Villa Paradiso

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 are strangely comforting (just don’t expect a jacuzzi bath or designer toiletries). All rooms have kitchens, but no high-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.