PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

This hotel is a victory for Ocean Drive, a street which hasn't seen a fabulous new hotel since The Tides. A sexy hotel with actual substance, Hotel Victor is a hyper luxe, 91-room boutique hotel designed by Parisian Jacques Garcia -- this is his first hotel foray in the United States. Best known for his design work at Paris's tragically hip Hôtel Costes and the discriminating Sultan of Brunei, Garcia has lent his exquisite taste to this hotel located on the notoriously tacky Ocean Drive. Located directly across from the ocean and next to the legendary Versace mansion (now a private club), Hotel Victor stands apart from the rest of the cookie cutter minimalist Miami hotels, breaking from bare minimalism and daring to go bold with color and rich fabrics. The opulent lobby is inviting and sceney, with lounges on two levels and an Asian motif, with a large jellyfish tank and hanging lamps resembling the stinging creatures. What also stings is the price tag here, but you're paying for the privilege of staying in a hotel that greets guests with personalized, wireless check in, among other things. Deluxe rooms are just that, all with ocean views and with rich colored satin headboards and curtain trim, white marble, ebony lacquered furniture, a full -- not mini -- bar, flatscreen plasma TVs and massive white marbled bathrooms with infinity edge bathtubs and rainfall shower heads. If you can afford it, choose a Pool Bungalow room, with private outdoor shower and terraces leading to the pool area. Ocean Suites feature infinity edge tubs and panoramic views of the ocean. And if you think the inside is sexy, wait until you see the outdoor area, where the gorgeous, second level, oceanview pool is surrounded by oversized daybeds and cabana tents, which, at night turn into a lush VIP lounge for those who rate. The hotel's upscale bistro, Vix, is also a magnet for the fabulati, but the Turkish Spa is the hottest spot, with its large, unisex steam room, Turkish hammam, and heated marble slabs.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's South Florida including Miami and Keys, 5th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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