SEARCH
FIND A DEALER
Situated near the warm sands and refreshing ocean breezes of Miami Beach, Kaskades South Beach serves as the luxurious all-suite wing of the famed Gale South Beach hotel. Opened in late 2014, the specially-designed sister property blends modern spa amenities - including the "world's sexiest" steam showers - and historical charm to form an indoor 'beach' retreat.
Preserving the Kaskedes South Beach Historicity While Adding Modern Amenities
Urban Robot Associates (URA), a Miami Beach-based multidisciplinary design firm, handled every aspect of the hotel’s design, which restored and converted an existing historic structure into a modern sensation. “The challenge lay in preserving the original building’s historicity [historical authenticity], while adding all of the modern amenities patrons expect in today’s competitive hospitality scene within the tight parameters of the existing structure,” explains Giancarlo Pietri—Principal and Creative Director of Urban Robot Associates.
The original building was a two-story apartment designed in 1953 by famed architect Melvin Grossman. Aside from restoring the first two stories to their original aesthetic, Urban Robot Associates added a third level and a rooftop space featuring a cabana outdoor grill and pool with a view overlooking the New World Symphony’s Soundscape Park. “In close collaboration and with the blessing of the Planning Staff of the City of Miami Beach, we aimed to clearly distinguish between the ‘old’ of the original two stories and the ‘new’ additions,” says Pietri.
To further balance the “new” with the “old,” Urban Robot’s design team preserved the building’s original window and door openings while adding a contemporary twist. “We installed the required hurricane impact-resistant, sound-insulated windows and colored the mullions a cool, signature shade of cerulean blue [think sky blue] consistent with the hotel’s branding,” describes Pietri. Set against the crisp, white stucco of the walls, the blue mullioned windows serve to give a cool and clean edge to this historic building. The building’s original “Kaskades” neon sign was also restored to its rustic, mid-twentieth century design.
Another design factor was the landscape architecture. Architects planted greenery to muffle the noise emanating from the busy streets below. Cascading vines along the building’s facade remind visitors of the hotel’s name, while lush plant life shields the retreat from surrounding traffic.
Creating an Indoor Spa Experience:
Being an off-beach hotel, Urban Robot’s design team envisioned Kaskades South Beach's 25 guestrooms as a retreat for guests, providing amenities for the guestroom suites to augment the in-room experience. A key component involved designing wet rooms that exceeded the mere utilitarianism of the typical 3-fixture bathrooms found within most historic beachfront hotels, providing instead an opportunity for guests to enjoy an in-room spa experience.
“Traditionally, bathrooms were designed simply and pragmatically to meet patrons’ most basic needs,” says Pietri. “Today’s hospitality trends encourage transforming bathrooms into personal retreats.” Each wet room at Kaskades features white marble countertops, two sinks and an LED TV within the vanity mirrors. Other elements include luxurious self-cleaning toilets with seat and water temperature controls.
The crown jewel, according to Pietri, is the personal steam room in each bathroom. Various steam room benefits create an in-room home spa for the patron.
Steam Room Construction:
“Steam became a pivotal component in elevating the bathroom and in-room experience on Miami Beach,” explains Pietri. Each steam room contains a bench integrated into a spa tub that seats two, a steam spout, rain shower and handheld shower unit, with conveniently-placed controls that allow users to take full advantage of steam shower benefits. The entire shower is tiled, with the exception of a one-way mirror that helps create an intimate atmosphere for occupants.
An optional amenity, AromaTherapy, evenly infuses oils into the steam spa via an electronic delivery system that is available in each suite.
Sexiest Steam Showers in the World:
Pietri, a veteran of steam design, knew exactly how to create a room that would optimize the health and wellness benefits of steam. “We have installed MrSteam products in other projects, and they are always a reliable company to work with,” praises Pietri. “They make the sexiest steam showers on the market.”
Designers located the steam bath generator unit, which can be positioned up to 60 feet away from the steam room, in the bathroom’s vanity to simplify access and maintenance.
>>Learn what to consider before installing a steam shower, such as steam generator placement.
Other major considerations involved the shower design itself. “We needed to slope the ceiling toward one of the walls to ensure that the condensation would drip down the drain instead of on the user,” says Pietri of the steam room construction. “The ceiling was finished in stone because it added to the richness of the user experience.”
>>Find out why materials matter in steam bath installations.
Steam Shower Design:
After water sealing the enclosure to ensure that no steam would escape, Urban Robot’s design team carefully located the steam head at the base of the shower bench and placed the steam and shower controls in a location that is easily accessible for users. “When designing steam baths, it’s important to factor in the user’s various ergonomic needs to ensure easy access to controls while maximizing the efficiency of the plumbing engineering and to ensure optimal performance of the steam system,” he says.
Steam Showers: the Fantastic Differentiator that Makes Kaskedes South Beach Stand Out!
For Urban Robots, adding a steambath to hospitality projects such as Kaskades ultimately stems from their desire to find ways to elevate the guest experience, and to tell stories by making places. “Travelers today are seeking to relax more and eliminate stress from their lives, whether travelling for business or pleasure” he observes. As a result, Urban Robot Associates promotes steam in most of its projects. “Steam is a fantastic differentiator that makes a venue like Kaskades South Beach really stand out from the competition.”
