Townhouse Hotel

Fresh no-frills hotel in buzzy South Beach with brilliant service and a hip, happy vibe

Awe-struck I watch as the friendly receptionist checking me in, eyes on the computer screen, pulls a beach towel from a shelf somewhere behind him. In one swift, smooth wrist-movement and with a cheerful “Have a good one, Peter”, he throws it sideways over his shoulder to a guest walking out of the elevator in his beach gear, who laughs and catches it. Handing me my room card, Mr. Cirque du Soleil winks, wishes me a great stay and moves on to the next guest. Wow - do they learn this here?!

Steps from the shore, in South Beach’s Art Deco District, and within walking distance of the famous, glitzy Ocean Drive, shopping and nightlife hotspots, this is a hip and cool 69-room hotel with a mixed crowd of beach-bums, fashionistas, party animals, film producers, business travellers and young families - pleasingly children under 18 stay free of charge. Dating from 1939, but renovated in the Noughties by Parisian designer India Mahdavi, the 5-storey hotel has clean, white and spartan décor, with dots of playfulness such as the swing on the porch and inflatable beach balls on the beds. And it all creates a very relaxed and light feel, in line with its impact on the wallet. The trendy BONDST restaurant serves delicious sushi on the ground floor, and the roof terrace is the perfect spot to chill out to cool beats after dark. Now, if I could just see one more trick, please...

Highs

• Great value for money; basics are included (breakfast, WiFi, essential toiletries); all else can be purchased at very reasonable rates at the reception-cum-minimart
• Casual, friendly and exceptionally efficient staff
• Lounge-style roof terrace with city views and loungers, where fun-loving guests mingle
• The super trendy BONDST restaurant, an outpost of its New York parent; get your sushi delivered to the roof terrace to enjoy with cocktails
• Great location, with the beach next door and many of South Beach’s attractions within walking distance

Lows

• No pool, but the beach is just a minute away
• Due to its central location, it can be noisy, but we slept fine without earplugs
• The tiny bathrooms might feel claustrophobic; some rooms are a bit on the scruffy side
• The 2 penthouses get booked up quickly, so forget about getting one of these at the last minute & be aware that your proximity to the rooftop bar means a noisy night on the weekends
• The hotel is often booked out for photo and film-shoots