The Most Charming Hotel on Miami’s Ocean Drive

When it comes to big, bustling cities, there’s a sweet spot: close but not too close to the hustle. At the quiet end of Miami’s Ocean Drive, family-owned The Betsy Hotel – South Beach strikes that most satisfying balance between energy and serenity while piling on proximity to the cool blue Atlantic and high style. Take the plunge with us as we parse out the boutique property’s many charms.

ON-ASSIGNMENT PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER @JESSICASAMPLE

THE OCEAN BECKONS

They don’t call it Ocean Drive for nothing. All that separates The Betsy from the beach is a few flip-flopped footsteps across the street and Lummus Park lawn—there’s no worrying about traffic either as the patch of pavement out front is completely car-free. Once toes are in the sand, there is Betsy service with blue and white umbrellas, lounge chairs and towels. Gourmet picnics to take along can also be arranged.  

To simply see and hear the ocean requires even less effort with the hotel’s Rooftop Pool, Rooftop Deck and Skyline Deck all providing a bird’s-eye view of it. Select rooms, such as the Royal Ocean View Suite, provide a private slice of it to wake up to. But the beach isn’t its only neighbor. The Art Deco District is all around, with all the nightlife and people-watching of peek Ocean Drive to the south and cultural institutions, such as The New World Symphony, The Bass Museum of Art and Miami City Ballet, a short stroll away to the north, offering guests the best kind of middle ground. Even if 24 hours is all one has in the Magic City, the hotel knows how to spend them wisely.   

AT ONCE DESIGN FORWARD AND HISTORICAL 

With its window shutters and four-column portico, the hotel’s circa-1942 structure by L. Murray Dixon stands out as the only surviving example of Florida Georgian architecture on the Drive, and with a 2017 expansion connecting it by a sculptural sky bridge to the old Carlton Hotel, it added Art Deco to the mix. 

Whichever wing one chooses, the interiors by Italian designers Diamante Pedersoli and Carmelina Santoro are bold yet timeless with striking patterns and pops of color juxtaposing classic silhouettes and calming neutrals, along with grand tropical greenery lending even more joie de vivre. Tucked away and tranquil, the hotel’s second Courtyard Pool feels especially chic and retro.

The place is dog-forward too; as their resident golden retriever greeters Betsy and Rosa confirm, four-legged friends are very welcome here and can even get a curated massage at The Betsy’s Spa partner with their person.

A HAVEN FOR THE ARTS

The cultural cachet of The Betsy goes beyond its locale and façade. The hotel’s co-owner Jonathan Plutzik, in honor of his three-time poetry Pulitzer Prize finalist father Hyam Plutzik, established The Writer’s Room and residency that has hosted more than 1,000 writers and creatives to date. 

Photos courtesy of The Betsy and Robin Hill, used with permission

In addition to the hotel’s permanent public art collection which includes The Betsy Poetry Rail and The Betsy ORB, co-owner Lesley Goldwasser curates visual art exhibits from emerging and established artists on-property, with private docent tours available. As the sun sets, the music rises, with live jazz in the lobby and chamber music performances in the library. That library, as expected, has a bounty of books to read at any time of day, and every room includes its own mini version too.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Miami has no shortage of savory and celebrated places to eat, as our Miami Destination Guide attests too, and The Betsy dishes out its very own establishments to make the search for tasty sustenance effortless. Along with their French, Asian and Latin American fusion flagship LT Steak and Seafood by Chef Laurent Tourondel, there’s the Lobby Bar for perfect cocktails and live jazz; the Carlton Room Café for coffee and pastries when the morning calls for a dash of remote-work; and walk-up La Ventanita for grabbing homemade gelato and pizza by the slice to go. Now, to go out on the town or kick back and stay awhile? That is the question that The Betsy’s concierge team will answer with an unequivocal “both.”