Townhouse Hotel

The best feature of the Townhouse Hotel is its excellent location on popular Collins Avenue, a short walk to the beach. The unremarkable white building is a good reflection of what you'll find on the inside -- not much. The hotel is austere and minimalist, yet pleasant enough. The lobby has a few comfy couches and wooden tables set up and a funky collage hanging on the wall. As far as public spaces go, guests can either sit in the lobby, or head to the well-equipped rooftop lounge for a drink or to sunbathe on one of the padded lounge chairs. There's not much else on-site, but guests are primarily couples, solo travelers, or friend groups that want an inexpensive stay near the hub of South Beach.

The Townhouse is located in a nook between the Setai and the Shore Club, two of Miami's most stylish hotels, and guests can glimpse the good life by gazing at the neighboring grounds.Although the Townhouse doesn't have private access to the beach, it's just around the corner.Over on Collin's Avenue, the Townhouse is attached to Atrium, an edgy sportswear store from New York. Drunk girls in heels and guys in striped shirts stagger down this part of Collins to hit up the clubs, but it gets much quieter just a few blocks north.

The white, cube-shaped rooms look like a sanatorium, except for the bright red beach ball on the bed. Some guests note that the bed's mattress can be uncomfortably firm, perhaps because the wooden platform doesn't have any slats. The rooms have a couch in the corner that is questionably large enough for adults to sleep on. The covers are either bright red or tan. Though there's some minor wear and tear issues, rooms are mostly clean. Like the rest of the room, bathrooms are white and sterile looking, with showers and rust-covered showerheads. Standard rooms have mini-fridges with bottled water and iPod docking stations. Superior rooms have snacks and stocked mini-fridges, iPod docking stations, in-room safes, and robes.

There's no pool or spa, but the hotel is around the corner from the beach.There's no gym, but the Townhouse bizarrely has stationary bikes hidden behind a beaded curtain at the end of every hallway.With a great view of the beach on one end and the lights of downtown on the other, the rooftop bar is open every weekend to the public and often used during the week to host private events. There are tomato-red deck chairs to loll about in, and a revamped water tower outfitted with sofas for a more intimate setting.The hotel serves a free basic breakfast in the basement. Bagels, cereal, hard-boiled eggs, and pastries are usually provided.Wi-Fi is free but the signal can be weak.