The Colony Hotel is one of the fabulous Art Deco hotels along Ocean Drive in Miami South Beach. It was designed by Henry Hohauser in 1935. Hohauser designed many buildings in the South Beach precinct, providing a significant contribution to the Deco heritage of the area.

The building is decorated simply. A large sign dominates the front of the building spelling out “Colony Hotel” in bold letters supported on an inverted ‘T’. There are several series of thin horizontal bands either side of the sign and short vertical bars along the central part of the roofline with a zig-zag pattern on either side.

The windows form recessed horizontal bands with protruding eyebrows providing additional shade from the Florida sun. The eyebrows curve around the sides giving the building a nice profile from street level.

The windows themselves cut through the corner of the hotel but there are also supporting columns giving the overall appearance of a continuous wall.

Walk out through the front door of the Colony Hotel and you are surrounded by hundreds of popular South Beach restaurants and boutique shops, nightclubs and cafes, spas and salons. The beach is just across Ocean Drive. Relax and enjoy the Colony Hotel’s privileged location in comfortable, European-style guest accommodations, which include luxurious oceanfront suites.

At night the character of the whole area changes when the neon is lit. Next time you have a chance to pop into any of the 16-million novelty shops on South beach, take a look at the racks of postcards. Eight out of 10 are going to be pictures of Ocean Drive, lit up in all its nightly extravagance.

Behind the shimmering blue neon, gracious service is a tradition at the Colony Hotel, where an attentive staff makes every guest feel welcome. Immerse yourself in its Art Deco history with a refreshing cocktail in the lobby bar or sit back and enjoy the scene while people watching on the restaurant’s terrace.

