Cosmopolitan Boutique Hotel in Lively Arts District

Riverside Hotel rises over New River's sapphire waters like a life-size sandcastle clad in ivory and cream. Rows of windows blink in the sunlight, peering out over yachts and water taxis that traverse the current below. On the street side, sounds of laughter, footsteps, and rustling palms comprise the rhapsody of Las Olas Boulevard, a trendy, bustling thoroughfare. Vacationers can peer out to this scene's rippling waters and crowds of wanderers from the private balcony of the Executive Tower king room as they take in occasional gusts of warm, subtropical winds. Back inside the 500-square-foot room, the king bed's comforter and the wine-blushed chaise lounge welcome travelers to rest their legs, and wireless Internet and a desk with two chairs frees them to Google their third-grade teacher.

Lining the outdoor pool, palm trees catch sunbeams and cast tasseled shadows over recumbent beach chairs that rest on the perimeter. After dipping in the water, swimmers can dry off at the basin's border and enjoy poolside food service or kick back to catch some rays. Guests who arrive to the hotel by boat may anchor their vessels alongside the property, where digital cameras and analog security patrols chaperone the dock. In contrast to the sundeck's relaxed vibe, the fitness center, where a selection of free weights and Cybex machines keep figures in top shape, pulses with energy, and one on-site restaurant and two bars restore runaway calories. Indigo Restaurant lays out a spread of fresh global fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Las Olas Boulevard: Trendy Fort Lauderdale Thoroughfare

Riverside Hotel swings its doors open to the palms and porticos of Las Olas Boulevard, where a walk-through may reveal outdoor art installations or a Broadway performance. From Riverside Hotel's back steps, sojourners can book an all-day pass aboard a Water Taxi and cruise northbound on the Intracoastal Waterway or westbound on New River as it flows toward downtown Fort Lauderdale. Along the way, passengers can hop on and off at a multitude of waterfront stops, including Las Olas Riverfront at stop 11, which sits just steps from shopping, nightclubs, and the Fort Lauderdale History Center. A 10-minute walk or a 25-minute piggyback ride west along SW Second Street delivers travelers to the IMAX-outfitted Museum of Discovery and Science as well as Broward Center for the Performing Arts, a riverfront arts complex with riveting live productions and local theater performances.

At the boulevard's eastern edge (nearest to Water Taxi stop 5), the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale brims with contemporary and traditional works of Caribbean, Cuban, American, and European art. To the north, the Atlantic Ocean's undulating waves lap up against miles of white sand to create Fort Lauderdale Beach, whose boardwalk bustles with outdoor entertainment and eats.