It’s easy to find hotels boasting a cool quotient in always sizzling Miami, but not every property can live up to the hype.
That’s not the case with these seven properties. Each one offers a quintessential cool Miami experience — from amazing nightlife to spectacular pools — as well as incredible design and stellar hospitality. Best of all, you won’t need to leave your hotel to find the coolest scene in town.
Full of mid-century swag, the retro-cool Confidante Miami Beach part of Hyatt is a magnet for both art and nightlife lovers with a location perfectly set between the hustle of South Beach and Miami’s vibrant arts district.
Honestly, we’d love this hotel for its awesome old school glamour, towering design and ideal oceanfront location — not to mention the multiple pools complemented by a colorful array of cabanas — even, without its extra cool perk. The bonus here is worth a visit on its own though: a rotating art exhibition of works by Miami’s greatest graffiti artists, right in the hotel lobby.
Curated by the Museum of Graffiti, the exclusive and provocative works allow an art immersion without leaving your beachside perch. The Confidante offers an 18-minute self-guided audio tour you can take anytime, but we prefer the special Friday night art tour for hotel guests that includes a free glass of wine.
For over the top design, luxury, and glamour, you can’t beat a stay at Gianni Versace’s former home in South Beach, Hotel the Villa Casa Casaurina. One of the premier historic hotels in Miami dating back to 1930, the villa has been transformed into a fabulously over-the-top Moroccan-style getaway right in the heart of South Beach’s nightlife area. It seems like every inch of the property is adorned with tiles, gilt, or Italian marble, and it all adds up to one incredibly lavish getaway.
The Thousand Mosaic Pool feels like you’re taking a dip at Versailles. Plus, every room here is a suite, individually decorated to make you feel like a queen, or king, or maharajah. In the Aviary Suite, the walls drip with frescoes of flowering vines adorned with hummingbirds and parrots. The Empire Suite channels the Ottoman Empire with jewel- toned pillows and cushions, gold furniture accents, and walls painted with intricate designs.
For an extra bonus, every stay includes breakfast in the luxe Gianni’s at the Villa, so you can take in the gorgeous views while you sip your morning cappuccino.
South Beach is known for its stellar food scene, but you don’t need to go out searching for the best eats in town if you stay at 1 Hotel South Beach — some of the best cuisine in the city is right on property.
A foodie playground, the hip hotel features six restaurants – including one with views of its Miami hotel rooftop pool (one of four pools at the property), Watr, that serves Peruvian/Japanese dishes under a retractable roof. Another top pick: Habitat, which offers upscale, farm- to-table Mexican cuisine.
The hotel also offers beach service for true waterside dining, as well as room service, so you can kick back with delectable dishes delivered straight to your modern and spacious abode.
Always on the lookout for cool entertainment options when you’re in a new city? The The Miami Beach EDITION has you covered, offering fun for every interest, all right in the hotel’s non-stop party basement.
What’s underground? The Basement Club, a Studio 54-style dance club; a hip bowling alley with interactive lighting that synchs with bowlers’ actions (plus bottle service); and even a 2,000 square foot ice rink that channels a dance club with a changing light show and a pulsating soundtrack.
Outside, you’ll find sandy bliss at the Beach Club and the Sandbox bar; indoors, the 1940s glamour of Jean-George Vongerichten’s Matador Room offers a more elegant way to spend the evening.
One of the largest hotels in the area, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach has an equally big presence on Miami’s nightlife scene. The historic Miami hotel has been a magnet for style-setters for half a century, and continues to draw the see-and-be-seen crowds with LIV — an 18,000 square foot dance club hosting popular DJs, live performances, and spectacular new lights and tech that were part of a recent $10 million renovation.
The hotel is also home to BleauLive which hosts live performances of “top shelf” entertainers, with everyone from Lady Gaga to PitBull gracing the stage (not to mention Elvis back in the early days of the hotel).
The fun doesn’t have to end just because the sun comes up. During the day, you can keep the party going at Arkadia Day Club, an adults-only “tropical oceanside playground” where a DJ spins and the drinks flow all day. Still thirsty? There are seven more lounges and bars within the hotel.
If you’re looking more for inner peace than nonstop partying, the plush all-suite Hotel The Setai Miami Beach is a perfect spot for a Zen-inspired getaway. The property features some of the best outdoor spaces in Miami, including three infinity pools situated east to west, all set to different temperatures, so you can situate yourself in the water to watch both sunrises and sunsets from the perfectly adjusted waters.
After your luxurious soak, go for a blissful glow at the Valmont Spa, where rejuvenating and relaxing treatments range from traditional Thai massage to the Master of Time – a one thousand dollar, two hour face and body treatment that should make you feel like you’ve spent time at the Fountain of Youth.
Proving that a stay at a hip hotel with a cool cocktail scene doesn’t have to cost a fortune, the Hotel Freehand Miami draws those-in-the-know to its outdoor patio, where cool locals hang with the budget-savvy clientele of this modern hostel.
How good is the cocktail scene at the al fresco, poolside Broken Shaker? The “backyard oasis” was named the Tales of Cocktail’s Best American Hotel Bar — a huge achievement for any bar, let alone such a fun budget boutique find in Miami. Expect hand-crafted elixirs featuring fresh-pressed juices, small batch syrups and bitters, and even fresh- from-the-garden herbs. Order up some equally tasty small bites, and toast to finding the coolest bar scene in the coolest city. Cheers!