A peek inside Pharrell Williams - David Grutman’s Goodtime Hotel in Miami

A lifestyle hotel born from a collaboration between Pharrell Williams and David Grutman, The Goodtime Hotel at the Miami Beach is a combination of lush interiors and pastel hues. Designated as an escapist destination, the 266-room property promises to transport visitors to another time and place with its Art Deco interiors. Sprawled across 100,000 sqft, every inch of the hotel is a combination of history, quaintness and opulence.

American Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, Pharrell Williams, said in an official statement, “We want The Goodtime Hotel to impart a feeling of both revitalisation and that rare, exciting thrill that takes over when you discover something special. It’s that adrenaline-fueled sensation of entering a whole new setting and a whole new mindset. This place will provide a natural good time for all who come through”.

Located at a historic section of South Beach - a neighbourhood in Florida, along the town’s famed Washington Avenue - the hotel’s corrugated facade, Art Deco plasterwork, and airy atrium entryway, sprinkle a sense of nostalgia on the architecture. This nostalgia is particularly evident in the reception, where the walls are covered with hand-painted hothouse murals. However, once inside, travellers can experience modern amenities that are now customary at establishments such as this. Grutman and Williams worked alongside Michael D. Fascitelli and Eric Birnbaum to realise their project. It is however architect Morris Adjmi, designer Ken Fulk, and landscape architect Raymond Jungles who injected life into its spaces and rooms.

The guest rooms range from individual Queen bed accommodations to Suites. West-facing rooms offer a direct view of the Biscayne Bay, while the east-facing rooms look out to the Atlantic Ocean. This orientation of the rooms was diligently designed to guarantee Instagram-worthy sunrise or sunset vistas. The plush nature of the hotel is reflected in the items adorning each room, which features custom bedding, bespoke drapes with a blackout option if you need a few more hours to recharge, leopard-print benches, Ortigia bath amenities, and a signature pink rotary dial phone. The flooring of the corridor leading to these rooms is covered in a carpet woven with mock wet footprints to amplify the playful charm of Miami Beach.

Grutman, a Miami-based restaurateur, spoke of his vision for The Goodtime Hotel in a statement explaining, “My first hotel needed to break the mould. I wanted to provide the 360-degree Groot Hospitality experience that our other venues are known for, but I also wanted to add more. This is about providing a getaway within a town that’s already known as a vacation spot. When you arrive at the hotel and walk through our doors, it becomes a full-on experience. When you are at the Goodtime, we want you to feel like your worries and anxieties have been left outside. I am proud to have worked closely with Pharrell, Michael, Eric and Ken Fulk on bringing this hotel to life."

Considering the importance of healthy living, both physically and mentally, The Goodtime Hotel is equipped with a gym and a library. The gym features equipment from MyBeast and Peloton, while the library is endowed in glossy peach-hued and natural oak-clad finishes. The room is meant to host anything from coffee to cocktails to casual business meet-and-greets. The library is a sociable meeting ground within the hotel, where guests may seamlessly transition from work mode to weekend mode, if and when they so choose.

Grutman, who is an owner and partner in several Miami-based restaurants and nightclubs, has ensured that The Goodtime Hotel will also house a vibrant array of food and beverage portals and retail outlets, carefully curated to reflect the balanced lifestyle of the property’s namesake. Equal parts happy pursuits and relaxed escapism, this tropical oasis will feature Grutman’s Strawberry Moon, a restaurant and a 30,000 sqft pool club. Serving up classic and casual Mediterranean food with speciality cocktails for lunch and dinner, guests will have the option of sitting inside or lazing by the pool. Fulk’s interior design concept is meant to channel the mid-century Caribbean and Central American resort towns, such as Havana and Acapulco in their heydays, revisiting the idea of nostalgic spaces. Embellished with broad stripe pastel tiling, vintage scalloped bar seating, and pinstriped awnings, Strawberry Moon amplifies a modern Miami aesthetic which is a crossroads of culture and energy.

A unique marquee concept, The Goodtime Hotel is promoted as a place for both hedonistic revelry and laidback rest and relaxation.