Miami hotels

The most unique property on South Beach is this Ocean Drive boutique, with meticulously decorated, themed suites that immerse you in another place and time. Live like a 1960s ad exec in the “Executive Sixties” suite or sleep among furniture made from airplanes in the “Up Up in the Sky” room.

Surround yourself in the jungle in the “Go Bananas” bungalow or get immersed in the bright lights of the “Vegas” suite. Nothing about the place is kitschy either, as the décor is done in vintage pieces that are works of art in and of themselves.

Note you can’t reserve specific suites, but you can book specific room categories. If there’s a suite you’re keen on, see what category it falls under and book a room in that category. Then, call back a week or so before your trip to see if it’s available.

This art-deco, beachside landmark is an ideal spot for families, where three sprawling swimming pools and a grassy backyard offer plenty of places for kids to release all that youthful energy. The hotel offers two-story loft rooms right next to the pool, perfect for parents who want some privacy upstairs while the kids play in the family room below. The onsite restaurants are fantastic too, whether enjoying seaside farm-to-table creations at Ocean Social, or the world-famous sushi at Nobu.

The National is one the best art deco hotels in the northern part of South Beach. Especially if you’re traveling without kids. This 1939 gem is filled with modern art and has a sexy cocktail bar in the lobby perfect for hidden rendezvous.

The whole property is adults only, which makes lounging by the long infinity pool or posting up on a chair along the National’s beach especially peaceful.

The ultra-luxe Faena is a study in fine art. Here, you’ll find a gold mammoth statue in the backyard and provocative art lines the walls. The restaurants are helmed by world-famous chefs, like Pao by Paul Qui and Frances Mallman’s steak emporium at Los Fuegos. Faena recently opened an omakase counter called El Secreto, and the ballroom is home to an uber-sexy cabaret show called Allura.

Set a little north of the city, the Diplomat is one of the largest properties in South Florida with over 1,000 rooms. It also boasts a massive lagoon pool where kids can play on splash pads or dip into shallow water, while parents lounge in a private cabana and enjoy waterside drinks. The long, private beach gives young ones a place to roam, and the onsite Diplomat Prime steakhouse makes for a perfect date night after dropping children at the kids’ club.

When you’ve got one of the most famous nightclubs in the world right in your lobby, the party is impossible to escape. But Fontainebleau’s scene stretches far past the velvet ropes at LIV. Dinners at Hakkasan and Stripsteak also bring crowds, as do the daytime pool party at Arkadia and the frequent Bleaulive concerts in the ballroom.

The lone boutique hotel in Little Havana places you smack in the middle of the action, a short walk from Calle Ocho and all its cigar shops and Cuban cafeterias. The lobby at Life House is always bustling with intrepid travelers working before they go exploring. And the rooftop terrace pours drinks made from its garden, making it as popular with locals for happy hour as it is for guests.

Miami’s best spa is at the Carillon, where multiple stories of treatment rooms and high-tech touchless treatments allow you to spend your entire vacation getting pampered. The Carillon also has two swimming pools, including an elevated saltwater pool with views over the ocean. You can enjoy fine dining in the French-inspired Tambourine Room, then retreat to your two-room suite with stunning views of the Atlantic.

Across from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, you’ll find the Thesis Hotel, where lauded local chef Niven Patel has two restaurants. Patel gained fame by using ingredients from his nearby farm, as he does with Caribbean dishes at the tropical-themed Mamey. Across the lobby, Orno offers wood-fired meats and vegetables alongside inventive cocktails.

Set on the calming waters of Brickell Key, the Mandarin Oriental offers an Asian-inspired escape just steps from the financial district. Its rooms offer balcony views of either the Brickell skyline or Biscayne Bay, with a luxurious spa and private beach on the edge of the island. The onsite restaurant La Mar serves some of the best Peruvian food in Miami, and on weekends it hosts one of the city’s most popular brunches.