5 Iconic Hotels Miami

Why it made the list: The most famous hotel in Miami, Morris Lapidus's sweeping 1954 mid-century masterpiece on Mid-Beach, all curves, glamour and grand scale. It's a piece of Miami history (and a Rat Pack and movie legend), with a huge pool scene, restaurants, a nightclub and beachfront. Big, buzzy and quintessentially Miami.

Why it made the list: A 1926 Mediterranean-revival palace in Coral Gables, crowned by a landmark tower modeled on Seville's Giralda, with grand arches, a famous enormous pool and a storied past. A National Historic Landmark and the grandest, most old-world stay in Miami, a world away from the Beach's scene.

Why it made the list: The hotel that defined South Beach cool, Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck's all-white 1990s design landmark, with its billowing lobby drapes, poolside chess set and famous pool-with-a-submerged-table. It set the template for the design-hotel scene. (Confirm current status when booking, as it has cycled through renovations.)

Why it made the list: The calm, ultra-luxe counterpoint to South Beach's noise, an Asian-inspired sanctuary of dark teak, three courtyard pools and impeccable service, blending a 1930s Art Deco tower with serene modern design. The choice when you want South Beach's location without any of its party energy.

Why it made the list: A elegant, colonial-and-Art-Deco boutique hotel at the quiet north end of Ocean Drive, with a genuine arts-and-culture soul, poetry, jazz, a rooftop with a wellness garden, and the whimsical 'Orb' sculpture arching between its two buildings. The most characterful, human-scaled stay on South Beach.