The name is a mouthful and the branding has changed more than once, but the address is what matters: 4343 Collins Avenue puts this hotel directly on the sand in Mid-Beach, the quieter stretch of Miami Beach north of the South Beach crush. The Atlantic is on one side and the boardwalk runs past the door, with the Faena District’s restored art deco theatres and the Fontainebleau within an easy walk. It is an oceanfront position that hotels charging twice the rate would advertise loudly.
The building is a mid-century block rather than a design statement, and the Radisson operation inside is upscale-comfortable rather than five-star: ocean-view rooms in calm neutrals, a rooftop pool, direct beach access with loungers, and a restaurant and bar for days you would rather not move. Set expectations at that level and it holds up well. The rooms facing the water are the ones to book; the city-side rooms are the same box with a car park outlook.
Mid-Beach rewards people who like their beach without the noise. The boardwalk carries you south to the Faena and on to South Beach’s Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive on foot or by bike, the Bass Museum and the Miami Beach Botanical Garden are a short ride, and Collins Avenue’s buses spare you the parking. We would not confuse this with the Faena or the Edition next door, and neither does its rate card, but as a well-placed oceanfront base it earns its keep, particularly out of the winter high season when the sand empties and the prices soften.
