Miami hotel lathers up for the greater good

MIAMI—The 1936-built Peter Miller Hotel that once graced the Miami hospitality scene on Collins Ave. is now the Lennox Hotel Miami, breathing new life into the iconic street. Diego Agnelli, CEO of Lennox Hotels, purchased the property back into 2010, and since then has invested more than $100 million into its renovation.

Preserving its history and unmistakable Art Deco facade along with its terrazzo floors and archways, the property has certainly kept some of its original charm, but has also updated many of its spaces. The interiors of the hotel have all been transformed, along with the addition of a pool.

Along with the new digs, the hotel is also revealing a new partnership, and this one is sure to envelop guests in what the Miami landmark is all about.

In collaboration with William Roam and its Sense Collection, Lennox will offer its guests luxury bath amenities, the company’s top-selling collection, according to Agnelli. The products include shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion and exfoliating soap.

“We decided to partner with William Roam because, in addition to its top-quality upscale amenities, we thought its story and mission perfectly mirrors the vision of the Lennox Hotel, specifically with our focus on using upcycled materials, and natural and organic textiles,” Agnelli said.

The products are all vegan and use Minnesota Tamarack Larch tree bark as the main ingredient. Being true to nature is something that the William Roam brand certainly uses as its guiding light and a component that the Lennox felt aligned well with its mission.

“The Sense products are less about the beach location and more about the experiential moments of the hotel itself,” Agnelli said.

All of William Roam’s products are paraben-, sulfate-, phthalate-, chemical-dye and synthetic fragrance-free.

The CEO added, “Guests expect to find a collection of this quality; it’s a natural extension of the hotel’s messaging, language and design aesthetic.”

Extending on its nature-made products, William Roam is a partner of American Forests, a nonprofit conservation dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy forest ecosystems. American Forests has committed to planting one tree for every hotel room at the Lennox Hotel Miami.

“When the company was crafting the Sense collection and formulating the ingredient story, they became fascinated with the Tamarack Larch tree extract, and the American Forests partnership become a clear, linear derivative,” Agnelli said. “They [William Roam] knew it was important to have the ingredient story marry to a direct and impactful environmental benefit. And, let’s be honest, the world gets a real, live tree when someone orders the Sense collection for their hotel. It’s doing something for the greater good on the grandest scale possible.”

According to Agnelli, the safety of the environment is a big industry challenge, especially with regard to single-use plastics. However, he sees the industry moving in the right direction, with this partnership as evidence of that.

“The recent passing of the law AB1162 in California limiting the use of these small bottles in hotel room settings will place significant pressure on the industry to adapt to these standards throughout the country,” he said. “From our perspective, we know that William Roam will be staying ahead of these laws and concerns by launching new products that will provide the same high-end experience in boutique properties while maintaining our formulas, branding and environmental impact. It’s one of the main reasons we chose to partner with the company.”

Agnelli recognizes the environment as being the impetus for industry trends as well, sparking the rise of authentic ingredients and formulas that are performance-oriented with a strong moral and ethical component.

He said that these products keep up with these trends because of William Roam’s commitment to never using known preservatives or ingredients that cause health issues, as well as ensuring the products secure CCIC certification (the leaping bunny signifying a vegan, cruelty-free product).

This is just the beginning of our sustainable practices in what’s to come,” Agnelli said. “We know how important it is in today’s world to do our part, and we’re thrilled that we get to contribute to that in any way possible.”

He added, “Consumers are far more educated and aware, so it is important to stay on-trend with other personal care offerings to ensure relevancy in a crowded marketplace.”

Guests are welcomed to take all of the products home with them, but the collection is also available for purchase on the William Roam site and on Amazon. Agnelli predicts that guests will most enjoy the shower gel and lotion, two cult favorites that have been featured in publications and subscription boxes.

“Our teams want to offer each other all the support needed,” he said. “William Roam helps us keep the experiential property performing at the highest in terms of services, product offerings and customer experience.” HB