What to expect: During the week, guests are primarily business travelers. On weekends, vacationers take advantage of the hotel's proximity to Coconut Grove's nightlife and its easy access to downtown Miami, Coral Gables, and Miami Beach. The hotel's Italian Renaissance style is inspired by nearby Villa Vizcaya, a lavish mansion built in the early 1900s and surrounded by formal gardens.

Amenity highlights: The hotel caters to both business travelers and vacationers, putting a premium on service from the moment guests enter the cathedral-like lobby, with its towering palms and view of the courtyard waterfall. Guests exercise in the 5,000-square-foot fitness center and take classes such as yoga and Pilates (surcharges for classes), or swim in the outdoor pool. The boutique spa offers a menu of massages and signature body and facial treatments.

Insider tip: The hotel is located 2 blocks from CocoWalk, an indoor-outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment center in the heart of Coconut Grove. CocoWalk is built around an open courtyard full of vendors' carts and has several outdoor cafés, a multiplex, sidewalk entertainers, and 30 stores and restaurants. It's a lively destination well into the night.

What to expect: Two bubbling fountains border the entry to the 17-story Alexander Oceanfront Resort, which primarily hosts leisure travelers. A soaring, curved wooden staircase delivers guests to the mezzanine level and the resort's shops and restaurants. Large, wood-framed French doors bring in natural light and warmth to the lobby.

Amenity highlights: Two freeform outdoor pools with cascading waterfalls, and two spa tubs set in a tropical garden, are available to guests. An aqua-sports center, located on the resort's private white-sand beach, supplies wave runners, Hobie cats, paddleboats, and volleyballs (surcharges for all equipment).

Insider tip: For guests visiting the area for the first time, a city tour of Miami gives a great overview of the color and personality of this diverse metropolis. Bus and motor coach tours of Miami and Bayside include the Port of Miami, Little Havana and Calle Ocho, South Beach's Art Deco District, Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne, the International Tennis Center, Brickell Avenue, and Coral Gables.

What to expect: Towering 36 stories above Brickell Avenue, this ultramodern hotel welcomes business and leisure guests. Panoramic views of Miami and Biscayne Bay greet guests as they register on the 25th floor. Sunlight pours through the lobby atrium with its soaring palm trees and retro furnishings. A restaurant, bar, and outdoor patio offer superb city and bay views.

Amenity highlights: The spa on the 24th floor offers more than 60 health and skin treatments in 10 treatment rooms. A fitness center provides strength-training equipment and offers personal training and nutrition consultations. A lap pool, spa tub, and two tennis courts are located on the 14th floor of an adjacent building. Wireless Internet access is available (surcharge). Self parking and valet parking are also available (surcharge).

Insider tip: The Miami Seaquarium overlooking Biscayne Bay is four miles away, offering shows, exhibits, and up-close encounters with whales, dolphins, sea lions, and flamingos.