Self-Guided Tour of Hotels/Pools - Mar 13 2010

Mar 13 2010

Setai - 2001 Collins Ave
A 40 story aquamarine glass tower looks directly onto the beach. Symbol of South Beach Luxury Hotels, the exterior is noted for its art deco style, inside dark shades and black granite prevail, illuminated only by light teak which creates a kind of Indonesian look.
Nothing says South Beach swanky like the Asian-influenced Setai. The 85-room hotel is a fusion of 30’s Deco and modern day extravagance, consisting of the original Art Deco building - originally opened as the Dempsey-Vanderbilt in the mid-1930s-and an adjoining 40-story glass tower, in a setting accented by tropical gardens, sparkling pools and sundecks.
The antique grey bricks that make up the lobby were transported stone by stone from Shanghai, China, and help convey an Asian serenity that meshes with the local attention to style. Along with its spa and exquisite restaurant-also called The Setai-this place is a treat to the senses.

Shore Club - 1901 Collins Ave
Designed by famed architect David Chipperfield and landscaping inspired by the rich intense Matisse colors of the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, is one of those chic hotels as a magnet for the jet set and for the entertainment and fashion elite. Suites have striking ocean views, and some rooms have classic poolside balconies.
An Schrager Hotel, at night, the two main pools transform from a sun destination into a happening hotspot. As the centerpiece for SkyBar Miami Beach.
Shore Club’s expansive tropical compound allows you a number of options, including SkyBar, and Ago, some of the hottest nightspots on the Beach, while its designer swimming pool acts as an inspirational centerpiece.

Raleigh Hotel - 1775 Collins Ave

Consider a dip or martini at its famous oceanside Deco pool. The sculpted outline and waterfall was a backdrop for movie star-swimmer Esther Williams' flicks in the 1940s and '50s. Decades later, MTV filmed The Grind dance show here. The turquoise stunner, which lately has thrown in inner tubes to up the lounging possibilities, has a wood-burning pizza oven next to the deep end and a full-service poolside bar.
Voted Florida's Most Beautiful Pool by Travel and Leisure Magazine, surrounded by lush palm trees, lavish tropical gardens and a cascading waterfall. Part of Miami Beach's Art Deco District: a historic masterpiece. One of the most decadent pools in the entire nation, deemed "one of the sexiest heated pools in America" by Conde Nast Traveler, this classic spot is a Miami Beach must-see.

Delano Hotel - 1685 Collins Ave


Tall, graceful hotels, including the Delano (the tallest building in Miami Beach when it was built in 1947). It is perhaps the trendiest of South Beach Hotels. Every room and space in the Delano is a design masterpiece. Dominated by white and marble, in a sought-after minimal style. There is a pool where you can spend your day swimming or strolling around against the backdrop of music, parties and throngs of people.
An Ian Schrager Hotel, the Delano's pool is nothing short of the same perfection the hotel prides itself with. Much like the interior, the outdoor pool area is almost heavenly. The infinity pool's serene trickling. By nightfall, the pool scene transforms into an extravagant party atmosphere. Single wrought-iron table and chairs in the pool's shallow end. Perhaps this is why Vogue refers to the Delano as "America's coolest hotel."
The Delano will take your breath away... wander around the lobby, and the bar paying close attention to every detail in Philip's Stark decoration. As you make your way to the back, you'll also pass through the Blue Door, the fantastic restaurant where renowned chef Claude Troisgros, and an enchanting outside terrace make your dining experience unforgettable. That is if you can afford it....
You won't be disappointed by the garden and pool area either... the garden is designed as if it were indoors, with beds, sofas and tables. The stunning pool seems like it's constantly overflowing.
Enjoy a drink at the pool bar, relaxed on a lounging chair, or sitting at the table in the pool with your feet in the water. The bar area is very popular on Fridays and Saturdays.

National Hotel - 1677 Collins Ave



The restored two-story lobby, where reproductions of the original furniture and light sconces can be found. Check out the 205-foot-long (62-meter-long) pool in the back. (It's not from the Deco period, but it's an impressive reflection of the towering, streamlined 1940 Deco building.)
CNN boasts, "Even the swimming pool is a work of art". Built in 1939, exemplifies the brilliance of Art Deco. Breathtaking view of the enchanted infinity pools. The tropical gardens surrounding the pool's area make this South Beach landmark a romantic and enchanting destination. The grandeur of The National Hotel's pool area is so decadent, it is an infamous spot for fashion shoots.

Sagamore Hotel - 1671 Collins


Known for the impressive contemporary art collection inside its flat, white Modernist façade.

Albion South Beach - 1650 James Ave


The 1939 hotel retained the building's true Art Deco stylings. The pool remains an extravagant masterpiece. The Albion boasts an impressive 60-foot-long aboveground pool. Three portholes located along the pool's side offer guests a glimpse of swimmers practicing their backstrokes, dives or handstands, which can be viewed as far away as the garden.