You may have noticed that we were closed for two weeks over Christmas. We decided to escape the weather and spent the last 2 weeks of December in Miami and the Florida Keys. Technically December is low season and a bit chilly by Florida standards, but Mr Dagger and I found it to be the perfect temperature, probably because we're both pasty brits, who turn lobster red at the first sign of spring.

We’re big fans of Art Deco architecture, so it made sense for us to visit Miami, which has one of the largest concentrations of this architecture style, in the world.

Art Deco buildings are characterized by their bold geometric shapes, pastel colours, and sleek, streamlined forms, often featuring decorative elements like terrazzo floors, neon signage, and stylized motifs. Many of Miami’s beachfront hotels are Streamline Moderne,  with rounded corners and nautical themes, much like Saltdean Lido which we wrote about in 2019, before it’s amazing renovation was completed (and is due a re-visit!).

We stayed on Ocean Drive, which runs alongside South Beach and which forms part of Miami’s famous Art Deco district, home to over 800 historic buildings, and which has been on the register of historic places since 1979.

Not all of the buildings are Art Deco, including the Betsy Hotel, which was designed by L. Muray Dixon, in classic Florida-Georgian style (whatever that is!) and which opened in 1942, quickly becoming the home to American troops, when Miami beach was turned into a military training ground, during WWII. It’s now a fantastic boutique hotel which we were lucky enough to call home for the duration of our stay. 

We really didn't have enough time to do everything we wanted and missed some of Miami's best bits, including Wynwood Walls (very disappointed!) so we have to go back, which is just awful ;)

Anyway here are just a few of our holiday snaps:

Photography by Nick Miners