What Comes After Iconic?
The Delano has never been a quiet hotel. Since 1947, the Collins Avenue property has cycled through eras the way Miami itself does - loudly, visually, with someone famous nearby. Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck remade it in the 1990s into something that felt genuinely new. Madonna co-owned a restaurant inside. Lenny Kravitz opened a nightclub. Presidents and dignitaries had passed through long before any of that. Then COVID-19 arrived in 2020, and the Delano closed alongside so much else. When a hotel of this particular weight goes dark, the question isn’t just whether it will return - it’s whether the return can mean anything.
The answer, after a recent two-night stay, is yes. Now operating as Delano Miami Beach, the reopened property is as polished and deliberately cool as its reputation demands. The hotel framed its own return as one that would “honor the legacy of its predecessor while redefining it for a new era.” That’s a lot to promise. The architecture delivers without needing a disclaimer.
Getting There and Getting Settled
Delano Miami Beach sits on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, roughly 12 miles from Miami International Airport. A cab or rideshare runs $25–$45 depending on traffic and timing, which on a Friday afternoon in South Florida is an entirely open question. Overnight valet parking is $65 per night for guests arriving by car.
The hotel has 171 rooms and suites, including two-story bungalows with direct pool access. Beyond the rooms: multiple pools, beach access, a fitness center, and a spa that was not yet open at the time of this visit. Dogs and cats up to 50 pounds are welcome, with a $250 pet fee.
The Suite: White, Calm, and Carefully Considered
The partial ocean-view king suite assigned during this stay was organized across three distinct spaces - a living room, a hallway-corridor-turned-closet, and the bedroom - with a bathroom sitting between them. It’s a smart layout for a suite that doesn’t feel oversized.
The living room leaned into its role. A large TV with streaming capabilities anchored one wall. The minibar was genuinely well-stocked: snacks, top-shelf liquors, and Noam Beer, a German brand packaged in a bottle that looks like it belongs on a design shelf rather than inside a minibar. A lounge-style couch, an armchair, and a small table with two chairs kept the room functional without crowding it.
One important clarification on the “partial ocean view”: from the living room, the Atlantic is visible through a narrow sliver of window. Partial is doing real work in that description. Travelers who want actual water views should book an ocean-view room explicitly rather than assume the suite category delivers them automatically.
The hallway between rooms doubled as a dressing area - curtained off, with plush robes, hangers, a luggage rack, and enough organized space to actually unpack for a longer stay. It’s a practical detail that suites at this price point often overlook.
The bathroom was compact for a suite but finished beautifully. An illuminated abstract mirror sat above a white dual vanity. A large soaking tub occupied its own corner. Byredo Gypsy Water products stocked the shelves. The shower pressure was strong - a detail that matters more than most hotel reviews acknowledge.
The bedroom was all white and beige, with a headboard that housed controls for lighting and motorized blinds. With the blinds up, the room looks directly onto Collins Avenue and its art deco facades. Reading lights were built into the headboard as well, alongside a second large TV with streaming. The furniture and lamps throughout the suite had a design coherence that felt considered rather than assembled from a catalog.
Dining at Delano Miami Beach
The food and drink program generated attention before the hotel even reopened its doors. Delano Miami Beach houses the first U.S. locations of Gigi Rigolatto and Mim - two restaurant names that had been building anticipation in the months leading up to the hotel’s return. Beyond the restaurants, the property includes a lobby-adjacent bar, pool and beach service, and a cafe.
The bar sits close enough to the lobby that the line between socializing and people-watching collapses entirely. At Delano, that’s by design.
What the Delano Tells a Traveler About Miami Beach
Collins Avenue has no shortage of hotels claiming legacy while delivering formula. The Delano Miami Beach occupies a more specific position than most. Its 1947 origins in art deco architecture, its 1990s reinvention under Schrager and Starck, its celebrity chapter - these aren’t marketing fragments. They’re a documented record of a property that has repeatedly found a way to matter to a particular kind of traveler.
The current version doesn’t ignore that history. The aesthetic throughout is airy and precise, with the same theatrical instinct that defined earlier iterations - white everywhere, objects chosen for how they look as much as how they function, spaces that feel curated rather than decorated. A fitness center and the forthcoming spa round out an amenity list that positions Delano Miami Beach as a full-stay destination rather than a base for going elsewhere.
For a travel guide practical note: the location on Collins Avenue puts guests within range of the beach immediately and South Beach proper within easy distance. The hotel’s beach access means there’s no negotiating for chairs or paying for access at a separate venue. Multiple pools give guests options by time of day or preference for crowd level.
Rates, Pets, and What to Book
Room rates at the Delano Miami Beach vary by season, given that South Florida hotel pricing shifts considerably between winter high season and the quieter summer months. The hotel reopened in summer, which is traditionally when rates sit lower and crowds thin somewhat.
The $250 pet fee applies to cats and dogs under 50 pounds. Valet parking at $65 per night is currently the listed option for arriving guests with cars - whether self-parking alternatives exist nearby on Collins Avenue is worth confirming before arrival, as street parking in Miami Beach is inconsistent.
The two-story pool bungalows represent the most direct access to the pool area, and for travelers whose priority is moving between room and water with minimal effort, they’re worth pricing against a standard suite. The partial ocean-view king suite reviewed here starts a conversation about how much the water view matters relative to the interior design and space. At the Delano, both are worth weighing seriously - but if the Atlantic is the point, the room category needs to match the intention before checkout, not after.
