A Place in the Sun

Convivial hospitality and an art-forward vibe combine at this charming property on the shores of South Beach

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I‘VE BEEN STAYING for business in Miami for well over a decade. With the rampant development of, well, everything on the mainland, business travelers have increasingly stayed away from the Beach—and certainly from Ocean Drive. But isn't everything old new again? All those venerable properties along the seafront are springing back to life as South Beach benefits from a $2.5 billion transformation. Rosewood is reimagining that fabulous art deco 1940s landmark hotel The Raleigh, and in the pipeline is an Aman property—the epitome of Asian-chic luxury.

So is there a place left for the small, independent hotel operator, and if there is, how will they survive? That's a question Business Traveler put to Lesley Goldwasser and her husband, Jonathan Plutzik, proprietors of the charming 130-room Ocean Drive beachfront hotel The Betsy. The Colonial-style property, built in 1942, was named after Betsy Ross, the legendary seamstress who created the first U.S. flag.