Sotogrande<\/a>, Chef Michael Toker\u2019s Spanish-Mediterranean dining destination a floor below Calusso, with a comparable view of the marina. The standouts here are the mixed Mezze Plate \u2014 tzatziki, hummus, babaganoush, olive tapenade \u2014 served with a basket of hot puffy pita bread. If Julia Child had included how a restaurant grills fish she would have been a happy cuisini\u00e8re here, too. If you\u2019re looking for a dish to stop your show here, try the Dubai Tart Chocolate, with pistachio kadaif and cr\u00e8me anglaise. You\u2019ll stop happy, and probably won\u2019t be hungry again for at least another 24-48 hours.<\/p>\n![\"Tears](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Tears-of-a-Mermaid-cocktail-at-Pier-Top-bar.jpg\")
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Mark Gauert<\/p>\n
Tears of a Mermaid cocktail at revolving Pier Top lounge.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s drinking<\/p>\n
Cocktails at the Pier Top<\/p>\n
If \u201cDestination Dining\u201d is a thing, can \u201cDestination Cocktails\u2019\u2019 be one, too? (Please?)<\/p>\n
Standouts worth the (pricey) valet parking at the Pier Sixty-Six include old-school martinis that haven\u2019t changed since the days gin was the only ingredient spirit in a martini (the way it was intended) to shining-edge concoctions that playfully reference the lounge\u2019s history and location, 17 floors up. The High Roller \u2014 Elyx Vodka, Dolin Blanc, Vermouth, Dry Cura\u00e7ao, Velvet Falernum, Maraschino Liqueur, Absinthe Grapefruit Spray \u2014 the Tango on Top \u2014 Amaro Nonino, Strega, Prosecco, Pineapple Juice, Matcha, Coconut Tea \u2014 and the Sixty-Six \u2014 Empress Gin, Dry Curacao, Prosecco, Lime Yuzu Soda, Lemon, Grapefruit, Blood Orange \u2014 pop to the top of the Pier Top list.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for a cocktail to Instagram on high from one of the most Instagrammable places in South Florida, try the Tears of a Mermaid \u2014 Lalo Tequila Blanco, Italicus Maraschino Liqueur, Grapefruit Sherbert and Tiki Bitters. A delicious, understated drink that wouldn\u2019t dare compete with the revolving 360-degree views. Cheers.<\/p>\n
![\"Pier](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pier-Top-bar.jpg\")
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Mark Gauert<\/p>\n
Pier Top lounge, revolving every 66 minutes 17 floors above the Pier Sixty-Six in For Lauderdale.<\/p>\n
Overheard<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, we\u2019ll still have a floor when we come back!\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Guest at the Pier Top to another guest concerned the landmark lounge\u2019s rotating floor worked like an elevator and they would not be able to return to their cocktails after stepping away for a moment to enjoy the view from the outdoor deck.<\/p>\n
Joe Cavaretta\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n
![\"File](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/tfl-l-pier-sixty-six-09.jpg\")
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Joe Cavaretta\/South Florida Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n
Windows looking out from the crown of the Pier Top, 17 floors above.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t miss<\/p>\n
Top of the Pier\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0667.jpeg\")
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Mark Gauert<\/p>\n
The podium at the end of the velvet-rope line to get up to the Pier Top at the Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a wait here,\u2019\u2019 the VIP Guest Recognition Specialist states the obvious, walking past the velvet ropes by the elevators up to Broward\u2019s landmark lounge. \u201cIt\u2019s quite a hot property.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is. A man in a sharp black suit stands at a podium at the end of the velvet rope line to confirm that you have a reservation and to confirm, oh-so nicely, that you\u2019re dressed up enough to be borne aloft.<\/p>\n
\u201cStylish pants, dresses, skirts or tailored shorts with appropriate footwear\u2019\u2019 for ladies, \u201clong pants and closed-toe shoes, jackets encouraged,\u2019\u2019 for gentlemen are the rules he delivers with velvety charm.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the way you\u2019re coordinated!\u2019\u2019 the man at the podium Project Runways a woman in line, sizing up her outfit. It\u2019s a dress code that encourages compliance by compliments.<\/p>\n
Passing muster, we whisk up the elevator in exactly 66 seconds to the 17th floor, where everybody\u2019s smiling like they\u2019re about to go on a Universal Studios ride. The one here moves much slower than any of those \u2014\u00a0 ranging in speed between imperceptible and glacial \u2014 as the 1965-era clockwork mechanics of the Pier Top lounge floor revolves a full 360 degrees over 66 minutes.<\/p>\n
Couples drop into plush club chairs and love seats with foot rests for some quality time. Time enough for a glass of champagne, caviar and a cocktail (or 66). Time you won\u2019t regret getting dressed up for.<\/p>\n
![\"Views](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Sanctuary-at-Zenova-Spa-Wellness.jpg\")
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Mark Gauert<\/p>\n
Views from The Sanctuary at Zenova Spa & Wellness at the Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t miss part II<\/p>\n
Zenova Spa & Wellness<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Snowroom-at-Zenova-Spa-at-Pier-Sixty-Six-1-rotated.jpg\")
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Mark Gauert<\/p>\n
The door to the Snowroom at Zenova Spa at Pier Sixty-Six.<\/p>\n
The 100-minute \u201cAuthentic Florida\u2019\u2019 treatment here predates the current authentic Florida experience. No overcrowded roads, no spiraling insurance rates, no insects the size of mailboxes \u2026 we could go on with the ways the spa\u2019s \u201cAuthentic Florida\u2019\u2019 contrasts with the current reality.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pay homage to a time when nature\u2019s lush tropical gifts were used for healing and restoration,\u201d the spa notes, \u201cusing aromatic, medicinal ingredients discovered by Florida Natives.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fantasy begins with a full-body brushing, followed by a Florida orange sugar polish and warm honey-coconut hydration. Next comes a warming blanket and a vigorous scalp massage. (Nice!) Then comes a citrus-infused shower, to slough off any remaining sugar, followed by a full body massage with hydrating coconut oil. Or something like that. I lost track, technically, after about minute six, but the whole experience will leave you feeling cleansed, relaxed and thinking, Florida \u2026 best state or best state ever?!<\/p>\n
Stick around and sip herbal teas to help you \u201cBreathe,\u2019\u2019 \u201cFeel Better\u201d and leave you \u201cBright Eyed\u201d in The Sanctuary. Don\u2019t miss the warm Sensory Shower course, part of the co-ed Via Aquae section of the 13,000-square-foot spa; followed by a stop in the \u201cSnowroom,\u201d where \u201ca gentle snow massage on arms and legs helps to cool down.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Or not. Avoiding snow also is authentically Floridian.<\/p>\n
![\"Balcony](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Balcony-views-from-Pier-Sixty-Six.jpg\")
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Mark Gauert<\/p>\n
Balcony views of Fort Lauderdale beach from the Pier Sixty-Six.<\/p>\n
Could miss<\/p>\n
Consistency<\/p>\n
So many of the \u201cexperiences\u2019\u2019 at Pier Sixty-Six are perfect. Cocktails in the revolving Pier Top lounge. The freshly baked pita bread at Sotogrande. The Zenova Spa, the before-dinner \u201csnacks\u2019\u2019 at Calusso, the views of downtown Fort Lauderdale and the Intracoastal Waterway that seem to wraparound the world. The beds in the tastefully decorated rooms are comfortable, the snacks in the mini-fridge are the best (Iberico bites from Spain! Perrier-Jouet from France! Torn Ranch Chocolate Chip Cookies from California!) and the sleek Kohler fixtures in the primary bathrooms are so smart you begin to wonder if they may begin to address you.<\/p>\n
![\"Well-stocked](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0681.jpeg\")
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Mark Gauert<\/p>\n
Well-stocked mini-bar in a room at Pier Sixty-Six.<\/p>\n
You can get used to perfection at the Pier Sixty-Six. Until someone on staff sends you to the wrong floor for the spa. And you have to chase someone down for the check at Saltbreeze pool-side cafe. And the breakfast pastries in the basket are cold and hard at Garni on the ground floor. And guests are allowed to bring and talk on their cellphones in \u201cThe Sanctuary\u201d at the spa. And a failing A\/C unit in the bedroom wakes you up at 3:43 a.m. and 4:43 a.m. And the broccolini comes out of the kitchen cold at Calusso, a restaurant with otherwise legitimate aspirations for Michelin recognition.<\/p>\n
Profuse apologies and, in most cases, prompt remedies, followed each shortcoming \u2014 and a big thank you for helping make the property better next time. Most of the experiences at Pier Sixty-Six are perfect. Some just have a way to go.<\/p>\n
![\"Sunset](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Marina-views-at-Calusso.jpg\")
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Mark Gauert<\/p>\n
Sunset marina views from Calusso at the Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale.<\/p>\n
IF YOU GO<\/p>\n
Pier Sixty-Six<\/p>\n
2301 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, 954-525-6666, 800-722-7220; piersixtysix.com<\/a><\/p>\nFeaturing 325 guest rooms and suites, fine dining at French-Italian inspired Calusso and Spanish-Mediterranean fare at Sotogrande, breakfast\/brunch at Garni, grab-and-go items at Elate Market Cafe, Saltbreeze poolside cafe, Windows on 66 lobby bar, revolving landmark Pier Top lounge, among other culinary and beverage options; superyacht marina, 13,000-sq.-foot Zenova Spa & Wellness, three outdoor pools, waterslides, 40,000-sq.-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, Pier Explorers Kids\u2019 Club, for ages 4-12. Starting rates from $449.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Why we wish you were here Mark Gauert Pier Sixty-Six bedroom with balcony views of Fort Lauderdale. Because…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2076,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[102,103,249,251,250,106,107],"class_list":["post-2075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-lauderdale","tag-city-shore-magazine","tag-cs-travel","tag-fort-lauderdale","tag-fort-lauderdale-headlines","tag-fort-lauderdale-news","tag-things-to-do","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2075"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2075\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Pier](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pier-Sixty-Six-bedroom.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Oysters](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Oysters-Caprese-and-other-snacks-at-Calusso.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Mezze](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_0656.jpeg\")
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