Fontainebleau Hotel

Built in 1954 by modernist god Morris Lapidus, whose dictum was "less is a bore," the Fontainebleau’s undulating curves and flashy style stood apart from the crowd. Back in the day, it was the pinnacle of excess: the lobby was a sea of chandeliers; a "staircase to nowhere" was built solely so that women could deposit their coats in the cloakroom at the top and make a grand entrance back down to the lobby; and air-conditioning was cranked up to protect all the mink coats. The Rat Pack, Elvis and Marilyn were regulars. After its fortunes began to fade, a consortium of architects joined forces to recapture its former glory and gave the most famous hotel in Miami Beach a billion-dollar facelift.

The Fontainebleau’s iconic pool area received a major renovation along with the hotel. There is a family pool and some adult options too. The Arkadia Day Club pool is for adults only and offers alcohol and a DJ. And within the last of couple years, Fontainebleau has been putting on some top-notch concerts at the pool in a running series known as BleauLive. The shows are scattered, but you’d be smart to set a Google alert because, when they are announced, tickets go fast.

Website: www.fontainebleau.com
Address: 4441 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33140, United States
Phone: 800-548-8886

Entrance fee: N/A
Google rating: 4.3/5.0