Villa Paradiso

Villa Paradiso review Rate it

Tucked amid the designer hotels and South Beach party palaces, this 1930s apartment house is an old-fashioned anomaly - and a bargain. Oozing faded charm, the yellow deco low-rise resembles the set of an old film noir. The courtyard is shaded by a lush overgrown garden. The bedrooms look like your grandmother's old apartment - right down to the vintage TVs, dial phones, junk shop lamps and 1960s-era bathrooms - but this is strangely comforting (just don't expect a jacuzzi bath and Aveda toiletries). All rooms have kitchens, just don't expect hi-tech appliances. The creaky wooden floors, French doors and fans add to the cinematic vibe. The dated charm draws production companies and fashion crews along with families and middle-aged couples. There's no parking, but you can pay $10 a day in a nearby municipal lot. For a glossier alternative, try the Loft Hotel.