Stepping into the lobby of a Miami Beach hotel is like entering a dazzling new world. From historic Art Deco and Miami Modern architecture to stunning interior design, each has its own signature flourish. Whether you’re checking in or simply checking out the lobby bars and restaurants, these magnificent Miami Beach hotels provide a transformational experience.

Experience artful luxury at Faena Hotel Miami Beach

Faena Hotel Miami Beach

The brainchild of visionary hotelier Alan Faena, his eponymous hotel is a magnificent escape on Miami Beach. Step inside the gilded cathedral entrance and you’ll be dazzled by mural-paneled walls and a luxuriant color palette of red, gold and animal print. Faena Hotel Miami Beach is home to Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann and Pao by Paul Qui for superior fine dining in stylish rooms that boast museum-quality contemporary art. In fact, the hotel’s garden is home to Damien Hirst’s sculpture “Gone But Not Forgotten,” a woolly mammoth skeleton plated in 24-karat gold that rests in a glass case.

Admire MiMo architecture at Fontainebleau Miami Beach

Fontainebleau Miami Beach

The Fontainebleau Miami Beach was originally built by iconic MiMo architect Morris Lapidus in 1954, featuring a sweeping curved façade. The poolscape served as the location for the opening scene of the classic James Bond film “Goldfinger,” starring Sean Connery. Inside the lobby, the famous “stairway to nowhere,” where women would sashay down to make a grand entrance, was built purely for show. The lobby’s black and white bowtie marble floor is another iconic MiMo detail. Today, the hotel is home to LIV, the hottest nightclub in town, and a collection of fine dining restaurants.

Location is everything at the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach

The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach

Fresh off a multi-million-dollar renovation, The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach is a classic oceanfront luxury hotel inside a historic property originally designed by Morris Lapidus in 1953. The hotel’s exterior resembles a streamlined ocean liner with curvilinear lines, glistening windows and balconies reminiscent of a ship’s deck, while the grand lobby boasts a high ceiling with a wooden accent wall. Located in the heart of the Art Deco District at the foot of Lincoln Road, you cannot ask for a more central location. The hotel features a lavish swimming pool, spa and one of the only restaurant lounges set directly on the oceanfront. It’s also home to Fuego y Mar, the hotel’s signature fine dining restaurant, which features the influences of coastal Latin-American cuisine cooked over an open flame.

Miami Beach EDITION

Miami Beach EDITION is situated inside a restored mid-century grand dame on Collins Avenue in the buzzing Mid-Beach neighborhood. With food and beverage operations, including two restaurants helmed by beloved celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, it’s a foodie paradise. It’s also home to Basement at The Edition, a nightclub featuring a dance floor, an ice skating rink and a bowling alley. The hotel’s design tows the line between sumptuous mid-century glamour and restrained minimalism with a sprawling, all-white marble lobby and original gold mosaic columns amid a forest of potted palms. The hotel’s sprawling poolscape is magnificent, with two swimming pools, a cabana bar with rooftop lounges and a grassy spread.

Enjoy a tranquil escape at 1 Hotel South Beach

1 Hotel South Beach

An eco-chic luxury resort spanning an entire city block, 1 Hotel South Beach is a stylish oasis of tranquility boasting 600 linear feet of oceanfront real estate. The elevated pool deck offers sublime ocean views and three beautifully landscaped pools for lounging and swimming, not to mention a fourth rooftop pool, for 21-plus, set on the 18th floor for unparalleled views. It’s also home to a collection of restaurants including Habitat and a fast casual vegan cafe off the pool deck.

W South Beach

A perennial hotspot, W South Beach is home to a lavish lobby bar, Mr. Chow Miami restaurant and the Living Room Bar with wraparound terrace. Expect stunning design flourishes throughout, like Mongolian fur-covered chairs, giant purple leather poufs and works of art by Damien Hirst and Jean-Michel Basquiat on rotation among other contemporary masters. The labyrinthine poolscape is home to an enormous swimming pool, as well as inspired lounge areas in a lushly landscaped backyard. It’s also a celebrity magnet, so keep your eyes peeled for pro athletes, DJs and reality stars.

The Setai

Looming large as one of the tallest buildings in South Beach at 40 stories, The Setai is a bastion of privacy, luxury and tranquility. Sleek and chic in dark teak and brick flooring, The Setai gives off an air of discreet luxury for a sense of tranquility and Zen. A central courtyard is landscaped with grey banquettes, palm trees and pagoda-style structures surrounding reflection pools. Continue your stroll and you’ll reach three horizontal swimming pools that mirror one another for a harmonious effect. A buzzy oceanfront bar and restaurant is the last stop before you reach the beach. The hotel’s restaurant, Jaya, at The Setai, celebrates pan-Asian cuisine. Enjoy everything from dim sum to Pad Thai, as well as a sophisticated mixology program.

Want to see more? Here is a comprehensive list of hotels in Miami Beach.