By Kelsey Mulvey
Some people might think of their hotel room as a mere stopover; a place to drop off their bags and sleep after a long day in the sun, but Isabel Tragash respectfully disagrees. As one half of STA Architectural Group, a Miami-based firm she runs alongside husband Todd, she believes a room or suite can be your private, temporary sanctuary. “A great balance of functionality, comfort, and sophisticated elegance,” she shares.
After 20 years working on various projects at Acqualina, Tragash debuts her latest addition: the One Bedroom Oceanfront Villa Suite. Located on the fifth floor of the Miami resort hotel, the 2,767-square-foot Villa Suite serves as a well-appointed home away from home. “The suite was conceived as both a retreat for extended stays and a flexible haven for short-term guests who want to elevate the experience of a private home with all the amenities that a hotel has to offer,” she explains. “And we all know that Aqualina offers impeccable service.”
One of the biggest influences for the Villa Suite’s contemporary approach, Tragash says, is the open-concept layout. “It has a full kitchen that opens to a living room and breakfast area,” she explains. “We felt that taking it to a level that was a softer, modern feel would be a very appropriate approach.” Anchoring the suite is the living area, which Tragash says is suitable for relaxed reading sessions or intimate get-togethers. “[The living room] embodies relaxed luxury,” she notes. “It offers a generous amount of plush seating and an uncluttered atmosphere.” Ample seating and a soothing, neutral palette provide the modern comforts of a hotel, but don’t write off the Villa Suite as another beige. Tragash peppered in personality with abstract artworks from Domenica Brockman and a nook accented with bold wallpaper, which she calls a “punctuation in the design.” “It’s a little playful,” she explains. “But yet it keeps with the colors of the space. It anchors the whole space to that corner.”
Though the Miami Beach resort has plenty of revered restaurants to try, villa suite guests can easily whip up their own meal in the adjacent kitchen, which is outfitted with Calacatta Gold countertops and Miele appliances.
Of course, the main draw to any suite is the bedroom—and Tragash did not disappoint. With a curved, upholstered bedframe and a crystal-laden light pendant that hangs above, the primary bedroom is the epitome of lived-in luxury. And while the unit is technically a one-bedroom suite, its den can be converted into a spare bedroom as needed. “Having the suite with that flexibility where you can either turn it into an office or a bedroom is a big plus for guests who want the best of both worlds,” she says.
In order to bridge the gap between business and pleasure, Tragash added a built-in storage unit that discreetly holds a desk and queen-sized bed. Each bedroom, permanent or flexible, comes with its own private bathroom. The primary bathroom showcases Cosmos stone floors, onyx wall cladding, expansive vanities, and premium fixtures by Dornbracht and Kohler—an elegant retreat that reflects the suite’s balance of sophistication and serenity. A powder room offers a convenient spot for guests to freshen up before exploring the hotel grounds.
But while Tragash created a lot to be admired inside, she extended the suite’s elegant edge to its two terraces, which total nearly 900 square feet of outdoor space. “We had so much outdoor space, and we wanted to create a seamless connection between the outdoors and indoors,” she notes. “We were fortunate that we had visual continuity.” Rich upholstery, colorful rugs, and strategically placed plants enrich the outdoor space.
Whether used for business or pleasure, the One Bedroom Oceanfront Villa Suite offers a beautiful backdrop for your stay, one that Tragash says was designed with rest and relaxation in mind. “I hope they feel like they were at home and they were pampered by the hotel,” she says.