The Betsy South Beach is my go-to hotel when I'm staying in Miami Beach.
It has a low-key vibe, is always immaculate and its service is highly professional and sophisticated
As soon as guests arrive at the hotel, the staff is out front to greet and to help with bags, and at check-in, to extend a refreshing welcome drink.
I also love that the Betsy is across from the ocean, and in a quiet area of Ocean Drive.
I first stayed at the Betsy hotel a few years ago when the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation housed its members there when we toured South Beach's Art Deco District.
We were awestruck to be inside of the Betsy, which originated in the early 1940s as the Betsy Ross hotel and housed American troops during World War II, before being restored as part of the Betsy hotel.
The rooms that I've stayed have been stylishly renovated and decorated.
They have all been clean and furnished with like-new pieces. When I was last there, my room had double beds and a living room with a TV, lamps, a fridge and a second TV in the bedroom. I love this layout, even as a solo traveler.
During my first stay at the Betsy, I didnt dine in the LT Steak & Seafood restaurant, which is owned by internationally celebrated and Michelin chef Laurent Tourondel.
I dived in during my last stay, though, ordering room service for breakfast my first morning, joining the lunch crowd in the lobby restaurant another day, and bringing a friend for breakfast on the terrace another day. Not only was my food fresher and lighter than what I usually get at restaurants, I noticed that I had fewer digestive and bloating issues after I ate there.
During my next visit, I plan to explore the hotel even more. There is a bar and a gorgeous view of the city on the Skyline Deck that I want to see as the sun sets.
I pack clothes every trip, thinking that I am going to join the yogis on the deck, too.
Even though I pass the rotating art exhibitions and the massive colection of black and white photos of the young Beetles covering the walls many times, I hope to one day pause to relish the art, before going downstairs to catch the nightly live jazz in the lobby near the bar.
I love making myself at home.
