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The Betsy Hotel Miami Beach

Miami Beach, Florida

About your stay

By Terry Ward, Jetsetter Correspondent

This hotel is Jetsetter verified

Our editors have been here and it has met our standards.

95%

Recommended by 95% of 71 members.

Read 32 member reviews

Just steps from the turquoise Miami waters, the Betsy Hotel places you in the unequivocal heart of South Beach, right on Ocean Drive. But the hotel’s quieter-end-of-the-strip location and its upscale, plantationlike design set it slightly apart from all the other hotels. The Betsy looks like a demure Southern Belle set in a sea of flamboyant Art Deco divas.

The Betsy Hotel Miami Beach

Jetsetter review

You can immediately tell the Betsy is different: She looks like a demure Southern Belle set in a sea of flamboyant Art Deco divas. Situated at the quieter end of Ocean Drive in South Beach, the white building has a Georgian facade and a sweeping front porch that look like something you’d find in the oak-shrouded Deep South rather than in sexed-up South Beach.


Just off the lobby, Chef Tourondel oversees the celebrated Miami hotspot, BLT Steak.Formerly the Betsy Ross, the property dates back to 1942. When it reopened as the Betsy in 2009, the new decor was strikingly different. The colonial-style fans hang from the lobby’s coffered ceilings pay homage to tradition, while safari-inspired touches (wooden carvings from Africa, mirrors fringed in zebra prints) pair with natural fiber area rugs to add some whimsy to the equation.

The hotel’s 61 rooms are not overly spacious, but they’re full of style and comfort. The contrast of dark hardwood floors and white lacquered furnishings creates a clean, calming vibe, while raffia-covered ceilings and four-poster beds decked with lush Frette linens add some romance to the picture. Plasma TVs, iPod docking stations and a tricked-out entertainment system with movies and music on demand head the list of standard techno touches.

The hotel has a gym and a small courtyard pool fringed by tropical foliage. If swimming’s not on your agenda but you still want to lounge in the sun, the Betsy’s rooftop lounge area, the Deck, is a great place to kick back. It’s kitted out with plush chaise longues and nooks for curling up with a cocktail or a book. Retractable sails add a somewhat clubby vibe at night, making it a good place for a predinner cocktail.

For a meal to remember, BLT Steak, the steakhouse bistro of New York City fame, is just off the hotel’s lobby. South Beach’s never-say-die club scene is easily accessible on foot or by cab from the hotel, but one of Miami’s hippest hangouts happens to be in the Betsy’s basement. The entrance is sort of hidden, but once you find B-Bar, with its reflective ceilings and world-class DJs commanding the turn tables, you just might settle in for the night.

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What to do

  • Eat. Cross the bridge to Wynwood for authentic greasy spoon Cuban fare at Enriqueta’s (2830 NE 2nd Ave.) or grab a café con leche from the takeout window out front.
  • Beach. For a more natural take on South Beach’s hotel-backed scenery, grab a taxi and head for Key Biscayne National Park, where the beach is fringed with seagrapes and dunes.
  • Picnic. Ask the staff at The Betsy to provide you with a picnic basket for your day at the beach filled with snacks, wine, cheese, magazines and water.
  • See. The Design District is loaded with fascinating furniture shops and incredible restaurants. The two intersect at Fratelli Lyon, an Italian restaurant adjoining a design store where your place settings — and even the table — are for sale.
  • Listen. Hailed as one of the architect’s best new designs in years, the New World Center is home to the New World Symphony. Time your visit for one of the Wallcasts, and you can sit in a park outside as a concert is projected on the building’s wall.

All tips and reviews are available to members.

Member Reviews (32)

First-hand knowledge from members who’ve been here on a Jetsetter trip.

  • What I liked

    Such a cozy, beautiful hotel!

    What I disliked

    Nothing.

    Anonymous User     4 months ago
    This was helpful

  • What I liked

    Great service. Wonderful food at their restaurant, BLT.

    Leah M     8 months ago
    This was helpful

  • What I liked

    Great restaurant, outdoor lounge upstairs

    What I disliked

    Noisy at night

    Anonymous User     10 months ago
    This was helpful

  • What I liked

    Excellent location, decor, rooftop and BLT restaurant

    What I disliked

    The pool was a little claustrophobic and in and odd location. The concierge suggested mediocre restaurants.

    Anonymous User     8 months ago
    This was helpful

  • What I liked

    Location, boutique feeling, suite was very spacious, restaurant and bar were great also.

    Anonymous User     4 months ago
    This was helpful

  • What I liked

    Great hotel. Great location.

    What I disliked

    Service at BLT steak could be a little spotty. Think they may have been a little understaffed.

    Peter C     3 months ago
    This was helpful

  • What I liked

    Location is fantastic. Staff extremely willing to help and always courteous.

    What I disliked

    The only dislike I had was that a room service tray had been left in the corridor outside another room overnight and no-one had removed it by the time I checked out at 0930.

    Anonymous User     4 months ago
    This was helpful

  • What I liked

    Location, decor

    Page S     7 months ago
    This was helpful

  • What I liked

    The hotel is lovely. The roof is fantastic. The staff is exceptional. BLT Steak for room service.

    Henry G     10 months ago
    This was helpful

  • What I liked

    great staff, quiet attractive room, location

    What I disliked

    Bar on the deck was not attended well. Polite staff, but in and out a lot. Towels should be left out, it no attendant is there. Took most of us 30 min. to be waited on. Consistant staff there would make the stay perfect. It was our easiest spot to run to for sun and a drink. We ended up taking our own drinks up.

    Betty P     5 months ago
    This was helpful

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