An oasis. This is surely the term that best summarizes the atmosphere and aesthetics of this hotel that appears to have risen out of the golden age of Art Deco and was developed by New York’s The Setai Group. Facing the ocean in the heart of South Beach, Miami, this replica of the old Dempsey Vanderbilt Hotel built in the 30s seems to echo the city’s fabled past. Various oriental elements of design from Shanghai’s Art Deco period offer an additional exotic touch: particularly in the vast lobby, where bronze, imported stone and Asian artefacts set the stage. With its 75 rooms including 50 suites, the hotel also bears the brand, and the unmistakable imprint, of legendary hotelier Adrian Zecha, visionary president of General Hotel Management, which manages 16 palaces worldwide. In the midst of tropical and luxuriant gardens and three large sparkling swimming pools, the rooms have been designed as havens of peace of Zen inspiration: the bathrooms are small private spas, plasma television screens and high-speed Internet access are standard in every room... And if it needed further commendation, rock star Lenny Kravitz was sufficiently seduced by the place’s charisma and serenity to record his latest album.