Miami's Most Stylish Hotels for Art Basel

North America's most prestigious contemporary art show is touching down in MiamiBeach this weekend from December 6th—9th, and we want to make sure you've got the broad strokes on SoBe's hottest hotels. A yearly occasion drawing (pun intended) style seekers and art collectors to the shores of Miami's most happening haunt, Art Basel is a visual delight, but we've curated an exclusive collection of South Beach's most stylish shelters to rest your eyes between art gazing at Art Basel.

Shore Club

If the Shore Club's palette was placed on canvas, it would start with SoBe's famed white–on–cream primer and finish with strategic placement of color recalling Morocco and the Orient. Just a block away from Art Basel's main action (at the Miami beach Convention Center), Shore Club is frequented by fashionistas and foodies for the vibe, Nobu's first foray into Miami, and the hot–to–trot SkyBar nightclub. When morning calls, the night-owl guests will revel in sea views from every guestroom.

Delano

A Miami icon renowned for its Deco design and white whimsical curtains flowing from the lobby, the Delano is an artsy must-stop for Art Basel's most well-heeled collectors. A space saturated in original furniture from Eames, and art by Dali and Gaudi, the Delano takes the everyday up 1000 notches. From the swish beach scene around the palm-ringed pool to the landscaped lawns that beg for a game of croquet, imagine a hotel in a constant state of cocktail party.

SLS South Beach

Opened this yearbeside the dashing Delano, SLS South Beach has an anything goes type of 'tude—a rare approach for one of Miami's hottest hotels. Bringing worldly, woodsy, and campy touches—think Parisian outdoor terraces, a wood slab reception desk, and camping photos hanging in the lobby—to the glitzy strip, the Philippe Starck-designed space doesn't take itself too seriously. But the art, well, that's another story. The iconic designer even commissioned his daughter to do an installation in the outdoor bar.

The Setai

The Setai breaks the Miami mold with its clean-lined, darker–hued, modern styling in a sea of whitewashed Deco. Evoking a "serenity now" environment you'd find in Bali or Thailand, the sleek beachfront property doesn't spare any expense importing polished teak throughout, and Italian espresso makers in every room. When day turns to night, sleep is a serene affair in a pillowy Duxiana bed accented with a cookie on the pillow. Good night, indeed.

Fontainebleau

After a three-year $1 billion renovation completing in 2008, the 20-acre Fontainebleau is back in the heat of Miami action carrying the flame of its ultra-glam past. Designed by famed architect Morris Lapidus with a "Too Much is Never Enough" philosophy (and book with the same title), the oceanfront hotel became a hotbed for the likes of Elvis and The Beatles, and the who's who of every decade since. Nearly a dozen restaurants, including Michelin-starred chef Alfred Portale's Gotham Steak and James Beard-recognized Scott Conant's Scarpetta, plus SoBe's hot-ticket nightclub, and a 40,000-square-foot spa draw guest inwards, making Fontainebleau a place for distractions and sweet dreams. Flocking to SoBe's slice of scintillating paradise is such a 24/7 escape—you’ll never want to leave (except to visit Art Basel, of course).

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Art Basel