When the asphalt on Ocean Drive is hot enough to melt your flip-flops, travelers in the know duck into the bamboo-scented 1 Hotel South Beach, where petrified driftwood, live ferns and preserved moss transform its public spaces into a soothing jungle oasis. Since opening in 2015, the hotel has been named in Travel + Leisure’s It List and earned the AAA 4-Diamond award. Read on to find out why you should escape Miami’s next heatwave at the coolest hotel in town.
Pools with personality
Four distinctly different pools offer the perfect place to chill out on a hot day. Families can spend the day playing on the 30,000-square-foot deck at the Center Pool or the beachside South Pool with unobstructed sunshine all day. The resort also has an infinity pool with 10 cabanas that can be rented out for private functions, and the 18
th-floor swimming pool is exclusive to adults.
Love the skin you’re in
To soothe sun-weary skin, book an organic face or body service at the first American outpost of Bamford Haybarn, an upscale spa brand originally from the English countryside. White walls and flooring are broken up by sandy stones and bleached bark columns to make 12 treatment rooms and relaxation space with a bubbling water fountain.
Adults-only penthouse tiki bar
Watr at the 1 Rooftop serves rum cocktails in coconuts plucked from its palm trees to guests lounging in the cabanas that surround the 18
th floor’s 21-and-over 110-foot pool. Light snacks like seaweed salad, fruit plates and hand-rolled sushi allow partygoers to refuel without sacrificing their bikini bodies.
Solar-powered chauffeur
While the sun beats down, let its solar power transport you around town. The hotel provides complimentary rides for guests in its Tesla fleet within 3 miles of the property.
Indoor endorphins
Those looking to work up a sweat without battling the heat can book a cycling class at the hotel’s SoulCycle studio or take a Spartan Race group class -- complimentary for guests -- which includes an indoor obstacle course.
Alternative outdoor exercise
Those who want to work on their tans while working out can kayak through the nearby mangrove forests or learn to paddleboard in the surf. Yogis have the choice of sunrise yoga classes or can challenge themselves with paddleboard yoga offered in the ocean.
Rooms designed to keep you cool
Thoughtful touches like hemp-blend mattresses, organic cotton linens and triple-filtered showers in the marble bathrooms keep accommodations feeling light and airy on even the stickiest days. Each room is panelled in driftwood, and most feature a balcony facing the ocean to let in the sea breeze.
Light meals and vegetarian snacks
After a workout or when it’s too hot for a heavy meal, guests can recharge at Plnthouse on the second floor. With a veggie-based menu, the restaurant offers juices, smoothie bowls, salads and sandwiches to fill you up without slowing you down.
Live like a local
To truly make the resort a home away from home, upgrade to the Retreat Collection for roundtrip airport transportation, access to a private entrance in the residential lobby, en suite fresh-pressed juices and vitamins replenished daily and complimentary breakfast each morning at Beachcraft on the first floor. For other meals, Retreat Collection guests receive priority access to the tables at the hotel’s four restaurants, and a personal concierge is available around the clock to make visitors feel at home.
Award-winning cuisine & top-rated live music
With a five-time James Beard Award-winning chef running the kitchen, guests don’t have to leave the property to sample one of the city’s best restaurants. Instead, reserve a table at the Beachcraft patio along Collins Avenue to dine on a sustainable menu of locally caught fish paired with some of the best people-watching in town. The adjacent lounge offers farm-to-table cocktails, a seasonally rotating craft beer selection and wine pours from taps, allowing visitors to skip standing in line for nightclubs while still experiencing South Beach’s legendary nightlife, with local artists like Javier Garcia and Los Clasicos de Cuba performing on site each week.
