A glamorous icon in a city with a penchant for the new and shiny.

Since 1940, the Raleigh has embodied Miami’s Art Deco mystique. Now part of SBE’s collection of hotels, it remains a glamorous icon in a city with a penchant for the new and shiny. The Martini Bar, with its intimate, eight-seat mahogany bar, is one of the country’s most ambient dens for classic cocktails. But the property is undoubtedly most recognized for its voluptuous pool, a lush hideaway surrounded by palm fronds. The Pool Bar, dispensing chilled towels and icy mojitos in equal measure, only heightens the alfresco experience. Life magazine was clearly onto something when it dubbed the pool the most beautiful in America back in 1947. Of the 110 rooms, the suites are the most seductive. The Esther Williams, overlooking that spectacular pool, has a marble bath with a deep soaking tub, while the Raleigh has a Jacuzzi and a large terrace with an outdoor shower. For a jolt of modernity, guests take go to the upbeat Restaurant Michael Schwartz, where dinner is whiled away on the Tiger Terrace.