FOODIE HEAVEN @ THE DIPLOMAT RESORT FT LAUDERDALE , FLORIDA
Just a couple of miles from Miami’s South Beach, along the Straits of Florida, the bustling Diplomat is a towering hotel sitting directly on the beach.
While huge in size (1,000 guest rooms and suites), fine-dining and superb personal customer service are the order of the day. For a 48-hour stop-over, travelling between Miami to Fort Lauderdale, you couldn’t wish for a better place to eat, drink and relax. The Diplomat does vacationing in true style.
A room with a view
Our Double Deluxe Sea View room on the 19th floor gives us a perfect scene of beach and sea. From here we can see the huge palm-lined pool stretching out and the pristine sand beyond.
The rooms, refurbished in 2017, are light and airy, large and roomy. There are refreshing ocean tones, with natural wood furnishings, crisp white bedding backed by driftwood headboards and nautical touches that speak to the location.
The guest rooms depict two separate design schemes: Sunrise and Sunset. Sunrise rooms are modern, vibrant and refreshing with earthy tones that provide a soothing, calm atmosphere accented with blue ocean colours. Sunset rooms present a more subtle, modern and organic design scheme with views overlooking the famous South Florida west horizon, giving guests a front-seat view to stunning sunsets.
Where to eat
Breakfast at Point Royal – Celebrity Chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s Point Royal is a Coastal American restaurant and a must-do daily treat when staying at The Diplomat. There’s a substantial buffet full of treats to set you up for the day. With artisanal cheeses and charcuterie to eggs, any which way to enjoy with Applewood Smoked Bacon and the best Crispy Breakfast Potatoes coated with Parmigiano and tossed with rosemary and onion (so delicious). Service is swift and friendly and you won’t go long with an empty cup of coffee before it is topped up.
Sweet treats at Candy & Cones – Like a kid in a sweet shop (literally) hand us a box and let us go wild with the candy. The Diplomat’s own house-made ice cream and candy store, Candy & Cones, is a sweet tooth lovers (and dentists) dream.
Lunch from Playa – Sit with your fellow holidaymakers and have a chat over a draft Lagunitas. Obviously, this isn’t mandatory but as two Brits in the US when they hear the accent our American friends can’t resist the urge to tell us about their visits to the UK. They also want to talk Brexit (urgh), tell us about the 100 Black Men of America awards that they are attending at the hotel, and chat about the sartorial stylings of the men heading to the conference as they walk by (seriously dapper dressers).
There’s an extensive rum and tequila selection here (dangerous) and a menu of Nuevo-Latina offerings. The grilled fish tacos and tuna ceviche being a particularly good choice.
Happy Hour Oysters – If there are three words that are going to make us very happy it’s: Happy. Hour. Oysters. So when 5pm rolls around at The Diplomat then heading to Point Royal for a Frose (a frozen Rose) and a choice of crustacean we’ll be first in the queue. Except we aren’t because everyone else knows this is a great deal too. The raw bar offers up shrimp, clams, fish ceviche, oysters and crab claws. When your order arrives it’s served up on a bed of crushed ice and is mouthwatering.
Dinner at the Monkitail – Famed Restaurateur and Chef Michael Schulson’s award-winning Japanese-inspired restaurant is a dark and secluded spot in what is otherwise a bright and airy hotel. It feels a touch clandestine as we dine in the dimly lit lounge.
Our waiter Mattahiou knows the Monkitail menu inside out – which is a good job because we have to pick ten dishes from the tasting menu and it all sounds delicious. He suggests we start with the signature cocktail ‘The Monkitail’ (Japanese-style Manhattan – naturally). We’re not going to argue and it’s a good choice; it’s quite the spectacle when it comes to the table as it is ‘infused with smoke’ with a dramatic tableside torching.
Our tasting menu includes Lobster tempura roll, Lambchop, Rib eye skewer robatayaki, smokey pork noodles, aged NY strip and roasted hamachi collar and all of it is remarkably good. Served tapas style it’s a perfect amount of food.
After dinner, you’re invited to head to the discreet cocktail lounge Nokku, which is tucked away beyond Monkitail’s main dining room for a spot of private karaoke in your own personal room.
Take time out
The Diplomat does relaxing really well. From top-notch spa treatments to pool lounging.
The spa – For a touch of serenity Diplomat Spa + Wellness is perfect. A spa terrace overlooks the ocean and the relaxation area features a wall of rain and private chaise lounges – ideal while waiting for our treatment. From healing massages and cleansing facials to energising Body Treatments, this serene oceanfront retreat will deliver the ultimate in personalised pampering. We have a 60 minute ‘Diplomat Signature Massage’ but there are plenty of facials, wraps and scrubs to choose from.
Cabana and pool – We were Cabana virgins up until this point. What’s that? A whole room, next to the pool, with a fridge, sofas, a TV, loungers and waiter service? Bring on the G&T’s and Corona’s my friend because we’re making full use of this facility. It’s hot outside (28-30 degrees hot) and, with not much breeze, taking a chill out in the cabana on a sticky day is perfect. Our neighbours are having a bachelorette party and, luckily for us, are being quite sophisticated about it. On the other side, a family of three are clearly not the sun worshippers we are as they spend most of their time locked up inside the Cabana.
It’s fun to do and I’m glad we popped our Cabana cherry at The Diplomat so we can see what standards to expect in the future.
The Diplomat quickly made itself one of our favourite hotel stays. And we’re already looking for flights back to Miami so we can get back there as soon as possible.
Rates:
Starting room rates in low season (May-October) begin at $249 per night
Starting room rates in high season (November-April) begin at $399 per night
The Diplomat
Hollywood Beach, Florida
