Vintage Postcard – Fontainebleau Hotel

Entrance to Fontainebleau Hotel
Most Fabulous in the Gold Coast Area
Miami Beach, Fla.

G.307 – Gulf Stream Card & Distributing Co., Miami, Florida
Curteichcolor Art-Creation from Color Transparencies (Reg. U.S. A. Pat. Off.)

This postcard has been mailed using a purple three cent liberty stamp, postmarked in Miami February 16 1962, 7:30PM. It was mailed to Miss Catherine Robbins, 231 Washington Street, Riverside N.J. It reads

Dear Catherine
Received your cute valentine and addresses Thanks a lot. Getting a good and needed rest. Had a wonderful trip down. As ever, Estelle.

I suspect Catherine has passed and her estate went up for sale, as I have come into possession of her postcard collection.

I could have sworn we’ve covered the Fontainebleau before, but searching through my archives I just can’t find it. Weird. It still exists, you can book a room, and experience the glamour yourself (warning: obnoxious video with loud music plays when you open that link!).  It gets, as you would imagine, nice reviews. It’s an expensive hotel.

Wikipedia gets all excited over the Fontainebleau (did the current owners write this wiki?): “The Fontainebleau Miami Beach or the Fontainebleau Hotel is one of the most historically and architecturally significant hotels on Miami Beach. Opened in 1954 and designed by Morris Lapidus, it was arguably the most luxurious hotel on Miami Beach, and is thought to be the most significant building of Lapidus’s career.” It’s been in a crap-load (see also shit-ton or ass-ton) of movies, which I am not going to list…click on the link if you’re interested.

Anyhow, I stayed at the Fontainebleau many years ago, when I worked for the devil at the worst job ever, and went to a business conference. Being at the conference itself made me realize I just wasn’t cut out for what I was doing work-wise. I couldn’t get that enthused about any of it, not at least as much as all the other conference attendees. They were hyped about their work and about being there. However, I really did like Miami. A lot. It’s tropical. It’s beautiful. Amazing architecture, amazing food, amazing beach. I ordered in room service, and it was then that I enjoyed the best soup I have ever had in my life. I still close my eyes and daydream about that conch chowder. It was insanely good. Sadly, it is no longer on the menu.