The Setai
It is really a privilege to be in a place like the Setai.
A masterpiece of Art Deco style, the Setai is a complete reconstruction of an eight story landmark building, the former Dempsey Vanderbil Hotel along Collins avenue in front of the shore, in the heart of the historic art deco district of South Beach.
In its 48 five star hotel rooms and a condominium of 187 luxury apartments, the Belgian designer Jean-Michel Gathy from Denniston International Architects based today in Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia, created an authentic Malaysian paradise in the middle of South Beach.
Actually, to be even more precise, the name Setai is composed by two Bahamas Malaysian words, an amalgam of the first syllable of “Selatan” and the last syllable of “Pantal”. Setai literally means South Beach, in Malay. Jet setters from all over the world have already made it an idyllic oasis of tranquility.
You can make your way to the pool and find yourself among Lenny Kravitz who founded the Setai member’s club and picked the 10,000 square foot penthouse (with rooftop pool of course) for his personal recording studio, Sheryl Crow, Heidi Klum, Leonardo di Caprio, and actress Siena Miller (by the way, in Vogue nowadays) enjoying the pools heaven of serenity (newly built between the hotel and the beach) and pergola under the sun.
The private club is part of the Setai hotel and residences in South Beach and was developed by Tortola-based General Hotel Management Ltd. Membership costs about $300,000 per share and allows members to stay at other Setai hotels around the world.
The Asian-inspired courtyard leads you to a hallway where you can appreciate the bar, the library and the Esquire Awards 2005 best design, Asian with a French touch cuisine restaurant, whose walls are all covered with authentic grey bricks imported directly from old 1930 buildings from Shanghai, China.
What can I tell you, I explored every single corner of this giant Feng Shui power, tested it at different hours, felt the different ambiences, moods in a quiet sunset and during a glamorous party at night, with some of no people around and I feel the imposing and heavy legacy of the old Asian philosophy of perfection in the detail as being a part of a whole and with this in mind I could only be reminded of an old saying that Einstein used to say: “Simplicity is matter of Genius.” And the Setai is simply powerfully perfect.
Related Links:
The hotel: http://www.setai.com
The condominium: http://www.setaiclub.com/index_tell_popup.htm
The designers: http://www.denniston.com.my/webpagev1/index.html
The international sales manager: Isabel Sarmiento Molina isarmiento@gmhotels.com
The travel agent in Brazil: http://www.plantelturismo.com.br
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