The Betsy Hotel

Hotel description

In Miami the flash hotels arms race has escalated to a point where a hotel like the Betsy is almost shocking in its restraint. We’re almost tempted to call it conservative, but with a disclaimer: the Betsy’s pre-deco plantation style means it’s got a personality all its own, and can’t help but stand out from the poolside fashion shoots and celebrity-thronged nightclubs of its more attention-starved neighbors.

This was pretty much the last Georgian-style hotel to be built on Ocean Drive, and was, at the time, called the Betsy Ross. With the recent renovation, though, the Ross is gone — to be fair, the image of an old woman sitting in a chair sewing a flag is probably the wrong one for the Betsy’s present incarnation. Interiors are contemporary but still classic, the palette sunny yet restrained, golden yellow and soft lavender contrasting with the ever-present Miami white. With around sixty rooms it’s on the small side, and while not exactly opulent, it’s comfortable, even luxurious.

The absence of a paparazzi-strewn nightclub scene takes nothing away from the Betsy’s nightlife — we’ll take a Laurent Tourondel steakhouse over a celebrity DJ night any time. And the amenities are marvelously sedate: there’s the pool and the beach of course, plus a rooftop solarium with a view out to sea and a pocket-sized full-service spa and fitness center.