Hotel at a Glance: Colony Hotel

Of all the art-deco treasures along South Beach’s Ocean Drive, the Colony Hotel may be one of the most recognizable. Designed by famed architect Henry Hohauser in 1935, it bears the era’s signature geometric façade and an enormous sign that’s illuminated in blue neon once night falls. Though the guest rooms inside have been updated, they maintain many of the candy-colored hues Miami’s historical buildings are known for.

• Walk to the beach in just five minutes.
• In-room amenities: mini refrigerator, flat-screen TV, iPod dock, and free WiFi
• Dine alfresco at the hotel’s restaurant, where you can pair seafood and a frosty drink.

Miami’s South Beach: World-Famous Nightlife and Art-Deco Icons

Just east of downtown Miami, on the barrier island that forms Miami Beach, you’ll find one of the world’s nightlife capitals: South Beach. The clubs along Ocean Drive are legendary for their boisterous, all-night blowouts—and for good reason. With all the rum-soaked mojitos, colorful neon, and celebrity sightings, it can feel like an endless party. Perhaps that’s why the area pops up so often in film and TV shows, including Burn Notice and ­The Birdcage.

The coast of South Beach is known as Lummus Park, which Frommer’s calls Miami’s “best beach for people-watching.” While the bleached sand and curving palms are gorgeous, they’re almost overshadowed by the chiseled beach-goers dotting the sand. From here, a wood-slat boardwalk runs all the way up to North Beach, attracting joggers and roller bladers. Head across the bay, to South Pointe Park or Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, for quieter, more secluded shores.

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 offerings. The famous art-deco district, with its iconic, streamlined hotels in pastel shades, was the first 20th-century neighborhood to be recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. Every morning at 10:30, local experts from the Miami Design Preservation League lead a 90-minute walking tour that highlights the neighborhood’s signature architecture.