A Historic Oceanfront Hotel
Built in 1942 by L. Murray Dixon, the architect responsible for many famous Miami Beach Art Deco hotels, The Betsy stands as the lone surviving example of Florida Georgian architecture on Ocean Drive today. Enamored with "the colonial chic" of the post Great Depression era, Dixon's 'betsy Ross Hotel' has an expansive four-column portico and signature shuttered windows.
Located at the edge of the water with an Ocean Deck that peers three stories above the Atlantic, The Betsy is a historic boutique hotel that combines 21st century technology with the architecture and grace of yesteryear.
The Betsy completes a groundbreaking expansion, connecting The Betsy to the former Carlton Hotel, the two buildings are joined by an orb-shaped sky bridge already being celebrated as an important piece of Miami Beach public art.
The Betsy is host hotel for O, Miami, Miami's community wide Poetry Series hosting United States Poet Laureate WS Merwin and James Franco.
The Betsy receives worldwide recognition for consummate design and luxury hospitality, including four separate Condé Nast Hot List Designations: US, UK, Italy, and Spain.
The Betsy opens the Writer's Room, which has since welcomed 500 writers in residence.
The Betsy Hotel re-opens after a complete renovation.
Restored as a luxury boutique hotel, The Betsy Ross Hotel becomes The Betsy Hotel South Beach.
MTV Video Music Awards are held at the American Airlines Arena. Miami is the first city outside of New York and Los Angeles to host the Awards.
The Betsy Ross Hotel undergoes a complete exterior restoration while maintaining its original façade.
Art Basel and Miami Beach join forces to present one of the world's premier international art shows.
The Florida Marlins are established as Major League Baseball's newest professional team.
Renowned fashion photographer Bruce Weber chose Miami Beach for Calvin Klein's 'Obsession,' spurring an onslaught of fashion photography shoots in the Art Deco District.
Amid numerous Art Deco revival movements, The Betsy Ross Hotel maintains its classic Florida-Georgian architectural façade.
Gloria Steinem headquarters NOW at The Betsy Ross Hotel during the Democratic Convention.
The Betsy Ross Hotel is added to the State Registry of Historic Places.
The AFL grants Miami an expansion franchise, the Dolphins.
The Beatles come to Miami Beach to perform on the Ed Sullivan show.
The Jackie Gleason show moves to Miami Beach.
Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack perform at the Fontainebleau in Miami.
Esther Williams' 'Million Dollar Mermaid,' which was shot in Miami, opens at the Box Office.
The Betsy begins its decade of management by the Libman Family.
"Trunkline to Sunshine," non-stop service to Miami ushers in a new era of tourism.
The Betsy Ross hotel opens and US troops are stationed at The Betsy Hotel during WWII.
L. Murray Dixon builds The Betsy Ross Hotel.
Ocean Drive's historic Art Deco skyline begins to take shape.
The Town of Miami Beach is incorporated
The 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in the 1920's ushered in a period of nostalgia for the early years of the nation. John D Rockefeller's restoration of Colonial Williamsburg was a prime case in point. Completed in the 1930's it served as a catalyst for other historic preservation efforts around the country.
The past was renovated and gussied up, perhaps to magnify it as a way of renewing the faith of Americans struggling to emerge from the Great Depression. Everything from restaurants to furniture was re-created in a colonial image, and even Hollywood provided its powerful endorsement of colonial style.
