History

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 HOTEL - PART OF MIAMI BEACH'S HISTORY

1920s

1920: 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 1930s, 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.

1930s

1935: Ocean Drive’s historic Art Deco skyline begins to take shape with the addition of other hotels

1940s

1940: L. Murray Dixon builds The Betsy Ross Hotel

1942: The Betsy Ross Hotel opens

1942: US troops stationed at The Betsy Hotel during WWII

1946: "Trunkline to Sunshine," non-stop service to Miami ushers in a new era of tourism

1948: The Betsy begins its decade of management by the Lipman Family

1950s

1952: Esther Williams' Million Dollar Mermaid, which was shot in Miami, opens at the Box Office

1960s

1960: Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack perform at the Fontainebleau in Miami

1964: The Beatles come to Miami Beach to perform on the Ed Sullivan show

1964: The Jackie Gleason show moves to Miami Beach

1965: The AFL grants Miami an expansion franchise, the Dolphins

1970s

1970: The Betsy Ross Hotel is added to the State Registry of Historic Places

1972: Gloria Steinem headquarters NOW at The Betsy Ross Hotel during the Democratic Convention

1980s

1980: Amid numerous Art Deco revival movements, The Betsy Ross Hotel maintains its classic Florida-Georgian architectural façade.

1985: 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.

1990s

1993: The Florida Marlins are established as Major League Baseball’s newest professional team

2000

2002: Art Basel and Miami Beach join forces to present one of the world’s premier international art shows

2003: The Betsy Ross Hotel undergoes a complete exterior restoration while maintaining its original façade

2005: 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

2006: Restored as a luxury boutique hotel, The Betsy Ross Hotel becomes The Betsy Hotel South Beach

2009: The Betsy Hotel reopens after a complete renovation

2010: The Betsy receives worldwide recognition for consummate design and luxury hospitality, including four separate Condé Nast Hot List Designations: US, UK, Italy, and Spain (see Press page on this website for up to date coverage)

2011: The Betsy is host hotel for O, Miami, Miami's community wide Poetry Series hosting United States Poet Laureate WS Merwin and James Franco.

2012: The Betsy opens the Writer's Room which has since welcomed 500 writers in residence.

Reminiscent of a grand colonial estate, this historic landmark hotel perpetuates vintage glamour.
- Azure Azure