Picolo recommends · Hotel in Miami, Florida
The Setai
Step in from Collins Avenue and the noise of South Beach drops away, replaced by a dim lobby, still water and three pools leading down to the sand.
Outside, Collins Avenue hums with traffic and music. Inside The Setai, the light is low, the voices are soft and the courtyard garden, with its Asian influences, leads you, step by step, towards the ocean. The change happens within a few paces of the door.
The hotel joins a carefully restored Art Deco building at the front with a slender tower behind it. Between them and the beach lie three pools, each kept at its own temperature, so you can choose cool or warm.
Picolo’s verdict
Why we chose The Setai
We chose The Setai because it solves the classic South Beach problem: you want to be in the middle of things, but you also want to sleep. Here the design does the work, and the calm feels deliberate rather than dull.
This is one of the dearer addresses in Miami Beach, and the atmosphere is hushed by design. If you are travelling with friends and want music by the pool and a crowd at the bar, you will find it too quiet.
What you get
- Three pools at different temperatures
- Courtyard garden with Asian influences
- Loungers on the beach
- Restored Art Deco building and tower
- Discreet, attentive service
A day at The Setai
- Morning
- An early swim in the coolest of the three pools before the beach fills up.
- Midday
- A walk south along the sand to look at the pastel facades of the Art Deco district.
- Afternoon
- Shade in the courtyard garden while the heat is at its worst.
- Evening
- Dinner out on South Beach, then back through the quiet lobby.
Location
South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Open in MapsQuestions about The Setai
Is The Setai right on the beach?
Yes. The pools lead straight down to the sand on South Beach, and the hotel has loungers set out on the beach for guests.
Is The Setai good for a party weekend?
Not really. The mood is calm and grown up, with a dark, quiet lobby. Groups after nightlife will be happier at a livelier hotel on Ocean Drive or Collins Avenue.
What makes the pools at The Setai different?
There are three of them, each held at a different temperature, set between the buildings and the beach so you can move from cool to warm.
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Updated 6 Nov 2026All articles
How Picolo chooses
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