The Vagabond Hotel Miami

The Vagabond Hotel is an icon of midcentury modern architecture in the "MiMo on BiBo" area, short for Miami Modern on Biscayne Boulevard. The owners went to great lengths to preserve the feel of the 1950s, reusing original wood flooring and terrazzo tiles. They also salvaged furnishings and fixtures to retain the retro look, like the old-school Vagabond Motel sign. Reopened in 2014, the restoration still feels fresh. The interiors look like a backdrop for an episode of "Mad Men," if they had Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and elliptical machines back then. The hotel is U-shaped around its focal point -- the outdoor pool. Check-in is on one side of the horseshoe, and the restaurant is on the other. Each side has that retro flair. At the restaurant, starburst light fixtures with filament bulbs bathe the room in a cool glow that highlights the celestial orbit patterns etched into the ceiling. While the check-in side has common areas with sculptural chrome-based coffee tables and bold wall art. On weekends there's a DJ in the outdoor bar, all adding up to the kind of ambience that attracts more couples and solo travelers than families. 

The 27-block historic district that is MiMo, the Vagabond's neighborhood, is worth exploring if you love midcentury modern chic. The area abounds with yoga studios, live-music venues, and tapas bars. And if you do want to venture to the surrounding environs, Bayfront Park is 14 minutes away, in a straight line down Biscayne Boulevard. Or the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens can be reached in 13 minutes by car. Other major attractions are also nearby -- Miami Beach is just 17 minutes away by car -- but only when there's no traffic, which is a factor here. Public transit is nearby, but it's not terrifically convenient (something that's 20 minutes away by car can take an hour on public transit, and often multiple transfers). The Vagabond can be considered close to the airport -- it's just a 12-minute drive to Miami International (traffic permitting)

Playful, retro decor in its guest rooms is what sets this hotel apart from other three-pearl properties in the area. While everything feels like a throwback to a bygone era, nothing feels outdated. Headboards and dressers give doses of Robin's egg blue, amping up the vintage vibe. White bedding is topped by sunny yellow pillows and bracketed by zippy red bedside lights. Plastic molded Saarinen chairs or wire-framed Knoll chairs add some designer luxe to spaces. All the rooms have flat-screen TVs, safes, and work desks, while higher categories add mini-fridges and coffeemakers. Housekeeping also leaves behind Hershey's kisses, a welcome touch. Rooms do have their quirks: Canvas wardrobes serve as the closets, and in the standard rooms, showers and toilets (enclosed behind doors) open directly onto the main room versus being grouped together in a bathroom. (Upper categories do have separate bathrooms.) Showers sport rainforest heads and hand wands, and come with eco-friendly toiletries, and hairdryers. Black-and-white checkerboard flooring and starburst sconce light fixtures keep up the midcentury feel even in these spaces. Be aware that some travelers have complained of thin walls that don't block out pool party scenes or noisy neighbors.

The Vagabond curves around its central feature, an outdoor pool with a mosaic mermaid set into its floor, but the main attraction is the bar and music. Depending on the traveler, this either puts the party right at your doorstep, or makes for noisy nights.  The 120-seat restaurant, with its sleek, black-and-white Saarinen chairs and wood tables atop narrow pedestals, is pricier than you might expect at a mid-range hotel, but also well-reviewed. It's open to the public so reservations are a good idea. Despite the hipster menu here and in the poolside bar -- both serve items such as tuna poke toast -- the hotel's free breakfast is basic, just English muffins, bagels, yogurt, coffee, and orange juice.Unlike most three-pearl hotels in Miami, the Vagabond Hotel has a fitness center and meeting space. The fitness center is modest in size, but it's well-equipped with cardio machines and free weights. The meeting rooms carry the same funky, colorful decor as the rest of the property, making it a refreshing place to brainstorm. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, and a lobby computer with printer access is available for guests' use.