Miami Nice

Take it easy or kick it up a notch by the pool in South Beach

As longtime Miami resident Gloria Estefan would say, the rhythm is gonna get you. And in South Beach, world famous for its classic art deco architecture, Crayola color schemes, and impossibly lithe bodies, it couldn’t be easier to find the beat.

Just spend some time at any of Miami Beach’s beautiful oceanfront hotels — vintage or brand new — and you’ll quickly discover that the essential gathering place at each is a seductive, over-the-top swimming pool. In other cities, pool designers focus on the basics of sunning and swimming. But in South Beach, taking a dip is just the appetizer. These delightful, one-of-a-kind pools — some of which are open to non-guests — have become a prime venue for eating, pampering, clubbing, and conducting some very glamorous business.

Each pool has a character — and a clientele — all its own. Want to party into the night? Take the elevator to the rooftop pool at the Gansevoort South. Fly under the radar? Pull up a deck chair at the Setai. Experience Miami Beach’s original 1950s heyday? Settle into a poolside banquette at the Raleigh. Pretend you own a luxury condo in the city? Kick back at the Tides. It’s up to you.

Forties Glam

If you want to experience old-world Miami Beach, it’s tough to beat the Raleigh (305.534.6300, raleighhotel.com). Built in 1940 by one of South Beach’s most acclaimed architects, Lawrence Murray Dixon, the Raleigh is home to one of Miami Beach’s most famous swimming pools.

Screen idol Esther Williams swam here. Modern-day synchronized swimmers perform here on New Year’s Eve. But nothing prepares you for the atmosphere. The Raleigh feels frozen in time, namely, the 1940s and 50s. You might expect to see the Rat Pack — or a gaggle of old-school gangsters — misbehaving at the bar. In fact, the lobby’s only nod to the 21st century is an eight-stool coffee nook.

Walk through the 104-room hotel to the famed oceanfront pool, however, and it’s easy to see why this has become one of the most photographed backdrops in all of Miami Beach. The fleur-de-lis lagoon pool, surrounded by lush tropical foliage, is simply a stunner. I can imagine Hollywood film crews capturing swimming sensation Williams as she performed her synchronized routines here in the late 1940s. Williams filmed so many scenes here that the hotel named a suite after her.

As I walk around the pool, I can also understand why modern-day photographers favor this beguiling setting. “The models may live in New York or L.A.,” says one cabbie. “But they work here.”

Beyond Infinity

An imposing, 334-room newcomer on the upper reaches of Collins Avenue, the Gansevoort South (305.604.1000, gansevoortsouth.com) is a Miami Beach outpost of the flashy New York hotel. Gansevoort, I am told, is a Dutch word for the head duck, the one at the peak when the flock flies in a V formation. The name itself is unique enough. But in Miami, that’s just the beginning. The hotel’s circular drive leads you to a single, shocking blue upholstered door that opens — Alice in Wonderland–style — into a brave new world.

On the third level, a 50,000-square-foot deck surrounds a massive infinity edge pool that makes you feel as if you could swim right into the ocean. But I want to see the hotel’s crown jewel, the adults-only rooftop pool. A pulsating elevator whisks you up to the 18th floor. When you step out, the bird’s-eye view of one of the world’s most famous strips of sand is simply spectacular. Up and down the beach, you see hotels lined up like soldiers guarding the sand, while massive cruise ships inch their way out to sea.

The 110-foot-long rooftop pool is perpendicular to the ocean and flanked by silver chaise lounges and semi-private cabanas sporting red, yellow, orange, and lavender curtains. Underfoot, soft Brazilian wood cushions your every step. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear you were on the deck of a luxury yacht — if that yacht were sailing 18 stories up.

Thick cotton towels are laid out like sheets to cover the lounge furniture’s deep foam padding. As I gaze slack-jawed at the view and enjoy the soft warm breezes, a champagne cart with choices including Veuve Clicquot and Perrier Jouët arrives to demolish any remaining memory of the workweek just past.

On the rooftop deck, the hotel offers a complimentary hair conditioning treatment, which is little more than an excuse to have all thoughts and worries massaged out of your tired head. Even the men partake of this divine experience. “The tough guys love it,” says hair stylist Russell Aguvayev, who claims to have massaged the head of Tony Soprano himself, James Gandolfini.

Later in the day a handful of workers show up — some in snorkeling gear — to set up a runway traversing the length of the pool. My visit coincides with Fashion Week in Miami, and this evening, the glitterati will celebrate MET, an Italian maker of impossibly skinny, rhinestone-embossed jeans. The rooftop, I’m told, has become an important destination for all manner of night crawlers, including A-list celebrities.

Unlike the tents at New York’s Bryant Park, which serve as a centralized hub for New York Fashion Week, the shows here are spread out among the upscale hotels. But no tent in the world could hold a candle to a balmy Miami night outdoors. The models sashay down the runway in sky-high heels, the skinny jeans, and little else. Yet few in the crowd pay attention because as the sun goes down, intoxicating ribbons of pink and purple swirl through cirrus clouds.

Under the Radar

The Setai (305.520.6000, setai.com) is a resort where peace and quiet are revered, where Asian design influences and clean, uncluttered lines contribute to the feeling of serenity — and where celebrities can fly under the radar.

On the day I arrive, a dozen guests are scattered among the Setai’s three large rectangular pools, which are identical except that each is kept at a different temperature. Staff members gently guide guests to the choice — 75, 85, or 95 degrees — that best suits their needs. Serious swimmers like the cooler temps; those into meditation, or just paddling around, prefer something a little closer to bathtub temperature.

Two big stars are enjoying these pools today. One of them, pop siren Beyoncé Knowles, occupies a daybed next to — wouldn’t you know it? — the coolest pool. Nobody bothers her, and it’s obvious she feels no need to go incognito here. Sitting alone, she wears a simple, salmon-colored one-piece suit and big shades and reads a book. That night, she’ll be honored at a benefit for a local children’s hospital.

The other celebrity on the scene is hip-hop pioneer and fashion designer Russell Simmons, who is having what appears to be a business lunch at the outdoor poolside restaurant. Nobody bothers him, either. And I’ll bet he appreciates it, because later tonight, this quiet scene will give way to a raucous, ear-splitting event he’s organized: an upscale men’s fashion show in the hotel’s courtyard.

But for now, all is deliciously serene. I choose the warmest pool and settle back into a plush, oversized daybed. Mari, a Balinese staff member, produces a basket with suntan lotion, a spray bottle of Evian water, and a cool, wet washcloth. She asks if she can apply the suntan lotion — the Setai calls this the Suntan Butler Service — and does so generously, making me feel like a 7-year-old about to be let loose on the beach to play.

But before I can move, more helpers arrive to put me into a state of bliss with two more poolside treatments: reflexology and a mani-pedi. Once again, the women at the pool aren’t the only ones partaking of the pampering. One man, relaxing with the New York Times Arts & Leisure section, is getting a foot massage. A waiter circulates with a tray of complimentary mint tea, frozen and crushed into an icy, refreshing slush. The consistency holds up for only a few short minutes in the blazing Miami sun, but the drink is so good there is little danger it will stay in the glass that long.

Small Wonder

Want to pretend you’re staying in your own private, luxurious oceanfront condo? Head for the Tides South Beach (305.604.5070, tidessouthbeach.com). A delightful alternative to the hustle and bustle of the big hotels, the Tides is a wonderfully private, stylish retreat that attracts a quiet, upscale crowd. “The New Yorkers love it,” I hear one guest remark, “because the rooms have more square footage than their apartments back home.”

The place oozes glamour and unpretentious chic. Its 45 remarkably spacious suites, all configured to provide ocean views, have been redone by famed modern interior designer Kelly Wearstler, one of the judges on Bravo’s Top Design. The hotel’s predominant sand tones are offset by splashes of sunset colors, faux animal prints, and textural elements from the sea. Beige in this setting is the furthest thing from boring.

Then there’s the charm of the surrounding neighborhood. In stark contrast to the high-rise hotels on Collins Avenue, the southern reaches of South Beach have a more human scale. The area still has that playground-to-the-world vibe. But in the past 20 years, there has been an intense focus on both historical preservation and urban renovation. Many of the area’s famed art deco buildings — including the Tides — have undergone major facelifts. In fall 2007, the hotel reopened after a yearlong renovation designed to reinvent it as a boutique getaway.

Nothing reflects that boutique feeling more than the swimming pool. A sandy-colored retreat, the soothing, intimate swimming pool sits at the back of the property. There’s no ocean view, but swimmers enjoy complete privacy and can order up every imaginable spa treatment poolside. Thick beige towels are stacked 20 deep on all sides of the pool.

After soaking up the sun, I head inside to the main floor’s ocean-view dining room, La Marea. The restaurant’s philosophy, a quote from novelist Virginia Woolf, is spelled out on the inside cover of the menu: “One cannot think well, love well, and sleep well, if one has not dined well.” I settle on the lobster medallion for an appetizer; warm beet and goat cheese salad; tortellini stuffed with braised short ribs that have been cooking for six hours; pan-seared Pacific halibut; and, for dessert, a molten chocolate cake with homemade coffee ice cream. Woolf would be pleased with how well one can dine here.

As the night deepens and soft lamps replace the fading light, well-heeled couples start filling nearby tables. Even after cocktails and appetizers, the noise level in the room never rises above a hush. What a perfectly peaceful way to end the day.

Sunshine, I’m told, is on tap for tomorrow. So we can all head back out to the pool.

Getting There: Continental offers daily nonstop service to Miami from its hubs in Houston, New York/Newark, and Cleveland.

More Pools with Punch

The Delano, another Miami Beach classic with an indoor/outdoor lobby, likes to describe its pool area as a “water salon.” And if having soothing music piped underwater floats your boat, this is the pool for you. 305.672.2000, delano-hotel.com

Locals refer to the Shore Club as the party hotel. And its pool area certainly fills the bill. Two elevated infinity edge pools and a hot tub are surrounded by enormous custom tufted beds. Club music plays loudly enough to hear next door at the Setai. 305.695.3100, shoreclub.com

Opening in April, Tempo Miami will be an ultra-modern 67-story hotel and residential complex overlooking Biscayne Bay in the heart of Miami’s cultural center. Choose from three different pools: a 14th-floor sky pool with water views on three sides, a sunrise infinity edge pool, and a sunset lagoon pool. 305.396.4082, tempomiami.rockresorts.com — D.S.S.