Colony Hotel
Miami, FL
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

Few buildings capture the look of Miami Beach quite like the Colony Hotel. Its bright blue neon, rounded corners, and bold vertical sign make this Ocean Drive landmark hard to miss. After sunset, the glowing lettering gives the building the sort of roadside presence that can stop a nighttime stroll in its tracks. 03-06

Designed by Henry Hohauser in 1935, the Colony helped introduce Streamline Moderne architecture to Ocean Drive. Continuous window shades wrap around the corners, horizontal bands emphasize the building’s width, and the tall central sign provides a dramatic finishing touch. Look closely and there’s more going on than the familiar neon lettering, including a stepped roofline and decorative wave patterns.

UPDATE: The Colony remains open and continues welcoming guests in Miami Beach’s historic Art Deco district. Its distinctive facade and blue neon remain central to its identity, preserving one of Ocean Drive’s most familiar nighttime sights. Good to see this Depression-era hotel still making such a colorful impression. 07-26

Hotel Clifton
Miami, FL
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

A classic car and a neon hotel sign are a combination that’s hard to beat. The Hotel Clifton in Miami Beach supplies the backdrop here, with its vertical lettering and blue accents adding to the scene. The automobile out front makes it easy to imagine arriving on Collins Avenue during an earlier South Beach vacation season. 03-06

Built in 1948, the Clifton belongs to the postwar chapter of Miami Beach’s hotel boom. Its streamlined appearance carries forward the Art Deco influence that had transformed the neighborhood during the previous decade. A later renovation preserved the historic facade while introducing environmentally conscious features, including rooftop solar panels, a newer chapter behind that familiar old hotel frontage.

UPDATE: The hotel continues welcoming guests as The Clifton by Instant Stay. Its historic exterior remains part of the attraction, even as the accommodations have been updated for modern visitors. The neon captured here recalls the days when a distinctive sign was an essential part of standing out among the hotels of Collins Avenue. 07-26