Miami Beach's Art Deco Hotels

Miami Beach is synonymous with Art Deco hotels. Had it not been for a group of visionary preservationists in the late 1970s who recognized the area’s architectural importance, this ultra-cool enclave might not be what it is today. 

According to the National Register of Historic Places, the Art Deco District officially runs from 6th Street to 23rd Street in the heart of South Beach. It’s home to one of the largest collections of Art Deco architecture in the world, making for one of the most unique city skylines.

What is Art Deco Architecture?

Art Deco is a design aesthetic popularized in 1920s Paris that spread across the world in the 1930s and through World War II. Most of Miami Beach's Art Deco buildings were built during the 1930s and ’40s and are considered a part of the second wave of the Art Deco movement, known as Streamline Moderne. 

With Miami Beach’s tropical, seaside influences, the buildings are sometimes called Tropical Deco, characterized by pastel colors, floral and aquatic embellishments, and nautical design motifs reminiscent of ocean liners.

If you find yourself ambling along Ocean Drive or Collins Avenue, try spotting some of the hallmarks of Art Deco architecture in the exteriors of Miami Beach hotels and apartments: overall symmetry, ziggurat (stepped) rooflines, decorative friezes, eyebrow window overhangs, relief facades, porthole windows and neon lights. Inside, notice the terrazzo flooring of the lobbies, glass block details, chandeliers and idyllic murals. Curved edges and corners are common in both interiors and exteriors of Art Deco design.

Embark on an Art Deco Walking Tour

For a deeper dive into Art Deco architecture and Miami Beach’s fascinating history, the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL) is the organization responsible for designating Miami Beach’s historic districts. The Art Deco Museum and Welcome Center, located at MDPL’s headquarters at 10th Street and Ocean Drive, is a great place to start your exploration with one of its regularly scheduled historic walking tours.

If you’re visiting in January, Miami Beach celebrates its architectural heritage during Art Deco Weekend, a festival celebrating Art Deco architecture, automobiles, music, fashion and art.

Miami Beach’s Art Deco Hotels

Hotel Breakwater, an Art Deco Classic

The Hotel Breakwater on Ocean Drive, overlooking Lummus Park, is a shining example of Miami’s classic Art Deco architecture. Its white, yellow and blue façade is colorful with nautical motifs. The symmetrical design features a dramatic spire rising from the center of the rectangular-shaped, three-story building, and its roofline follows a stepped, ziggurat pattern. The streamlined design evokes a giant ship ready to set sail into the ocean.

Streamline Moderne at the Avalon

Ocean Drive is lined with three- and four-story Art Deco boutique hotels overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Lummus Park, including the Avalon. Originally built in 1941, the Avalon features many of the hallmarks of South Beach’s Streamline Moderne architecture movement, including eyebrow window overhangs, neon lights and curves reminiscent of ocean liners.

Art Deco Interiors that Wow at the National Hotel Miami Beach

Situated oceanfront on Collins Avenue, the National Hotel Miami Beach stands 13 stories high and is representative of the taller Art Deco hotels in this stretch of the beach, many built slightly later in the movement. The National opened in 1939 and was designed by iconic Art Deco architect Roy France.

Today, the property is a Historic Hotel of America retaining its original terrazzo floors, chrome sconces, curvilinear recessed ceiling and polished hardwood bar. The oceanfront poolscape is equally iconic, with a 205-foot-long infinity pool, one of the longest in Miami Beach.

A Proper Return to The Shelborne

The Shelborne by Proper is a 1940s-era Art Deco gem on Collins Avenue originally designed by Igor Polevitzky, with later updates by MiMo master Morris Lapidus. It reopened in 2025 after a renovation with updated interiors by ADC Atelier. But its original Art Deco hallmarks remain.

The Shelborne’s space age porte-cochère is crowned with a glowing neon disc, welcoming guests back once again to the iconic hotel. It also features an original Art Deco swimming pool and diving platform.

Rooms have been redesigned with a chic nod to mid-century touches, while the elegant lobby lounge is a stylish gathering place with cocktails and live jazz.

Art Deco Magic at Hotel Victor South Beach

A landmark Art Deco hotel by L. Murray Dixon, the Hotel Victor South Beach was built in 1937 and retains many of its historic charms today. In the lobby, you’ll find original terrazzo flooring, chandeliers, decorative logo-paneled walls and an original mural by Earl LaPan depicting an Everglades idyll. Ice block detailing is found in the lobby bar, as well as along the edge of the ornate baroque pool, whose elevated deck overlooks Ocean Drive, Lummus Park and the Atlantic Ocean.

Collins Avenue Charm at The Marlin Hotel

A block inland from Ocean Drive, The Marlin Hotel occupies a charming corner of Collins Avenue. Another Dixon masterpiece, its facade features a lovely pastel decorative frieze, curved lines, eyebrow overhangs and a symmetrical ziggurat stepped roofline, making it one of the prettiest Art Deco hotels on South Beach.

Colonial Touches at The Betsy - South Beach

At the northern edge of Lummus Park on Ocean Drive, The Betsy - South Beach was also designed by Dixon in the 1940s. It’s actually a rare example of Georgian Revival colonial-style architecture in South Beach, with its arcade portico, columns and dentil work detailing. Thanks to its symmetry, stucco facade and time period, it’s still an architectural symbol of the Art Deco era, melding multiple movements.

Timeless Art Deco at The Balfour

A boutique Art Deco hotel in South Beach’s chic South of Fifth neighborhood, Balfour Hotel was designed by Anton Skislewicz and opened in 1940. It features two interconnected buildings with an interior courtyard for a tranquil retreat and visual intrigue. The symmetrical façade features eyebrow windows and a covered patio for dining and people watching at Mediterranean restaurant Cleo.

Looking for more? Explore a comprehensive list of boutique hotels in Greater Miami and Miami Beach.