Inside Miami's hottest $1 billion luxury hotel and shopping complex

With locations in Hong Kong and Beijing, East bills itself as a collection of “lifestyle business hotels." (Courtesy of East, Miami)

Faena District, make room for Brickell City Centre, the all-new mega-development reshaping downtown Miami’s Brickell neighborhood.

With a $1.05 billion price tag—just a notch above that of Alan Faena’s still-unfolding $1 billion arts district—Brickell will have all the trappings of a commercial/residential mammoth, from rows of luxury retail shops (Saks Fifth Avenue and Valentino among them) to a flagship hotel called East, Miami—officially opening next week.

East, a division of Chinese conglomerate Swire, was, like Faena, a blue-chip brand abroad before making its U.S. debut. With locations in Hong Kong and Beijing advertised as “lifestyle business hotels,” the Miami expansion will incorporate visual flairs and flavors befitting its leisure-obsessed surroundings.

The 40-floor hotel, designed by Miami-based firm Arquitectonica (exteriors) and New York-based Clodagh Design (interiors), flaunts an ethereal gray-and-blue palette throughout, from the 20,000-square-foot poolscape to the slate-colored interiors. Inside, charcoal-gray wood floors, floor-to-ceiling views, and furnished king-size balconies come standard, while 89 residential suites boast periwinkle crushed velvet sectionals, fully equipped kitchens, and laundry services for the ultramodern pied-à-terre.

Like East, the hotel’s tentpole restaurant brings its own international pedigree: Quinto La Huella is the first spin-off of Uruguay’s prized beachside grill Parador La Huella, which made S.Pellegrino and Aqua Panna’s list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2015.

While the sleek, 9,700-square-foot proxy, designed by Los Angeles–based Studio Collective, adds some urban polish to Parador’s beachy vibes, the parilla (a 20-seat, Benihana-style wood-fire grill that yields a distinct smoky finish)—and several toques plucked from South America including executive chef Nano Crespo (who collaborated with Parador's chef Alejandro Morales on the menu)—promise distinctly original flavors among Miami’s fusion-heavy fare.

There may be no shortage of hotels making colorful splashes on Miami’s cityscape, but East, Miami’s blend of awe-inspiring construction and fine-tuned tranquility is bound to make waves this summer. From $259/night; east-miami.com