April 9, 2021 By Katherine Burns Olson Architectural Digest
Before the pandemic took hold, the Goodtime Hotel was but a twinkle in the eyes of its creators, multi-hyphenate Pharrell Williams and Miami-based impresario David Grutman. But its manifestation—a 266-room, city-block-long boutique hotel that officially swings its doors open in South Beach on April 8—is an expression of divine timing. “It’s such a funny thing,” says designer Ken Fulk, speaking by phone through multiple masks, fresh off a plane to Mexico for a recent work trip. “Because it was always rooted in a place of optimism. Now, it just feels like it’s finally coming to fruition at the perfect moment.”
Even though Williams’s 2013 megahit “Happy” isn’t soundtracking the bright space on South Beach’s Washington Avenue, that’s the very vibe it evokes. Its design draws on the optimistic Art Deco influence of the neighborhood, but is also, intentionally, devoid of kitsch. “Good energy, good vibrations, good space, and, of course, a good time,” says Williams of the concept. “The soothing colors, very thoughtful designs, and that retro feel all contribute to that balance.”
The vestiges of South Beach’s signature architectural style—a corrugated façade, a breezy atrium, ample Deco plasterwork, and hand-painted hothouse wall murals—are a complement to the irreverent design within. Says Grutman, who also worked with architect Morris Adjmi, landscape architect Raymond Jungles, and property developers Eric Birnbaum and Michael Fascitelli on the hotel: “After talking with Pharrell and Ken, we all agreed on a throwback resort vibe, but made for today. You see this in the color choices…alongside the striped pastel tiling in the pools, the entryway downstairs with its tropical murals, the scalloped bar chairs, and other design details that are spread throughout the entire hotel.”
The guest rooms, largely queen-size doubles but with a handful of suites, are outfitted with cheeky touches—custom draperies featuring whimsically drawn faces by Fulk; rotary phones cast in the shades of pink and green that call to mind conversation-heart candies; leopard-print bathrobes that both Williams and Fulk encourage visitors to wear outside the guest rooms—and, from certain rooms, views of Biscayne Bay. A green-and-white lattice-print carpet in the hallways features mock wet footprints. “When I look at that carpet and see those footprints,” laughs Fulk, “I feel like a kid again. You can almost hear someone yell at you, ‘Get a towel!’ from down the hall. I’m sure Pharrell thought I was crazy when I suggested it!”
Shared spaces include a library that’s “straight out of the mind of Margot Tenenbaum,” says Williams, who calls The Royal Tenenbaums character played by Gwyneth Paltrow “a huge inspiration for the overall tone.” That room—awash in peach tones, clad in natural oak, and filled with touches like rattan animal lamps (Grutman’s favorite is the giraffe), pineapple-motif cocktail tables, and a pink tufted sofa—exhibits the delicate balance of cheer and elegance that Fulk has mastered. “There’s always a little wink,” says Fulk. “A playfulness that makes you feel happy when you go to those spaces.”
Strawberry Moon, the hotel’s casual Mediterranean indoor/outdoor restaurant, so named for the lunar phase of the moon when Grutman and Williams first signed a deal on the space, leads into the pool area. Flanked by trim cabanas and multiple covered bars that the Tenenbaum troupe would appreciate, the outdoor area features “at least” a dozen different shades of pink, according to Fulk, and spans some 30,000 square feet, with specimen trees, plants, and vines hand-selected by landscape architect Jungles throughout.
The sum of these elegant and eccentric parts—intentionally hyper-efficient guest rooms that feature showers only, blackout curtains, and smart storage; and the gathering spaces designed for, well, gathering—means that the Goodtime Hotel is an example of the “daylife” trend, where special attention is devoted to daytime over nighttime programming. Here you can define that as knocking back a violet-hued Purple Reign cocktail alongside the hotel’s twin set of pink-striped pools; sweating it out atop the highly coveted (among fitness buffs, anyway) MyBeast equipment in a rooftop indoor-outdoor gym; or dancing under the stars, it’s about wellness and fun in each and every area. “We’ve blended both ideas,” says Grutman. “The idea is for guests to do and experience whatever they want. Indulge in a bit of hedonism, and then indulge in the healthier side too. That’s the ultimate good time.”
Besides, asks Fulk, “How can you go to the pool and put on a pink leopard-print robe—or look at the pool and see people in a series of pink leopard robes—and not smile? That, to me, is happy! It’s happy.”