Contemporary Suites in the Heart of Vibrant Ocean Drive

To an outsider, the scene on Ocean Drive can feel surreal and, at first, overwhelming—vintage muscle cars cruise alongside tanned rollerbladers in bikinis against a backdrop of pastel-colored buildings. Misfired volleyballs from the adjacent beach whizz over smartly dressed shoppers and from one block to the next, disparate languages and accents seem to blend together. Much of South Beach’s charm lies in its unabashed flamboyance, a quality underlined by the area’s eclecticism. Though it is located directly on Ocean Drive overlooking the oceanfront, Casa Grande Suite Hotel is tucked about 30 feet back from the street, creating a laid-back oasis amid the area's seemingly never-ending party atmosphere.

Nestled between two restaurants on Ocean Drive, a narrow walkway leads to flowing white curtains and etched-glass doors that open to the hotel’s tangerine-tinged lobby. An oaken door across the way hides the onsite spa where aestheticians dole out body treatments such as the Sun Kissed Cool Down, a massage accompanied by generous aloe-vera anointment.

In the suites, a fragmented cut-glass mirror transforms its subjects into jagged Picasso-like portraits. Modern décor and Indonesian touches pair with fully stocked kitchens. Larger by far than a typical South Beach room, each suite provides ample space to store souvenirs and counterfeit sand dollars.

Miami Beach: White Sand Beaches and Art Deco Architecture

Lummus Park, a mile of verdant public green space with an attached beach, embodies Miami glamour and has served as the setting for numerous movies and TV series, including The Birdcage and Burn Notice. Bikers and rollerbladers rattle across the wooden boardwalk slats and chiseled beachgoers exercise on pull-up bars. About a mile south at the southern tip of the island, the less crowded South Pointe Park offers a quieter beach experience.

It’s easy enough to spend the entirety of a trip to South Beach face-down on a beach towel, but that would mean missing out on the city's other trademarks. The historical art-deco district boasts streamlined hotels in pastel shades. Farther inland, famed boulevards such as Espanola Way and the Lincoln Road pedestrian mall brim with designer shops, restaurants, and thumping clubs.