The Standard Spa, Miami

Jonathan was great! Excellent service

After spending 6 nights on a cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, my wife and I spent another 2 nights at the Standard Spa in Miami Beach. The first thing you notice is the people: we were surprised to find a place where the people actually lived up to they hype. Actually, the people exceeded expectations. We have not seen such a concentration of stunning people outside of an NPC or IFBB Figure/Bodybuilding/Bikini show. How many times do you see advertisements for cruises, resorts, nightclubs, casinos, etc., and the models depicted are attractive and well dressed, but when you actually get to the place, everyone is massively overweight and dressed like they are going to Home Depot on a Saturday morning? Not the Standard Spa! My gosh, an endless number of stunning women and some handsome and well built men. The pool scene is amazing. And everyone is dressed for that scene. Really, no exceptions; I can't recall a single overweight person in the entire resort. So if you are, or your significant other is, an attractive lady who wants a place she can sunbathe in a g-string and topless, the Standard Spa is it. If you prefer to wear a one-piece, stick to the cruise lines or family resorts; you won't be comfortable at the Standard Spa. There are very few places in the world that have this scene, sadly. Having wrote that, most women at the pool wore their bikini tops. It was the minority that were sans tops. But tops or not tops, they were all incredible looking. On to the details. The location is a 45 minute walk from the actual beach at South Beach. But you are only a 10 minute, pleasant walk to a Trader Joe's grocery store and just a few minutes more to restaurants and the Lincoln Avenue Mall. Getting in and out of the Standard Spa whether walking or driving is easy. The lobby is airy and spacious, and check-in and check-out was fast and easy. Coming off a cruise, we arrived to the Standard Spa on a Saturday at a bit after 1100; we were way early and I had no expectations of an early check in. But the clerk encouraged us to leave our luggage at the front desk, use the locker rooms in the fitness center to change, and not just explore but take advantage of all the amenities. So we did exactly that. Before 1300 we received a call informing us our room was ready and while my wife hung out poolside, I collected our keys and luggage and moved us into the room. I'll write about the room later. A ping pong table is in the lobby, and the lobby also has a coffee shop which serves Danishes, croissants, and simple sandwiches. Fitness Center: very good. Real weights, real machines. Leg Extension machine, seated Leg Curl machine (I dislike the seated Leg Curl and much prefer standing or lying leg curl, but at least they have a leg curl machine of some sort), cable machines, two squat racks, dumbbells, and of course cardio machines, plus more. A very good gym for serious fitness folks. The Spa: offers a complimentary steam room (and it is hot and steamy), a hot dry sauna, cold plunge bath (similar to what you see athletes use in movies...a stainless steel tub that is filled and drained with very cold water between users), a hammam, showers, and a chill room, which is cold, although not freezer cold. The spa will provide a robe and flip flops, complimentary. My only dislike is having to wear swim trunks. I love the Japanese Onsen style, where you bathe thoroughly (nude of course), then cover yourself with a towel as you move about the Onsen. I wish this was the case at the Standard Spa, but sadly, it is not. Nevertheless, this is a great place to relax and heal yourself. Clean, well maintained, comfortable, nice vibe. Locker Room: serves both the fitness center and the Spa. Lockers, showers, toilets, sinks, etc. Complimentary soap and towels. Clean, well maintained, roomy, well lit, comfortable. Pool: a very nice, zero entry (aka beach entry) outdoor pool surrounded by a sundeck with complimentary lounge chairs, towels included. There is also a large hot tub and an ice pool. Waiters are all over the place for you to order food and drinks without having to lift a finger, much less get off your lounger. The music was very good: a balance of having music in the background but still being able to carry a conversation. You hear the music when you want to hear the music, and you can tune it out when you want to chat with someone. The pool and sundeck is right on Biscayne Bay, and it is great to jump off the docks and into the refreshing waters of the Bay. The pool and sundeck is the heart of the resort...very happening on a Saturday and Sunday, and full of beautiful people who aren't shy. Like the music, it was not a loud, obnoxious crowd. People were polite and classy. The Garden: between the lobby and the pool/sundeck is a nice garden area, with a large variety of little sitting areas, each with some privacy. Each area has very comfortable chairs and loungers, and a fire pit can be found in one. It's a nice place to sit and relax in the shade, talking or reading. Both the lobby and the gym have free water dispensers, and both days we were at the pool. the waitresses kindly brought us glasses of ice water, without any need to to ask. Rooms: surprisingly bad. Okay, the closet area was fine but small, and the bathroom was fine but did not have storage or shelves. The bed was comfortable. But the floor is very hard (no carpet), the lighting is cheap and insufficient, the couch is more like a cheap futon and it takes up space (although it is large enough to sleep on), the "decorations" consisted of a couple unattractive curtains hanging on the wall for no particular reason. Even an amateur could better furnish and better rearrange, at a reasonable price, the room. And there is no storage...no nightstand, no dresser, etc. Our room on the ground floor had a covered patio which opened up to the aforementioned garden, and it was a pleasant place to sit, read, and have a beer. Having talked for a while with a regular guest at the Standard Spa, he also begrudgingly commented about the poor rooms. But we both recognize the obvious: no one goes to the Standard Spa for the rooms. We hope to be back soon.

Gustavo was incredible! I highly recommend him.

Beautiful ambience and views! Excellent service and delicious food. Live entertainment tied it to be the perfect Sunday afternoon!

Antz at the front desk was extremely helpful