In Miami, coffee breaks are woven into the local culture. On just about every street in the city you’ll find ventanitas, which are walk-up windows serving Cuban-style coffee and pastries. These spots are where locals take an afternoon break and spend time connecting with others to talk about anything and everything—sports, home life, and what’s going on in the world, explains Michael Stephens, the general manager of the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden.
“You take a little shot of coffee then you go back to work energized with a clear head and ready to get back in the game,” Stephens says.
Now, the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden—a Michelin two-key hotel in Miami’s historic Coconut Grove neighborhood—is giving guests a window into the city’s diverse and vibrant coffee culture by hosting “Cafecito Time at 3:05” every weekday. Held at 3:05 p.m. as a nod to Miami’s 305 area code, guests gather for a small cup of cafecito—a potent coffee crowned with a sweet foam.
“Cubans love to drink their coffee very strong and very sweet,” says Stephens.
The cafecito break is one example of the unique offerings that the hotel hosts for its meeting and leisure guests. The lineup also includes wellness-focused activities like sunrise vinyasa yoga and a chakra sound healing meditation session.
With more than 8,500 square feet of meeting and event space, including botanical spaces that wowed Michelin inspectors, the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden is an unforgettable place to meet. Ahead, learn more about the cultural and wellness experiences those gathering in the Grove can experience.
Gathering in the Grove: Immerse in Miami’s Rich History
Today, companies prioritize having memorable and inspiring moments, and they want meeting attendees to get a pulse of the destination where they’re gathering, Stephens says.
“We make sure we’re giving group customers a real, authentic Miami experience.”
The Mayfair House Hotel & Garden’s location is especially unique, even for those familiarized with South Florida. The hotel anchors Miami’s oldest neighborhood Coconut Grove, a lush and artistic enclave that transcends South Beach and that’s been influenced by those who have flocked here, from the Bahamians in the 1870s to the artists, musicians, and counterculture trendsetters nearly a century later.
Inside the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden, guests are greeted with a tropical Eden in the atrium that’s filled with a few dozen varieties of plants, from palms to birds of paradise. Upon check-in, they’re given an immune-boosting wellness shot that’s from Coconut Grove’s own Juicence Juice & Smoothie Bar. The local experience will be themed, but includes elixirs like one made with Florida orange juice, ginger, turmeric, and cayenne.
“There’s not a soul that doesn’t walk into space and immediately become awestruck,” Stephens says. “They pull their phones out immediately to shoot a video and say, ‘Wow, look where I’m at.’”
Stephens hosts a guest reception every Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Fountain Lounge. Meeting guests can learn more about the historic businesses in the Grove as well as details about the hotel, which was designed by famed architect Kenneth Treister, who was inspired by Gaudi’s buildings in Barcelona, complete with Tiffany-stained glass windows, lush vines, and ceramic-tiled ponds.
Mayfair House Hotel & Garden also hosts a weekly ritual at Mayfair Grill: From 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. each Friday, oenophiles can journey through the restaurant’s curated wine list, discovering selections from Spain, Italy, and California and learn how chefs and sommeliers pair wines with food.
Mindful Meeting Day Starts at the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden
The Mayfair House Hotel & Garden also offers opportunities for group and leisure guests to start their days with grounding yoga and sound meditations in the hotel’s beautiful spaces.
Link transitional movement with synchronized breathwork to center your best self before starting your day at a Sunrise Vinyasa Yoga session that’s held 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturdays at Sipsip Rum Bar & Rooftop Pool.
“Meeting guests can start their day on a positive note, breathing and moving on the rooftop,” says Vivian Gomez, owner and director of Om Movement, which partners with the hotel to lead wellness sessions for guests. You have the views of [Biscayne] Bay and some greenery and it’s all very beautiful and calming.”
Mid-week guests can also meditate to the sounds of nature and set intentions for the day at the Chakra Sound Healing Meditation Session from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. on Wednesdays. The relaxing class is set in the hotel’s beloved, plant-filled Fountain Lounge, and offers guests a unique way to interact with the space.
“I think everyone is looking for inspiring experiences that speak to the destination,” Stephens says. With that in mind, the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden provides these vacation-like touches and wellness breaks to everyone who checks into Coconut Grove’s tropical oasis, no matter if they’re in town for business or pleasure (or both).