$200–300

The Setai (2001 Collins Ave., 305/520-6500, from $225 d) offers two entirely different lodging experiences on its property. The main building is an eight-story art deco building with interiors that are lavish, sleek, and minimalist, while the adjacent tower building is a 40-story condo hotel. Although the tower guest rooms are more spacious, they’re also considerably more expensive, and while the guest rooms in the art deco building are far from cheap, they’re a much better value as they’re both charming and contemporary.

All of the guest rooms are suites, ranging from studios to two-bedrooms; studios in the art deco building have black-granite tubs, espresso machines, and flat-screen TVs, while the one- and two-bedroom suites in the tower add on full kitchens and living areas. Musicians may want to consider splurging on the four-bedroom penthouse suite: for only $25,000 per night they can not only sleep like kings but also avail themselves of the Lenny Kravitz–designed rooftop recording studio.

More modest but possessed of an entirely different sort of charm is the Richmond Hotel (1757 Collins Ave., 305/538-2331, from $229 d), a family-owned establishment in a pink-lit art deco beauty. There’s a lushly landscaped pool and courtyard area that feels completely isolated from the buzz of Collins Avenue, and guests can walk right from the pool to the beach. Guest rooms are simple and a little frumpy, but they’re clean and comfortable and come with all the modern conveniences.

In 1999, designer Todd Oldham reimagined the art deco classicism of the Tiffany Hotel into the directly named The Hotel (801 Collins Ave., 305/531-2222, www.thehotelofsouthbeach.com [1], from $299 d). Whether his work was a success depends completely on whether you prize style or square footage as a hotel’s most important feature. The Hotel has the former in spades; all the originality Oldham saved in coming up with the Hotel’s name was obviously directed into the modern quirky elegance of the facility’s public areas and the 53 cute, well-appointed, and quiet guest rooms, each of which seems to have been individually decorated.

As for space…well, there’s definitely an argument to be made that perhaps 53 guest rooms is about a dozen too many, as nearly all of the guest rooms push the definition of “cozy” into laughable territory. Still, with the clubs and restaurants of South Beach [2] within steps of the front door, and the hotel’s own rooftop Spire Bar a nightlife destination of its own, you’re not likely going to be spending that much time in your room anyway.