January 11, 2023
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Here are the ten best pet-friendly hotels in Miami Beach, Florida. Be sure to contact our Travel Specialists for the most up-to-date information and specific pet-friendly policies at each hotel.
For travelers of certain tastes, the big, established Miami Beach boutique hotels, with their see-and-be-seen atmosphere, can sometimes feel a bit much. Just one block from the Collins Avenue hotel strip, hiding in plain sight at Washington Avenue and Española Way, is something a bit subtler: Esmé Miami Beach is a Spanish-Mediterranean gem whose bohemian-luxe interiors establish a warm and slightly retro mood — one that’s got nothing to do, for once, with mid-century modernism.
Esmé’s design concept aims to recall the glory days of famous creative neighborhoods like Greenwich Village or the artists’ quarter of Montmartre, and there’s just a touch of a French accent to the rooms and suites, decorated as they are in saturated colors and careful compositions — if Paris were set on the Mediterranean, it might look a bit like this. As lovely as they are, the accommodations are only half the package. The hotel’s public spaces are woven together into a sort of village, encompassing Bar Pintxo, a Spanish small-plates venue, El Salón, the café and restaurant, Tropezón, a gin-and-tapas concept, and The Roof, an open-air lounge whose cabanas encircle a stylish little pool. It’s something of a refuge from the Miami Beach scene, though, it must be said, not a complete one: Washington Avenue’s busy nightlife scene begins more or less right at Esmé’s front door.
In Miami the flash hotels arms race has escalated to a point where a hotel like the Betsy — South Beach is almost shocking in its restraint. We’re almost tempted to call it conservative, but with a disclaimer: the Betsy’s pre-deco 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. To be fair, the image of an old woman sitting in a chair sewing a flag is probably the wrong one for the hotel’s present incarnation, which folds in the former Carlton Hotel on Collins Avenue as its “Hohauser” wing. Interiors are contemporary but still classic, the palette sunny yet restrained, contrasting rich corals and greens with the ever-present Miami white. Bespoke fixtures and furnishings anchor the seaside ambience, picking up earthy notes of walnut, teak, raffia, and wicker.
If you’re expecting The Standard Spa, Miami Beach to be a carbon copy of the LA Standards, you’re in for a bit of a surprise. Still intact is the Standard’s house brand of low-key luxury — itself enough to raise an eyebrow or two in shamelessly glam Miami Beach — and unique to this particular Standard are a few novel solutions to the problem of shoehorning another big-deal hotel into the already packed South Beach scene.
First, the hotel is located off the main drag, on the quiet and mostly residential Belle Isle, along the Venetian Causeway just short of Miami Beach proper. You can find yourself very much in the thick of it within minutes, but The Standard makes the most of its slight remove, such that it may furnish the kind of peace and tranquility that’s long since departed Collins Avenue. Well, relative peace and tranquility, anyway — The Standard’s typical guests are not exactly wallflowers, and there’s always something going on in the bar; but compared to South Beach proper, this is practically transcendental meditation. Second, and certainly related, is the spa, not at all a given in The Standard’s universe. Here not only are you comfortably sequestered from all the ballyhoo on the beachfront, but you’re surrounded by guests in Standard-issue white bathrobes, participating in the communal bathhouse culture of the place and indulging in mud wraps, steam baths, and the occasional swim in the chlorine-free Sound Pool, all to the tune of a live DJ.
Alan Faena doesn’t do things halfway. The pioneering Argentinian hotelier didn’t just open a hotel in Buenos Aires — he transformed a piece of abandoned waterfront real estate into a glamorous urban destination, turning a once-derelict neighborhood into a thriving arts district. And now he’s brought the Faena brand to Miami Beach. It’s a place that, of course, doesn’t require the same kind of vision or transformation. This part of Miami is well-developed, to say the least. But in some ways the Faena Hotel Miami Beach is an even more ambitious project. That’s because Faena, just as he did in Buenos Aires, isn’t just opening a hotel: he’s taking over the neighborhood.
The Faena District occupies an eight-block stretch of prime oceanfront real estate. There are condominium towers, a high-end design bazaar, and a cultural center, but for the moment, the knock-out highlight is the newly opened hotel. Faena enlisted a dream team of designers, including architect Rem Koolhaas, to bring his fantasies to life, and the result is fanciful indeed. The grand entryway, nicknamed “the cathedral,” features gold-leaf ceilings, intricate mosaic floors, and a series of gargantuan murals by the Argentine artist Juan Gatti, plus a massive glass wall revealing views of the sea beyond. Upstairs, guest rooms and suites evoke Miami’s glamorous Art Deco past. It’s all curving lines, jewel tones, and retro-inspired decor, with luxe amenities and a distinctly Faena twist: bespoke bed linens made in Italy, Carrara marble bathrooms, and private butlers to attend to your every need. Suites have freestanding bathtubs, opulent dining rooms, and balconies with ocean views and plush furnishings.
It’s a Kimpton hotel, with all the brand name implies: the look is stylish but approachable, families with small children are welcome, and you don’t get massacred with add-on fees for what should be standard amenities. And in Miami, where things get pretentious quickly, the accessible vibe is a selling point. The design scheme mixes the Kimpton’s fresh color palette and playful modern décor with a coolly understated surf theme. Rooms and suites come with large flat-screen TVs, iHome docking stations, sleek bathrooms stocked with products by Atelier Bloem; Oceanview and Oceanfront suites and rooms feature large private balconies well-suited to late afternoon sunbathing.
Come mealtime, it’s down to Social Club for Latin American-influenced dishes and a daily happy hour. Around the swimming pool, a pair of decks offer shaded lounge space and poolside service by the Lantao Sand Bar, not to mention free sunblock, complimentary wi-fi and flavored waters on the house. Steps away, down on the beach, the Surfcomber has a dedicated space on the sand where guests can rent umbrellas or order cocktails. Despite the fact that you’re soaking up rays on a stretch of South Beach’s most valuable real estate, it’s all quite laid back — stay casual in-house, and save your best outfits for a night out.
It’s tempting to say it’s the little things that make the Royal Palm, Miami such a pleasurable place to stay — plush robes and slippers in the spacious bathrooms, an irresistible treat on your pillow each evening, the well-stocked mini-bar that’s really not mini at all. But this is South Beach, and fortunately, the hotel has not overlooked the importance of style in their slavish pursuit of all that substance. It helps that they started with the old Royal Palm, a storied Art Deco hotel on Collins Avenue. In the course of a very spendy renovation, the hoteliers managed to hold onto some of the coolest period details, like the original green glass front desk that now serves as the coffee bar. Look closely and you’ll find others — a compass rose in the terrazzo floor, porthole windows in the lobby bar — or don’t, and you’ll still be confronted by stunning pools, unmissable art installations and one of the hottest new clubs in town, SL Miami. At the latter, the audio-visual cover of a chest-rumbling sound system and mesmerizing lights keeps the famous revelers coming through the doors. Or maybe it’s the New York cachet, as both the club proper and the adjoining clubby restaurant, Catch, are offshoots of popular Meatpacking District originals.
If partying with J-Lo in Meatpacking South doesn’t sound like your cup of hedonism, there are some distinctly local dining and drinking options, as well. Florida Kitchen, which also handles the beach- and pool-side dining, offers dishes that manage to be both highly inventive and quintessentially of their place, like conch chowder with fritter dippers, spiny lobster with dry sherry bisque, or calabazza hash. And the South Shore rum bar is just as perfectly Floridian, with a well-stocked humidor and a cocktail program overseen by an expert “rum curator.” In fact just reading some of the staff titles gives you a pretty good indication of where you are. In addition to the rum curator, there’s a sun concierge to ensure you get the most from your time at the beach. That beach of course is a famous one, and to supplement all the sun and sand and beautiful people, the Royal Palm provides complimentary beach boxes to ensure you’re well prepared, so you don’t have to return to your stylish hotel peeling like a Florida orange.
After turning the Los Angeles hotel market upside down and spreading up the West Coast the Palisociety group is taking its talents to South Beach. Here, in a restored Art Deco building in the newly christened Faena District of Miami Beach, this eclectic and accessible hotel brand establishes itself in what’s probably the most laid-back place on the East Coast — and thus the most natural home away from home for the stylishly relaxed vibe you’ll find on display in the Palihouse Miami Beach.
In the Pali world, a Palihouse is somewhat more luxurious than a budget-friendly Palihotel — though, compared to the state of the art in South Beach, you’ll find the Palihouse plenty accessible. The rooms and studios have a residential feel, and many come with kitchenettes for a bit of self-catering. They’re low-key but quite stylish, and though they avoid all the clichés of Miami hospitality design, they certainly don’t feel out of place. Nor does Greenbrier Swim & Social, except insofar as a multi-purpose dining space with a pool, a lounge, a patio and an all-day menu of American-meets-Mediterranean fare and creative cocktails is less common than it should be in South Beach. And while the hotel is set a block and a half back from the beach, its Beach Butlers can arrange transportation to some of the best spots, along with beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, and even a packed lunch. Some travelers may well prefer the fashion-show velvet-rope atmosphere of some other Miami boutique hotels, but for many of us the casual-chic Palihouse is likely to become a favorite.
It goes without saying that the 354-room hotel sits on prime beachfront real estate: the fact that it’s north of SoBe proper, slightly outside of the action, is advantageous, if you’re a grown-up. The Confidante comprises three towers, one of which is a revamped 1940s Art Deco skyscraper. And in a refreshing departure from the design principles behind many of the best hotels in town, the aesthetic isn’t simple beach chic, but rather mid-century with a modern twist. Think colorful patterned rugs and sectional sofas, art deco chandeliers, 1950s-inspired armchairs upholstered with cheerful florals, and vintage bar carts that look straight out of Mad Men. There’s an attention to detail, and a sense of historical whimsy, that will make you think twice about how much you really care for all-white decor, anyway — the suites, in particular, are like mini-museums filled with interesting artwork and unexpected design pieces. In-room amenities include custom-made 400-thread-count Sferra linens, bathrooms with rain showers and bathrobes by Frette, and large flat-screen TVs with complimentary film libraries when you need a break from the sun.
Outside, classic striped cabanas, chaise lounges and palm trees surround swimming pools set within a lush tropical grove. Seagrape is the casual Floridian eatery, while the Backyard serves al fresco fare by the pools and garden, centered on what’s arguably the true highlight of the Confidante. The venue centers around a historic bungalow that used to sit across the street, which was entirely dismantled, including the original limestone fireplace, and transplanted it into the hotel, where it’s found a second life as an incredibly charming indoor-outdoor artisanal cocktail bar set in a candlelit garden.
It’s a fun, only-in-Miami scene. Take the main pool. Adorned with palms, with daybeds, with attractive people, with a 700-pound silver toy-ducky, with cabanas whose private stairs descend into the water, it forms the social center of the SLS. It’s also the centerpiece of Hyde Beach, the third outpost (after L.A. and Las Vegas) of the famed Hyde Lounges. It turns out that taking some of the country’s hottest nightclubs and enlarging them into an 8,000 square-foot pool party makes for a happy time. And it says something that the Lenny Kravitz–designed villa suite is set right above the party, not hidden away in a quiet corner — though if you tire of lording your extravagance over the revelers below, just keep walking along your wrap-around private terrace to the side that faces the ocean.
The lesser rooms are no less fit for company, and if you haven’t come with any, you can probably find some at one of the bars. There are mirrors above the beds, “champagne now” buttons on the SLS smartphone app, chaises longues that look like reclining versions of royal thrones — the sort of white-upholstered royal throne, that is, that the Queen of Hearts might favor. It’s all said to be inspired by the ghost of Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s legendary mistress, and we’re comfortable taking their word for it. As quintessentially Miami as it all is, there’s truly nothing else quite like it. In fact it’s kind of amazing it didn’t already exist. Except that it sort of did, in the form of a famous 1939 Art Deco building that for decades was the tallest in Miami. That its provenance is practically an after-thought — well, given the of-the-moment star power they signed on to remake this thing, it’s not exactly a surprise, but it’s certainly impressive.
The hotel has historic clout: it’s listed with the Miami Beach Preservation Board, so renovations needed to occur within a set of rather strict guidelines. Gone are some of the hotel’s dowdier sections — contrary to conventional wisdom, it is possible to swing the wrecking ball in the Art Deco District — and new on the scene are a slew of cabana rooms and suites, a hand-cut crystal chandelier in the ballroom, an intricate mosaic lining the atrium ceiling of Tamara, the National’s French fusion restaurant.
The hotel’s finest original features remain, they’re just updated: the oak bar in the Blues Bar, reupholstered barrel chairs in the lobby, chrome light fixtures illuminating the hallways. In guest rooms and suites, too, the aesthetic reflects the hotel’s original era. The furniture is custom-made with dark sapele wood, accented with chrome; bathrooms feature romantic vanities and pale gray terrazzo flooring, plus the hotel’s signature line of bath products. Luggage racks, leather armchairs, and glamorous tufted headboards evoke days gone by. The three-story penthouse, located directly beneath the hotel’s original cupola, offer spectacular ocean views, and in the new Poolside Cabana Wing, you’ll trade off history for space — and a private terrace facing the pool.
There are no shortage of pet-friendly hotels in Miami Beach, Florida. Here is every pet-friendly hotel in Miami Beach on Tablet:
The Standard Spa, Miami Beach
Kimpton Angler’s Hotel South Beach
The Betsy - South Beach
SLS South Beach
The Royal Palm, Miami
National Hotel, An Adult Only Oceanfront Resort
Faena Hotel Miami Beach
Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel
The Confidante by Hyatt
Palihouse Miami Beach
Esmé Miami Beach
If you have any questions about the rules and regulations about bringing your pet to a pet-friendly hotel, you can always contact our Travel Specialists for specific information. Below are a few frequently asked questions.
Usually a pet-friendly policy applies to dogs and cats, but sometimes only one or the other is allowed — and sometimes other types of pets (birds, lizards, unicorns), are allowed as well. Please note that certain hotels may also have a weight restriction for pets.
When we say pet-friendly, we mean a policy that allows pets -- but often there is a nightly or flat fee (sometimes called a "cleaning fee") as part of the policy.
Certain hotels specify that you may not leave your pet unattended. However, some offer daycare or dog-walking services.
Oftentimes, a pet-friendly policy will allow your pet outdoors at the hotel but not in public areas. You can always bring them a doggy bag.
Especially pet-friendly hotels provide pet amenities like food and water bowls, special beds, or treats. Be sure to contact our Travel Specialists for the most up-to-date information and specific pet-friendly policies at each hotel.
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