The Creek Hotel
2360 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach
In cosmopolitan cities like Miami and New York, being seen in the scene of nightlife can be exhausting.
The last thing most nightlife aficionados prefer to do on a Sunday afternoon is to iron designer clothing and load their hair with pomade, or iron it in the mirror for an hour.
On Sundays in South Beach, the Creek Hotel features a terrific poolside party, with great music and a chilled-out, mellow atmosphere perfect for those clubbers looking to keep partying through their “day of rest” without making a fabulous fashion statement in a deafening venue.
The circumference of the deck is lined with white-linen clothed tables, wide seats and chairs that can lay flat to take some sun. For those who wish to stay out of the sun, there are soft-sheeted beds and hammocks that rest under trees in the shade.
On the opposite side of the bedding, there is a small bar that can seat about ten people, with one or two bartenders serving beer, wine and cocktails. Mixed drinks come in plastic cups and have a fair ratio of liquor to mixer.
Adjacent, a grill attendant with a permanent, toothy smile mans a large barbeque, which features hot dogs, hamburgers, gigantic sausages and large chicken breasts.
Plump breasts seem to be quite abundant and appreciated in Miami Beach. The BBQ portions are large, but the prices are meager. A hot dog, hamburger and potato salad costs around $8.00 total.
In the middle of all this there’s an unimpressive, odd shaped pool that is about half the size of the Shelborne pool. It’s quite clean, however, and is more of a place to jump in and cool off than to do Olympic laps.
Exhausted clubbers and silly kids commingle nicely, and can be seen tooling around with each other and playing with a few of the float toys littered about. Just about everyone dances in the pool a bit too.
DJ’s rotate conspicuously from above the sundeck, spinning awesome music that keeps the crowd grooving the entire time! Each DJ brings a funky variety: from progressive tunes, some tribal, to harder house and a sprinkle of cheese-free trance on occasion.
The blend is harmonious and the volume is just loud enough to dance the day away or to lay about with eyes closed.
No matter what mood or mentality you show up in, the atmosphere is welcoming and the energy is just right. This is an extremely difficult medium to achieve, and the Creek Hotel does a nice job of it.
Bottom line: this part has a great vibe, great people, and great music. Sometimes the most fun parties don’t have a dress code or a cover charge, and it’s important to have a balance so we don’t become too vain or pretentious, so we don’t lose sight of what it’s like to go to a party un-showered and dressed down, enjoying classic BBQ food and solid music with great friends.
