The Viceroy Miami

Hotel description

It’s almost implicit when you’re talking about Miami hotels that you’re really talking about Miami Beach, and most often South Beach in particular. So it may bear some spelling out: the Viceroy is in downtown Miami — as in, on the mainland, surrounded by tall buildings, trading easy beach access for an urban setting that South Beach decidedly lacks.

The bold design is by Kelly Wearstler, who’s become something of a defining presence in the sunny SoCal/South Florida resort world. This is the new American design hotel: neither empty and minimal nor hard and angular, it’s lavish and comfortable, with more than a touch of antique fantasy. The actual physical luxuries don’t hurt either, from furnished kitchens and espresso machines to iPod docking stereos and soaking tubs.

There’s a two-acre pool deck on the 15th floor, proof that city life doesn’t have to be claustrophobic, and the Philippe Starck–designed spa and wellness center aren’t much smaller than that. The 50th-floor restaurant has its own private pool and lounge with a view of the city, and is just one of three eateries at the Viceroy. It’s massive, stylish, and plush, and quite possibly enough to lure the South Beach crowd back to the heart of the city.