Hotel Victor

The Scene

Hotel Victor sits across the street from the beach and in the heart of the famed Art Deco district on Ocean Drive between 11th and 12th streets. There is never a lack of things to do in this part of town, from tourist-packed Ocean Drive to Collins Ave just a block away and Lincoln Road with its hundreds of shops, restaurants and bars that stay open all day. For a bit of culture après-beach head to the Bass Museum, which specializes in art from around the world, or catch a concert at the New World Center, the cutting-edge Frank Gehry-designed concert hall. And if you're in the mood for a more romantic and mellow vibe the South of Fifth (SoFi) district is only a few blocks away but feels almost like a different city.

The Concept

The most attractive thing about Hotel Victor is that it doesn't really try too hard to be cool and sophisticated--it just is. It's 77 year-history is part of its appeal: the hotel opened in 1937 during the height of the Art Deco period and kept its status as a place to see and be seen for decades. Today it remains one of South Beach's swankiest hotels, though never taking itself too seriously (a good thing in our book). The elevated pool and terrace overlooking the ocean is hip (with the occasional DJ mixing in feel-good tunes) yet intimate--a rare treat on Ocean Drive and Miami in general. It also has a spa, Spa V, a 6,000-square-foot facility that offers a huge variety of treatments including a co-ed Turkish steam bath, a stylish Sushi restaurant (Sushi Couture by chef Kevin Chun) and a playful dessert bar named Sugar Factory.

The Look

Fresh from a remodel and redesign, Hotel Victor feels cool and fresh without losing its historical appeal. Boutique design firm Yabu Pushelberg (of Public Hotel Chicago and Smyth Tribeca, to name but a few) redesigned the landmark building built by Lawrence Murray Dixon, one of the biggest exponents of Art Deco architecture. Interiors are soft and soothing with lots of earth tones including light browns, blues, and grays. Common areas carry signature Art Deco details like geometrical flooring and crystal chandeliers, and rooms skew more contemporary with a clean and crisp beach-chic look that includes bleached wood floors, nautical furniture and luxury marble bathrooms. Not all rooms have balconies, but the ones that do have either ocean or pool views.

In Short

In a sea of hotels trying too hard to stand out, Hotel Victor delivers an effortlessly cool and sophisticated experience that is quintessential Miami.