Boutique Hotel Offers Hip Social Scene in South Beach

There’s a playful mishmash of styles at The Clinton Hotel & Spa South Beach, best exemplified in the lobby, where modernist all-white couches and square coffee tables sit underneath fancy chandeliers. Frommer’s calls the vibe here “space-age meets South Beach,” an atmosphere created through its trendy furniture and a prevalent indigo theme. Originally constructed during Miami’s art deco era, the hotel was completely renovated on the inside to cater to an adult clientele, with a candlelit restaurant, a full-service spa, and private cabanas by the pool. Inside guest rooms, Forbes magazine raves that “every detail has been carefully thought out, from the corset ties on the mirror to the beige bathroom tiles that look like wet sand.”

With a $25 dining credit, you can drop by X/O Restaurant for an intimate dinner, sampling avocado burgers topped with buffalo mozzarella ($13), deep-fried coconut shrimp ($18), and other fresh takes on American classics. X/O also offers complimentary gin and vodka drinks every night from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Another social hub is Clinton's enclosed outdoor courtyard, where people mingle along the shallow lounge pool and a hot tub. Grab a shady spot in a curtained cabana or soak up the sun from a padded day bed. Guests can also unwind at the rooftop Purple Room Spa, which offers massages and skincare treatments.

South Beach, Florida: Sultry Clubs and Pristine Beaches amid Historic Art Deco Architecture

Separated from Miami by Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach draws an international crowd for its nine miles of sandy beaches and boisterous nightlife. The city's hip center is the 25-block South Beach neighborhood (also known as SoBe), a see-and-be-seen spot sprinkled with fusion restaurants and posh 5 a.m. nightclubs. Named Miami’s Best Beach for People Watching by Frommer’s, nearby Lummus Beach is famous for its natural white sands, celebrity sightings, and metal-detector jousting tournaments.

With hundreds of confectionery-colored buildings built between 1923 and 1943, South Beach’s art deco historic district is the first 20th-century neighborhood to be recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. For a quick tour, take a stroll down Collins Avenue or Ocean Drive, where you’ll find the 1930-built Versace Mansion, modeled after Christopher Columbus’s Genoa home. For a more comprehensive education, the Art Deco Welcome Center leads walking tours that explore the area's Miami Modern and Mediterranean Revival architecture.

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