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Roula Khalaf, editor-in-chief of the FT, selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.

New digs in the Design District

The Moore, Miami

Miami owes much of its distinctive 20th-century built environment to Florida’s famous 1920s land boom, when a wave of foreign investment – ​​the Sunshine State’s first real estate bubble – intersected with the vogue for art design decoration. One of its best-known legacies is the Moore Building, a four-story showroom and furniture factory developed by architect and financier David P Davis, which was built in 1922 from an old pineapple plantation that would become the city’s design district. So it makes sense that Craig Robins – the developer-entrepreneur largely responsible for the flourishing of this neighborhood, as well as its primacy in the art world (his own collection is housed at the nearby Dacra headquarters) – led the transformation of what is now known as The Moore.

Members Club, check; premier resident gallery, check; must-visit restaurant (Elastika, named for the atrium installation designed by Zaha Hadid and featuring the talents of chef Joe Anthony, who defected from New York’s Gabriel Kreuther), check. And of course, a hotel on par with the others: only 13 discreet suites, distributed on the top floor. The smallest is a healthy 700 square feet; all are individually designed, with the art curated by local consultant Monica Kalpakian. Guests have access to the members’ club and all its amenities, including programming with artist talks, guest chefs and exhibitions. Reservations are open, but there is no guarantee that there will be availability for Art Basel Miami Beach in December… mooremiami.comfrom 800$

An eternal great lady

Hotel d’Inghilterra, Rome

Next year will mark the papal jubilee, and Rome is preparing to experience it in close-up. If you visit the country in the coming months, expect to encounter increasing chaos and several famous landmarks hidden behind walls of scaffolding. But construction sites have been busy for some time: the city is in the midst of a wave of major hotel openings, ranging from luxury brand flagship Bulgari to Six Senses, Edition Hotels and, soon, Mandarin Oriental . Last month marked the return of a much-loved, typically Roman address, following a year-long renovation that mobilized Made in Italy craftsmanship from across the country to restore its historic primacy. The Hotel d’Inghilterra was built in the mid-16th century as a palazzino to accommodate the guests of the pontifical bankers the Torlonias; it became a hotel in 1845, gaining almost instant cachet with the stars of the day (royals from far and wide, plus Keats, Byron, Shelley and a constant stream of Grand Tour escapees). Its popularity continued into the Dolce Vita years, with Gregory Peck and Liz Taylor among the guests, but began to fade in the early 2000s.

Now it’s back, with gleaming rooms and suites. Ornate trimmings and Italian marbles – some of which are original 19th-century iterations – abound; natural light too and, in the fifth floor suites, spacious balconies. On the ground floor is Café Romano and its adjacent bar, with tables arranged on Via Borgognona. For high rollers, the top floor penthouse suite can be connected to a second suite and double bedroom, forming a full-floor apartment with its own 70m² terrace overlooking epic views of the Eternal City. starhotels.itfrom 800 €

A new chapter in Manhattan

Surrey, New York

Likewise, Manhattan’s historic hotels sometimes play a role in the city’s broader history. The Surrey was built on the corner of 76th and Madison in 1926 as a residential hotel; his famous long-term stays included Claudette Colbert, JFK and Bette Davis. As with Inghilterra in Rome, in the 2000s Surrey’s cachet diminished; but the pre-war bone and mint location made it the kind of asset that attracts big developers. Enter the UK-based Reuben Brothers, who acquired the tower in 2020 and reopened it as The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel.

Malta-based Corinthia will manage the Surrey’s 100 rooms and suites – designed by the talented (if omnipresent) Martin Brudnizki – as well as the 14 ultra-stylish residences spread across the building’s top floors. An outpost of Casa Tua, Miami’s glitzy Italian watering hole, will occupy the lobby level; a members’ club is on the second floor and a landscaped terrace crowns the roof (for now, reserved for residents). The spa run by Sisley has steam rooms, saunas and a salt tepidarium; the gym, a terrace for yoga and outdoor relaxation and fitness classes. All in all, it’s very ready for a “new chapter” – although, thankfully, old New York remains distinguished in some key respects, from the neat awnings to the liveried doormen. corinthia.comfrom $1,260

@mariashollenbarger