The Betsy, South Beach

The Betsy - South Beach is one of those places that doesn’t have to try too hard. Behind its plantation-style shutters and columned façade is a cool haven of colonial beach front chic. Quietly luxurious, fresh and understated, it’s the perfect place to retreat to after a day on the beach or a night out on the town.

The Betsy - South Beach is located in a fantastic position at the quieter end of Ocean Drive, but there are a number of cafés and restaurants close by, and the rest of the Art Deco district is within walking distance. Enter the hotel lobby and instantly you will recognise the soft hum of contented guests. The space is open-plan, and includes the hotel’s hip BLT restaurant and a lounge bar that is perfect for lazing as you sip a Sea Breeze and enjoy the constantly changing art collections on show. There are of course plenty of spots for would-be paparazzi in Miami, but the Betsy is not one of them. Our advice is: stay here and go out to party if that’s what you want.

The hotel’s 130 rooms and suites come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are split across two wings of the property; the Colonial wing and the Art Deco wing. Colonial rooms and suites offer a nod to classic antebellum style, but blended with a contemporary South Beach aesthetic – think lavenders and yellows and whites, dark wooden floors and soft linens. Spacious bathrooms stuffed with Malin & Goetz products, plus all the technology you need, ensure that you certainly won’t be slumming it here. In the Art Deco wing, expect a fresh take on iconic art deco styling, with breezy rooms and cool wooden furniture.

The Betsy’s LT Steak & Seafood restaurant is one of Miami’s best, and if you fancy an alfresco wagyu steak or tuna tartare in gently glamorous surroundings, you are in for a treat. The Alley, a more casual trattoria serving up stone-oven pizza and homemade pasta is located in the Art Deco Wing.  Downstairs is B Bar, the hotel’s basement 'speakeasy’, a private art-filled bar with innovative mixology, moody lighting and a unique ambience, perfect for private dinners or events.

Other facilities include a peaceful courtyard swimming pool, a rooftop wellness garden and spa with sea views and a pool, a fitness centre, and a poetry library. Across the road is South Beach, where the Betsy commands its own strip of white sand and a well-stocked bar serving soft drinks and snacks, perfect for watching the world go by as you recline under a parasol.