The Perry South Beach Rating: 4.0 Pearls

South Beach, Miami, Florida

The Perry South Beach Hotel

The Perry South Beach clings to a sexy image. In 2008, the Gansevoort Hotel Group -- the same group that manages the hip Hotel Gansevoort in New York's trendy Meatpacking District -- revamped a condo complex on the northern outskirts of South Beach and called it the Gansevoort South. About two years later, the bank took the hotel; it's now managed by the less-than-hip Florida-based hotel management company, Coral Hospitality. In 2012, the hotel's name was changed to the Perry South Beach.

At least for the time being, you can still expect to see the same American hipsters and vacationing Europeans sunning themselves by the rooftop pool, sipping cocktails, and checking their Blackberries. But despite chronic techno in the elevators and vintage-looking portraits of ravaged women wearing lingerie on the walls, the Perry also draws a good number of forward-thinking families. While young partiers pose alongside Miami's largest rooftop pool, even younger partiers splash in their floaties several floors below in the even larger main pool. The two crowds tend to keep their distance, but the impact isn't exactly ideal -- one group might be bothered at 2 a.m., the other at 2 p.m.

But as much as the Perry strives to be the place to be -- and it succeeds, at times, in this mission -- its dark, often empty lobby, lower-quality furnishings, and colder, New York-by-way-of-Miami atmosphere doesn't quite compare to the meticulously designed environs of the other South Beach hotspots, notably the Delano, W South Beach, and Shore Club.

Of course, the Perry is most often a lot cheaper than its high-profile neighbors, making it an excellent choice for more affordable glam (provided one keeps an eye on his bar tab). Its guest rooms are much larger than what you'll find at most Art Deco hotels, and its in-house features and service standards in many ways surpass competitors like The National, The Raleigh, the Hotel Victor, and the Sagamore. The only tradeoff is its location -- the Perry is a bit north of what one might call the "heart of South Beach." This means that if you plan to hit the town in heels, budget cab fare.

• Fun, young staff clad in all-white uniforms from Hugo Boss
• Guests get priority access into both nightclubs, Plunge Bar and Louis
• Prompt room service
• Poolside drinks service; cabanas available
• Concierge services

View on a Larger Map

At 23rd Street on Collins Avenue, the Perry is at the northern tip of South Beach. Since about 2006, Miami's "cool" kids seem to be steadily migrating north of the neon-lit tourist crowds of Ocean Drive, and north still, past the aging antics of the Delano and chuggers at the Shore Club, and out to the South Beach northernmost beyond -- where pastel-colored Art Deco concrete turns to glass-coated condos and where less hopped-up (but no less dolled-up) twentysomethings line up outside the discerning Mokai lounge or the more low-key restaurants and lounges at the Setai or the W South Beach.

In addition, the Bass Museum of Art is only about a block from the W and the Miami Beach Convention Center, the Botanical Gardens, and the Holocaust Memorial are all within walking distance -- if the beach 100 feet to the east of the hotel is not enough.

But the Perry is a bit cut off from the more iconic Art Deco architecture that South Beach is best known for -- you're about a seven block walk from the famous Delano or Raleigh hotels, and it's a relatively interesting but not particularly short 15- to 20-minute hike from the outdoor cafe and people-watching circuit along Ocean Drive at Lummus Park. Likewise, you've got a long walk (or short cab ride) from the dining or shopping along the Lincoln Road Mall. And Collins Avenue, this far north, turns from a quaint two-lane road into much busier four-lane thoroughfare with empty lots, yet-renovated condos, and relatively little retail. There are still some decent places to get a bite to eat within walking distance -- the Sultan Kabob or the Yummy Chinese and Sushi Bar, for example -- but it doesn't quite have the same all-night vitality that you'll start to see about five blocks south.

seperated living room

• Standard rooms, called Deluxe Rooms, are about twice the size of a standard room elsewhere in South Beach. They come with either a King (500 to 750 square feet) or two queens (435 to 500 square feet).
• The suites (1230 square feet) are especially luxe: ocean views, a full kitchen, one-and-a-half bathrooms, and a pullout couch that can easily fit an additional two guests.
• Tip: Only about half the Deluxe Rooms have balconies -- be sure to request one.
• Tip: Like many hotels in Miami, the difference between a partial ocean view and an ocean view can be pretty significant; you might see more truck deliveries than ocean waves.

All rooms include:

• Excellent beds and linens
• iPod dock
• 32-inch Sony flat-screen TVs
• Exceptionally large bathroom: deep tub and a shower (great water pressure)
• Top-notch Cutler toiletries
• Free Wi-Fi

Plunge Rooftop Lounge

• The scene of many a photo shoot, the Gansevoort's major coup is that it has the largest rooftop lounge in the country, Plunge Bar, which has a long, narrow pool used more for flaunting than swimming (especially at night).
• The 42,000-square-foot pool deck on the third floor is more low-key, and a popular choice for families. However, unlike many other pools in South Beach -- such as the pools at the Delano, W, Raleigh, and National -- the Perry's pool lacks significant landscaping and tends to feel a bit stale.
• While the main pool, an infinity pool, has a great view of the water, it's not terribly close to it -- to get there, you have to descend three flights of stairs and then walk around the rear of the hotel.
• The top-notch David Barton Gym, located right by the hotel's main entrance, costs $15 a day for hotel guests to access. Done up like a Moroccan lair, it's a mammoth gym with two huge floors featuring a spread of cardio and weight-training equipment. The locker area includes steam and sauna rooms.
• The Spa at Dave Barton essentially consists of a few treatment rooms outside the workout areas -- you're better off walking a block past David Barton to the Bliss spa at the W hotel.
• Louis, a swank, Parisian-inspired nightclub from the Opium Group
• Cutler Salon, located on the ground floor
• New threads available at Big Drop, a New York clothing boutique
• Free Wi-Fi; a great signal throughout the hotel

The rooms are spotless. I didn't find any dirt or significant signs of wear.

Coffee and Pastries at Cafe Bustelo

• Café Bustelo, located just outside the hotel but in the same general complex, offers shrink-wrapped sandwiches, pastries, and exceptional coffee.
• Phillipe, the restaurant started by celebrity chef Phillipe Chow, is next door to the hotel. The restaurant serves upscale Chinese food, with dinner entrees like the popular chicken satays starting at about $18. All told, the more recently opened Mr. Chow restaurant at the W South Beach is a better option -- hopping scene; beautiful décor.
• Room service available; it's delicious and generally fast.