The National by Hal Peat

Some great American cities are more fortunate than others in having a distinct variety of classic deluxe accommodation to offer the discriminating traveler. Miami happens to be one such city: despite all the talk of this most southerly metropolis being a cultural convergent point for European and Latin influences, Miami nowadays actually draws several distinct affluent travel markets. An example of this is reflected in one of the more recent additions to the local five star realm of hotels, The National, whose appeal has been successfully broad enough to quickly establish it as a landmark in the heart of South Beach’s historic Art Deco District. Here you’ll see everyone from executives to filmmakers, long-time Miami aficionados to young, hip travelers from across Europe and Asia arriving under The National’s graceful portico.

Quite literally, The National has built on history in its formula for recreating a grand class Miami hotel for the 21st century. The process began with the acquisition of the property in 1996 by the present owners followed by some $17 million in painstaking restoration. 2003 saw a further major restoration of $3 million concentrating on the creation of a unique three-floor penthouse suite, the Triplex, and the renovation of the deluxe Cabana wing and Historic Tower rooms. Today those rooms and suites of the Historic Tower balance classic and contemporary styles: geometric shapes of the Art Deco era complement streamlined shapes and materials. The soothing neutrals of fabrics and walls immediately draw the eye to the amazing views of blue sky and Miami’s creamy shoreline. This reinterpretation of a bygone era first greets the visitor in the restored and canopied front entrance which unfolds into the double-height lobby. In addition to the original lighting fixtures and period antiques, the concierge desk is a precise replica of the front desk designed in the 1930’s. On the mezzanine, Art Deco style couches are set behind railings created in the exact specifications of the hotel’s original architecture plans.

History reemerges in similar luxuriant style in The National’s other public areas: most noteworthy of which are its main restaurant "Tamara", named after famed Art Deco period artist Tamara de Lempicka whose artwork appears throughout the hotel. Located underneath the hotel’s intricate atrium ceiling mosaic modeled after one of de Lempicka’s paintings, the restaurant features dark red velvet lounge chairs, intense green carpet and gleaming silver table accessories. The Art Deco theme is restated yet again in the D’ Lounge, featuring an authentic oak bar of the period, the hotel’s original club chairs as well as hand-selected antiques. This is The National’s nightly entertainment hot spot, but you can also relax over drinks in the restored Martini Room, an intimate cigar bar and club room that retains its original 1940’s bar and original terrazzo flooring. Whether the Miami sunshine is making an appearance or the sky is in tropical overcast, the outdoor terrace facing the pool seems to be a continually popular location for cocktail receptions, luncheon events, or simply guests enjoying a quiet tête-à-tête over a mid-afternoon snack.

Finally, and speaking of the pool, in a city of limitless pools The National has doubtless achieved the most memorable of all with its dramatic 205-foot, palm-lined Infinity Pool. Mirroring both the Historic Tower above and adjacent guest wings on either side in its surfaces, the unique pool stretches toward the infinity of the ocean beyond, providing the ultimate classic signature to a Miami classic reborn.