Which SoBe hotel for non-swingers?
 

We live in the Naples area and have been over to the other coast a few times, but only for the day (Vizcaya, etc). My sister will be visiting next month and we're thinking it'd be fun to do an overnighter in SoBe. We'd enjoy having a pleasant dinner and strolling the scene, etc.
BUT, we definitely aren't late night people (we're early 70's), and we ourselves are definitely not the swinging type. We're not interested in the bar or club scene for instance, mainly just "people watching" during the day and early-mid evening-- and of course enjoying the other delights of the area (including the beach and the architecture)
Which hotel would you recommend for best peace and quiet, while still being not far from the action? We don't care at all about a pool. Just a handsome, very clean hotel with decent size rooms. And hopefully not exorbitant.
Thanks very much.

The Loews Hotel and dinner at Blue Door at The Delano for excellent people watching from afar.

We have always enjoyed The Cardozo Hotel on South Beach. The rooms are nice and there is a nice restaurant within the hotel. There isn't a pool but it is across the street from the beach.

Thanks for such prompt replies.
But is there anything less expensive that's still a quality hotel? MAIN THING: quiet rooms

The problem with the older hotels is that they were built in the 1920s-1950s and have been renovated and still have the same old thin walls.

For quiet don't stay on Ocean Drive and choose newer construction hotel.

Check out the Courtyard By Marriott South Beach. Fantastic hotel and the only way you'd know it is a Courtyard is by the name. Posh.

If you do stay at one of the older hotels try to get something on the 3rd floor or higher. We love the Cardozo but cannot stay on the 2nd floor because I can hear the noise from the bar below (but I am a light sleeper)so we always stay on the 3rd and have never had a problem.

I stayed at The Pelican a couple of times, and didn't hear anything. It's a very cute and fun old Art Deco hotel, with each room decorated in a different vintage "theme". Not TOO expensive for Ocean Drive...seems like it was around $200 the last time I stayed. http://pelicanhotel.com/

We stay at the Loews - great location and all the luxury of the trendy hotels. When we have stayed elsewhere the hotels were either tired, the sevice lousy or the rooms small (deco is very pretty but the rooms are small and the bathrooms not very modern)

Have you considered a B&B?

I'd recommend the SoBeYou on Jefferson. Very clean. Good breakfast. Nice owner and staff.

The place is in a residential neighborhood about 5 blocks from all the action at SoBe. You'd never know you're that close, though. If stairs are an issue, ask for a 1st-floor room in the pool area.

The room prices run about $180-250, and that includes an on-street parking pass, which saves you about $25/day. I think they take AARP and AAA discounts.

As far as noise, at a B&B, you're kind of at the mercy of the other guests, but places like that usually attract a genteel crowd. When we were there (just before Super Bowl week) the clientele consisted of couples ranging from 30s to 60s, some same-sex. About the only noise was from the TV next door, which stopped around midnight.