or the right couple) searching for fast times in America’s sexiest city. They’re perfect for pre and post parties, getting your freak on, and mentally escaping everything familiar.

 

In total, Dream is the key element of the quintessential South Beach equation (brag-worthy hotel + perfect tan + awesome eats and cocktails + wild nights + extreme hangovers = amazing memories). Given its ideal location on Collins Ave. and 11th Street, the silky sands, ocean blues, and bulging Speedos of Florida’s most prolific gay beach are just a block away. Of course, when the Speedo scene becomes too overwhelming, you can bronze your bod on the hotel’s beach chairs at Dream’s designated slice of sugarloaf coastline. Naturally, this coolio hotel provides complimentary beach gear “to go” available at front desk, like towels and sun lotion.

 

And if you choose (and at many points you will), you can simply chill at the Palm Springs inspired roof top pool. The crowd is easy on the eyes to say the least, and there’s ample pool and lounge space for sun, fun, and splashing. When hunger calls during breakfast, lunch, dinner, rooftop or poolside, the Tudor House, Geoffery Zakarian’s latest trendsetting eatery, is always at your disposal. And, trust me, you’ll become obsessed with the homemade Oreos and the buttered popcorn milkshakes!

 

Gansevoort Park Avenue

One year after making headlines as Park Avenue’s divine debutant, the Gansevoort Park Avenue (www.gansevoortpark.com, 877.830.9889) is still queen of midtown east. Strikingly different from its Meatpacking counterpart, the Gansevoort Park Avenue boasts some of the city’s biggest crash pads, furnished to the contemporary nines with some classic jaw-dropping views of the NYC skyline.

 

Since the original Gansevoort redefined the NYC rooftop experience with its trendsetting pool set-up circa 2006, it was only natural for the Gansevoort Park Avenue to take the rooftop experience to the next level five years later.  The hook: a pioneering tri-level rooftop extravaganza with sensational views of the Empire State building, insane, glass bottom floors that project over Park Avenue, and the city’s only combination indoor-outdoor heated pool.

 

But the hotel doesn’t just push the envelope of architecture and design with this new breed of tri-level rooftop experience. The rooms and other common spaces are sheer modern luxury, too. The dramatic floor to ceilings windows lend to the vertical rapture every NYC visitor longs for. Furnishings are funky and colorful without overpowering the room’s hipster sophisticate essence. Erotic photography on the room walls ramps up the hotel’s sexy factor, as does the sexually charged mosaic lining the pool floor and the bar’s handsome wait staff. What’s more is that the service level stands on par with the city’s exalted five star properties, something you don’t often find in New York’s younger, trendier hotels.

 

With its central location between uptown and downtown, and east and west sides, the most important locales in the city are a mere short walk or subway ride away. Gayborhoods, haute cuisine, NYC carb comas (hello bagels, pizza and black and white cookies), trendy watering holes, Broadway shows ….the best of NYC is just around the corner.