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No one likes a nip-and-tuck reinvention better than South Beach, and the Royal Palm South Beach Miami is the latest Art Deco landmark on the main thoroughfare of Collins Avenue to get new life after a hefty $100-million-plus overhaul. Every inch of the 1939 hotel has been touched, from the spruced-up original terrazzo lobby floors to refreshed interiors with a very Miami, retro-cool vibe.
The second you walk in, you’re enticed by the scent of Cuban coffee wafting from the Compass Rose Coffee Counter, which once served as the hotel’s original reception desk and where, we’re told, the stars of the iconic TV show Miami Vice used to hang out after solving a case. Check-in comes with thoughtful touches like a Paloma welcome cocktail and a complimentary branded luggage tag. Oh, and should you need to linger while waiting for your room or car, an inviting orange leather sofa is smartly fitted with outlets for charging your phone (a game changer after a long travel day).
What really stands out? Service from the staff, from the valet to the bartenders and restaurant servers, feels as genuinely warm and sunny as the bright pops of orange and gold that now dot the property.
What are the rooms like at Royal Palm South Beach?
With 404 guest rooms and suites spread across three towers, guests can choose accommodations that fit their personal vacation style. If it’s a non-negotiable to wake up to those covetable ocean views that South Beach is renowned for, choose a room with a balcony in the East Tower. If you require extra space, spring for one of the new two-bedroom suites (which can be connected to a third bedroom) in the West Tower, featuring custom millwork, a posh living area and ocean views.
Another option for a residential-style stay with family or friends: one of the hotel’s lanai rooms. We stayed in a corner, two-bedroom lanai suite, and with its proper dining table, stylish living room with a couch for movie nights, and three bathrooms for everyone to get ready, it felt like a private home for the weekend. Two of my favorite perks: its soaking tub and the bedroom’s motion-activated lights, which came in handy for middle-of-the-night bathroom trips.
What are the best restaurants at Royal Palm South Beach?
You can’t escape the inviting aromas from Compass Rose, and as any good Miamian knows, you should jump-start the morning with a Cuban-style coffee and their warm Cuban breakfast sandwich (like a Cuban sandwich with eggs). My personal favorite is the indoor-outdoor lobby bar Mixed Company, where live music often floats through the air and you can linger over a slow burn of Japanese-inspired shared plates. Your order: Hamachi and serrano pepper crudo, ahi tuna lettuce wraps with crispy shallots, and the Tsunami sushi roll—paired with a King Tide cocktail made with reposado tequila, white cacao liqueur and pear syrup. At the poolside Paloma Club, expect bright citrus-forward dishes and dinner standouts include the ceviche in a blood-orange bath, the ribeye steak topped with a melty, chile butter.
What is the pool like at Royal Palm South Beach?
Set on the ocean side of the hotel, the pool is prime real estate for tucking under a gold-and-cream scalloped umbrella to soak up the laidback vibes and ocean breezes. (I also loved gazing up at the beauty of the surrounding Art Deco architecture from my lounge chair.) The weekend I was there, a DJ kept the loungey music pumping and people often lingered by the pool until sunset. Families and couples easily coexist at the pool, with kids playing in the shallows and adults cocktailing and reading at their chairs.
What’s the area like around Royal Palm South Beach?
The hotel offers best-of South Beach access, backing up to the beach and the Miami Beach Boardwalk, which is a must for a long walk down to the waterfront South Pointe Park. The shopping and dining pedestrian street of Lincoln Road and charming Española Way, with its fairytale lights and high-energy al fresco restaurants, are also just blocks away. You really don’t need a car to experience all of the area’s best assets.
DETAILS
Address: 1545 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Price: Starting at $399 per night
Closest transport: 25 minutes from Miami International Airport
Book now: via Booking.com
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