Hotel at a Glance: Hotel Ocean

The boutique Hotel Ocean is set along the shores of South Beach. Out front, palm trees shade cream stucco walls, and inside, luxury awaits. Marble hallways and arching doorways lead to a trickling fountain in the courtyard, and large windows let in natural light all over the property.

• Steps from the beach: Walk out the doors and into the Atlantic Ocean’s surf.
• No need for a car: Hotel Ocean is within short walking distance of South Beach attractions, including upscale shopping, nightlife, and art-deco walking tours.
• Chic rooms look out over the glittering city lights or the ocean.
• Oysters and sea bass star on the menu at the onsite Mia Bella Roma restaurant, which specializes in seafood and imported cheeses.
• Wake up to a daily newspaper at your door.

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.

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