Turnberry Isle Resort & Club
Aventura, Florida
The world of Old Florida awaits past the gate to Turnberry Isle
Resort & Club in Aventura, just north of Miami Beach. The
cobblestoned drive, divided by a median strip filled with palms and
tropical plants, affords quick glimpses of the two-story portico
entrance where porters in white uniforms wait for your car. With a
cheery welcome, they guide you up a staircase into the main building,
where you can't help but imagine turn-of-the-century railroad
magnate Henry Flagler walking by in full regalia. It is a place where
he would be comfortable.
Turnberry combines the grace of Old Florida with the elegance of a
modern luxury resort. Although it manifests that traditional Florida
charm, the hotel was built in the early 1970s, and today it is run by
the Rafael Hotel Group, which carried out an $80 million renovation in
1989. The 270-room hotel is situated near the Intercoastal Waterway;
the ocean is minutes away, where the hotel's sister Marina and Yacht
Club, with 70 rooms and a 117-slip dock, is located. There is a
shuttle service that carries guests between the various parts of the
property. This hotel runs flawlessly, and is geared to luxury without
ostentation, and relaxation without pretense.
For the golfer, the resort is a compact version of paradise. There
are two Robert Trent Jones courses, each having been refurbished in
the past two years. The par-70 North Course is easier, and a bit
shorter at 6,403 yards, but the par-72 South Course, at 7,003 yards,
is a wicked combination of water hazards and sprawling Jones-signature
greens. If the wind is blowing off the Atlantic, beware; the course
gets even tougher. There is also an excellent tennis operation, which
has been ranked among the top 50 facilities in the United States by
Tennis magazine. Sixteen courts are at the resort and eight are
at the marina complex.
Like many resorts, Turnberry also offers a comprehensive list of
spa services, from massages to a complete workout center. There also
is a full roster of workout classes, from aerobics to
stretching.
Besides the standard grill/breakfast restaurant, the hotel boasts
an outstanding restaurant on the premises, The Veranda. It doesn't get
included in most dining guides because it is not generally open to the
public; you must be a member of Turnberry or a hotel guest. Todd
Weisz, the chef, is a master of modern culinary techniques. A recent
meal included succulent crab cakes, an exotic cold-smoked cherry wood
squab, and full-flavored Florida red snapper with lobster mashed
potatoes.
Weisz buys fresh producefrom local farmers, and his kitchen
bakes all the resort's bread. Like many chefs at south Florida's
better restaurants, Weisz prepares an excellent plate of stone crabs
in season, from October to May.
The wine list is extensive, with the requisite selections in
Bordeaux and Burgundies, and sommelier Bernard Riviere is
revamping the list and adding selections. While somewhat
expensive, the list offers plenty of variety, with
selections from all the major wine-producing regions of the world.
When the day is over, the resort's humidor in the bar
will entice you with its selections obtained from the
Miami-based Caribbean Cigar Co., including Morro Castle and Free
Cuba. Or, take advantage of the wonderful smoking areas
throughout the hotel, under the many verandas that line the interior
courtyard or at the grill. Of course, you can always take a cigar on
the golf course, and light up as you ponder one of the many water
hazards surrounding the greens.
--Gordon Mott
Turnberry Isle Resort & Club
19999 West Country Club
Drive
Phone: 305/932-6200; fax: 305/933-3811
Rates:
Rooms range from $150 to $405, suites from $300 to $2,100,
depending on the season
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