The Top 10 Art Deco Hotels in America
Though there are many unbelievable hotels around the world that reflect the elegant and glamorous style of Art Deco, there are no two bigger hot spots in the United States than New York and Miami. Whether they were built in the heyday of the movement or are inspired by the era, these undeniably chic hotels are some of the most spectacular and legendary places to stay across the country. So step back through time, don your flapper dress and break out your favorite Fitzgerald novel as we bring you our Top 10 Art Deco Hotels in America.
Hotel Astor
956 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
- Hotel Astor is an elegant, yet cheeky getaway just two short blocks from the bustling Ocean Drive and historic Art Deco district. Image courtesy of Hotel Astor.
- Image courtesy of Hotel Astor.
Hotel Astor is located in the heart of South Beach’s Art Deco district in Miami. Architect T. Hunter Henderson designed the landmark hotel in 1936. Though Henderson designed and built a total of 29 properties throughout Miami Beach, Hotel Astor is his pièce de resistance. The hotel is recapturing its iconic status after undergoing a $4 million refurbishment that included a fabulous new pool. Iconic Art Deco features have been preserved throughout the renovations, such as the 1936 Vitrolite wall panels and original terrazzo floors.
The Chatwal
130 W 44th Street, New York, NY 10036
-
Image courtesy of The Chatwal.
-
- The Chatwal lobby lounge. Image courtesy of The Chatwal.
The Chatwal New York is a landmark in New York’s Theater District. Constructed in 1905 by Stanford White, the building was originally a clubhouse for The Lambs, America’s first professional theater club, and was a second home for members like Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, John Barrymore, and Fred Astaire. The six-story, neo-Georgian brick building features a façade ornamented with ram heads. An addition to the building was added in 1915 that doubled its square footage. Beautifully restored by master architect and designer Thierry Despont, known for his 1986 restoration of the Statue of Liberty, the 76-room landmark has custom-designed luxuries that meticulously recreate 1930’s Art Deco design. The Chatwal’s Mezzanine bar is located one level above The Lambs Club Restaurant, and features an unmistakable Art Deco ambiance, with rich, red hues and walls that clearly have a thousand tales to tell, while the lobby of The Chatwal looks perfectly frozen in time.
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
9703 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour, FL 33154
- The Grand Hall, which is inspired by Art Deco design. Image courtesy of the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort.
Though the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort opened in 2012, its design seamlessly blends Art Deco-inspired elements with fine art and clean, modern lines. Created by architecture firm Sieger Suarez Architectural Partnership and featuring interiors by the award-winning interior design firm of Yabu Pushelberg, the 27-story resort features one-of-a-kind materials like South African Movingui wood and Chinese God’s Flower Stone Marble. The resort is furnished with mirrored surfaces, a gray-and-blue color scheme, and dramatic crystal chandeliers. Its design is a nod to Morris Lapidus, the famed architect whose 1950’s-era hotel designs have become synonymous with Miami.
Hotel Edison
228 W 47th Street, New York, NY 10036
- Hotel Edison, in New York City. Image courtesy of Triumph Hotels.
- Hotel Edison, in New York City. Image courtesy of Triumph Hotels.
Built in 1931 in the same grand Art Deco style as Radio City Music Hall, the lobby of Hotel Edison continues the motif with murals of New York City in its Art Deco prime, featuring Joe Dimaggio, Cab Calloway and the Rockettes. Hotel Edison was named after inventor Thomas Edison himself, who turned the lights on for its opening night using a remote control from his home in New Jersey. The hotel has appeared in movies such as “The Godfather,” “Bullets over Broadway” and “Birdman.” Its 900 guest rooms are decorated with antique-style furnishings yet still have all of the modern bells and whistles.
The Raleigh Miami Beach
1775 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
- Hotel entrance. Image courtesy of The Raleigh Miami Beach.
- The Raleigh's famous pool. Image courtesy of The Raleigh Miami Beach.
Chic yet unpretentious, and historic while tastefully modern, The Raleigh has long been an icon of South Beach Art Deco. Its famous pool was named “The Most Beautiful Pool in America” by Life Magazine in 1947 and has been the setting of several movies and posh parties. Opened in 1942, The Raleigh was one of the last masterpieces of L. Murray Dixon, a legendary Art Deco architect. The 105 rooms at the hotel are furnished with elegant Art Deco interiors, with other original touches like porthole windows on the hotel’s north façade and wood paneling in the lobby.
Carlyle Hotel
35 East 76th Street, New York, NY 10021
- Image courtesy of The Carlyle.
- Bemelmans Bar, featuring artwork by Ludwig Bemelmans himself. Image courtesy of The Carlyle.
Nestled in the heart of the Upper East Side, the Carlyle Hotel is an emblem of New York glamour, luxury and Art Deco style. Named for famed Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle, the hotel was designed and completed by noted architectural firm Bien & Prince in 1930. The Carlyle features breathtaking views of Central Park and the city itself. Every president since Truman has stayed here, in addition to visiting royals like The Prince of Wales, the late Princess Diana, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as well as the Kings and Queens of Denmark, Greece, Spain and Sweden. The hotel houses Bemelmans Bar, named after Ludwig Bemelmans, creator of the classic Madeline book series, whose murals adorn the walls. Instead of being paid for his art, Bemelmans exchanged his work for a year and a half of accommodations at the Carlyle for himself and his family. The bar maintains its Art Deco legacy with chocolate brown leather banquettes, nickel-trimmed glass tabletops, and a 24-karat gold leaf-covered ceiling. The Carlyle is also home to one of the finest cabarets in the city, the Café Carlyle. Eartha Kitt, Dixie Carter and Bobby Short have all headlined here.
www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/the-carlyle-new-york
The Sagamore
1671 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
- Image by Phillip Pessar, via Flickr.com.
The Sagamore is an all-suite hotel situated within the historic Miami Beach Art Deco district. Also known as “The Art Hotel,” the Sagamore sets itself apart by its iconic whitewash façade and the major works of art house inside. The Cricket Taplin Collection of contemporary art is on display throughout the Sagamore, curated by hotel owners Cricket and Marty Taplin. Pieces in the collection range from videos in the garden to murals in the stairwell. The Sagamore also hosts other art exhibitions, such as the upcoming Femme Fatale show, a curated international group show which will be opening November 29, 2016.
Waldorf Astoria, New York
301 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022
- The Waldorf Astoria Park Avenue entrance. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
- The Waldorf main lobby, with clock, marble columns, and ceiling details are all indicative of the Art Deco design. Image courtesy of Host to the World.
The legendary Waldorf Astoria hotel occupies an entire city block in Manhattan. It first opened in 1893 at a different location, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street, but moved to its current home in 1931, where it opened as the tallest and largest hotel in the world at the time. The Waldorf Astoria has incredible Art Deco features, including Nina Saemundsson’s Spirit of Achievement statue above the main entrance on Park Ave, and The Wheel of Life mosaic by Louis Rigal in the center of the Park Avenue foyer. Saemundsson’s nickel-and-bronze female figure is meant to symbolize human ambition, achievement, progress and innovation. Rigal, a French artist, participated in the 1925 Paris exposition from which Art Deco derived its name. Conrad Hilton called the Waldorf Astoria “the greatest of them all,” and realized his lifelong ambition by adding the hotel to his collection. The hotel is planning on closing its doors for up to three years this spring to turn many of its rooms into luxury condos.
The Betsy–South Beach
1440 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139
- Rendering of what the new Betsy-South Beach will look like when merged with the Carlton. Image courtesy The Betsy-South Beach.
Also located in the Art Deco District, historic boutique hotel The Betsy is currently undergoing a groundbreaking expansion led by architect Allan T. Shulman and designers Diamante Perdersoli and Carmelina Santoro to merge it with the Carlton Hotel. The new complex will house 128 guestrooms with 25 suites, a rooftop pool complex, and more. While the original Betsy building is not Art Deco, the historic Carlton building is an example of traditional iconic Art Deco style, and is deemed The Betsy’s “Art Deco Wing.”
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach
1 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139
- Image courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach.
- The Ritz-Carlton South Beach’s “wall of lights,” designed by the legendary Morris Lapidus. Image courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach.
Originally called the DiLido Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach was built in the Art Deco aesthetic by Morris Lapidus in 1953. The 375-room hotel has terrazzo floors, Venetian plaster accents, curved cherry wood walls lit by domed sconces, and houses a $2 million original art collection featuring emerging and established artists. With its Art Deco district address sitting among the pastel palette skyline of Miami Beach, the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach was designed in the heyday of postmodernism style, boasting a glamorous past and a contemporary spirit.
