W South Beach

It’s hard to think of a W hotel whose opening was this big a deal. It’s not as though Miami had a shortage of hotel rooms, but the W seems to have touched a nerve — this new Collins Avenue behemoth is so quintessentially South Beach it’s already hard to imagine what the city was like without it.

That means basically everything that’s not white is sky or sea blue, beginning with the exterior of the building itself. It’s sunnier and airier than the usual W, but it’s perfectly suited to the site, the 312 studios and suites subtly mixing a bit of Art Deco in with their state-of-the-art modern-luxe glamour. None of the accommodations are small, but some of the higher-end suites positively sprawl, and the much-remarked-upon Bungalow is something more than a penthouse suite — spreading over three floors, and featuring its own private pool, it’s the sort of lodging you’ll need an entourage to do any justice to.

Of course the common pool deck isn’t exactly rough either, with its arcing rows of loungers and its infinity-edged Atlantic view. By day the action is out here, and by night it spreads to the rest of the W’s dining and drinking venues — this is no place for wallflowers, as the social life is easily half the W’s appeal.