Wynwood’s first hotel is now open with a rooftop bar and tons of art. Here’s a look

The first hotel in Wynwood is now open for business.

Located between Oasis Wynwood and Kush just west of North Miami Avenue, conveniently in time for Miami Art Week, Arlo Wynwood has arrived in the heart of Miami’s arts district.

The boutique hotel, which also has properties in Miami Beach and New York’s Midtown, NoMad and SoHo neighborhoods, has 217 rooms and aims to be a comfortable refuge from the bustling city streets outside. It includes a rooftop bar and cafe with a pool and private cabanas plus an indoor-outdoor third floor bar called Higher Ground.

Cocktail collective Bar Lab, famous for its award-winning Broken Shaker, which was named one of North America’s top 50 bars, will oversee the hotel’s food and beverage program. They’ll partner with Chef Brad Kilgore (Alter, Kaido, Ember) for the hotel’s signature restaurant. MaryGolds, a Florida brasserie, is set to open later this month.

The brand expects to draw the coveted 24-35-year-old demographic as well as some corporate clients, according to general manager Jennifer Hiblum.

In its first week, that has proven to be the case, she said, although the hotel is also seeing locals making same-day reservations for overnight getaways. Miami does like to make last-minute plans.

Locals are welcome to visit the hotel even if they’re not staying overnight, in particular the bars (which are open now) and the restaurant. Right now only guests may use the pool, but the hotel plans to offer day passes in a couple of months.

The brand values being a part of any community it enters, Hiblum said.

“You look at the Arlo hotels in New York, and they’ve gone into dynamic neighborhoods that seemed like a great fit for them to be part of the community,” she said. “It’s important for us to go into an area we can be part of and build those ties.”

To that end, Arlo Wynwood has partnered with various local businesses — a yoga studio, a gym, other retailers — to offer classes and discounts for guests.

In keeping with its location, the brand has also made a commitment to showcase local art. Design group Meyer Davis has infused the property with an industrial style blended with an artistic sensibility — it is, after all, located in the middle of the neighborhood famous for its colorful murals — and Indiewalls curated the art.

There are three murals on the property, one on the north facade of the building by the artist Hoxxoh, with Milagros Collective contributing murals on the exterior staircase wall. Florida-based artist Ari Robinson provided a plexiglass mural on the wall of the yoga deck, and more than 250 works of art will be displayed inside the hotel, with most of them coming from local artists.

The rooms, which start at $239 a night, are tech-friendly, with bedside wireless charging stations, Bluetooth radios, LED TVs and staycast, which allows guests to stream from a mobile device into the room.

Manny Gonzalez, executive director of the Wynwood Business Improvement District, said it’s hard to believe that the busy neighborhood, a huge travel destination, is just now getting a hotel. He estimates the district draws 10 million visitors annually and believes Arlo Wynwood will become “a home away from home” for many.

“We are attracting a new generation of creatives and entrepreneurs who want to live, work, eat, play and learn in our community, and Arlo will serve them well,” he said.

Arlo Wynwood

Where: 2217 NW Miami Court, Miami

Rooms: Start at $239 a night

Reservations: arlohotels.com

This story was originally published November 7, 2022 at 4:30 AM.