When I think of a perfect retreat, it usually involves my eyelids shutting me out from the outside world for a dozen hours of sleep. But for some reason, whenever I’m on Key Biscayne, closing my eyes isn’t an option. Sometimes, though, even paradise can take its toll. It’s in those instances when a different kind of retreat is in order. That’s why in this issue we take you on a tour of some of the most unique spa experiences in South Florida. From the Moon Cycle Treatment at The Standard in Miami Beach to the Chardonnay Oil Massage at The Biltmore in Coral Gables and beyond, the treatments we’ve found will keep you busy well into the warm summer months. Once you’ve gotten your fill, you might want to head over for a different type of indulgence at Andu Restaurant & Lounge, the culinary brainchild of two long-time Key Biscayne siblings. Brothers Antonio and Juan Pablo Viejo have quite the feast planned for you — every day of the week at almost every hour for every meal. The architecture and décor alone is enough to make the trip to the booming Brickell Corridor for a taste of their creative menu. And rest assured, every detail of this modern enclave was in one way or another influenced by the flair of the very island that molded the Viejo brothers’ lives. Once you finish licking the plate, you might want to jump on a plane to go check out the latest residential retreat South of the Border, Icon Vallarta in Mexico, the first joint venture between real estate powerhouses Fortune International and Related International and their new partnership, aptly named FRIS. What they’ve created is sure to serve as the perfect second, third, fourth, fifth or primary vacation home for the savvy and sophisticated globetrotter inside every Key Biscayne resident. To entice you to come back home, check out our Frolic section for the latest launches, openings and events taking place in our own backyard and then flip to “Portrait of a Lady” to see what you should wear to your next South Florida soiree. It’s our little way of keeping you around. Because if you left us, we would have one less reason to exist. And that’s just plain unacceptable.
Jorge Arauz | Editor-in-Chief
