Nautilus Penthouse, Miami, USA

Just to prove how fierce the competition is amongst the hotels strung out along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, the Nautilus South Beach has, barely a year after opening, unveiled a new penthouse and two suites. The latter may have the ocean views, but it’s the eighth-floor penthouse – accessed by a private elevator – that draws the lion share of the attention. 

Here, the in-house design team of the holding group Sixty Hotels has avoided the temptation of overloading the 1,500 sqft space, erring, instead, on the side of an austere mid-century mood layered with nautical tropes of porthole windows, white washed wicker, and potted palms.

Walnut timber floors, Calacatta gold marble, silver travertine and brass set the stage for low-slung furniture, including a sectional couch that turns into a queen-sized bed for party-crashers, a white quartz dining table, and kitchenette. The master bedroom features a lofty double-volumed ceiling, rattan details, and a light-filled marble-lined bathroom. The star attraction, though, is the vast west-facing outdoor deck. Furnished with weathered teak furniture and views of Collins Avenue and water, it just about begs for a party to be held. 

If that still doesn’t thrill, a wooden walkway leads to a private rooftop terrace (shared with guests of the new suites) that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.