The Meridian Hotel

Opened in 2016, the The Meridian Hotel is reminiscent of a hip urban hotel in Europe. It's compact but well-designed, with lots of sleek minimalist furniture and trendy accents such as dog and Buddha sculptures, a Tom Ford book, and a front desk made up of old-fashioned leather trunks. Its entrance is on a quiet, tree-lined street in the affluent SoFi neighborhood of Miami, but it's also off a main road, which can cause noise issues at times. The lobby acts as an all-in-one lounge, cafe, and co-working space, with a small corner housing some seating, a wooden communal table where guests either eat breakfast or type away on a laptop, and a counter for to-go espresso drinks or the welcome mojito cocktails. Out the back leads to a pleasant terrace with shaded and open seating as well as the pool and adjacent "Chillout Room." The chic design and affordable rates make this is a stellar pick for travelers who don't mind walking just under 10 minutes to the beach, or being removed from the more popular clubs.

As its name implies, this is an urban hotel, situated about a nine-minute walk from the beach. Specifically, guests get free beach loungers at Esteban's Place near the 3rd Street Beach Access. The hotel's entrance is on the quiet Meridian Ave, but adjacent is 5th Street, which can lead to traffic noise. Several fine-dining eateries, cool bars, and popular shops are within a 10- to 15-minute walk. However, the hot spots of South Beach and numerous stores along Lincoln Road are closer to a 20- to 25-minute walk away. Artsy Wynwood is a 20-minute drive away, while Miami International Airport is a 30-minute drive.

All of the 71 rooms here have the same modern and minimalist design. The neutral-tone spaces have light-wood floors, clean-lined wood furniture in varying stains, and white walls. There's no decor really, aside from some cool modern lamps and woven rugs. Also on the downside, they have some visible wear and cleanliness issues, plus traffic noise can disturb some guests. Nevertheless, beds are comfortable, and blackout curtains help keep morning light from getting inside. White subway-tiled bathrooms have showers, upscale C.O. Bigelow toiletries, and hairdryers. Also standard are work desks, big flat-screen TVs, reliable free Wi-Fi, mini-fridges, and closets with ironing equipment and digital laptop-sized safes. Some upgraded units add espresso machines and furnished balconies. the Terrace unit has an outdoor hot tub. Otherwise, there are no tubs in rooms.

Pet-friendly rooms are available.

This small boutique offers a few quality features for leisure and business travelers. Despite it not being along the beach, each room comes with two free loungers at a nearby beach club, Esteban's Place. Guests grab beach towels from the front desk. For a dip on-site, there's a second-level plunge pool, which is small and narrow, but sufficient for cooling off. The surrounding deck has loungers -- a limited number, though -- and there's an adjacent "Chillout Room" with seating, books, and a projector.

For on-site dining, the lobby cafe Food Marchand is open all day, serving fare such as avocado toast and eggs to salads and sandwiches. Smoothies, a variety of coffee and espresso beverages, wine, and beer are also on offer. Room service from partner eateries is available as well. Minibar is a small bar with fun tropical wallpaper and chic patterned floor tiling, open from late-afternoon to early in the morning. A variety of drinks and casual food items are available, as are indoor and outdoor seating.

There are no spa or fitness center on-site, but guests do receive free passes to a Crunch gym. Other freebies include fast Wi-Fi, welcome mojitos, coffee, tea, and water in the lobby, and use of first-come, first-served bicycles (there were 12 during our stay). Parking is valet-only for a hefty fee; note that it's with a third-party vendor, and wait times for cars can be long.