The Vagabond Hotel

Ah, the Vagabond Hotel. Despite what the (historic) sign out front says, it’s not a “motel” anymore, mind you, and not to be confused with Vagabond Inns — and it’s nowhere near South Beach, but on Biscayne Boulevard, in the city’s slowly awakening Upper East Side. It’s got ’50s roots — the Vagabond was one of many family-friendly motels that popped up in Miami to cater to the postwar surge of road-trip tourists, and in short order, it was hosting the likes of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.

But like many vintage landmarks, the motel fell into disrepair. Fast forward to the future: after sitting empty for years, the MiMO icon got the star treatment, and it reopened in 2014. To considerable fanfare, indeed — at least among the design set. The architectural style looks lifted out of a storyboard from The Jetsons: geometric and sculptural, with an open-air plan and overhanging roof lines, plus the occasional nautically inspired design element, just for good measure. Kitschy-cool guest rooms are visions in aqua-blue, magenta, and crisp white, featuring original terrazzo and wood flooring, Italian beds, hand-drawn geometric wall murals, eco-friendly bath products, and mid-century modern furnishings, custom-made for the hotel. Free wi-fi and flat-screen Smart TV, check, and check.

Outside, the swimming pool and surrounding lounge area might make you wish you’d rethought your choices for swimwear and sunglasses. It’s retro with a millennial twist: look for the beautifully restored mermaid and dolphin mosaics on your way to the pool bar for a Vagabond Collins. Don’t expect meatloaf or chicken pot pie at the Vagabond Restaurant, though; the cuisine is Asian- and Latin-American inspired. All told, the multimillion-dollar restoration heralds a shift for the neighborhood — the time to be an early adopter is now.