Florida

Florida is far more architecturally interesting than its reputation for theme parks and sprawling resorts suggests. Miami Beach’s extraordinary concentration of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne sits alongside the colourful exuberance of MiMo, Mediterranean Revival estates and generations of tropical Modernism designed around shade, breeze and indoor-outdoor living. Beyond Miami, historic coastal towns, the Florida Keys and the Gulf Coast reveal very different versions of the state, all shaped by water, subtropical light and an instinct for a certain architectural escapism.

Food and drink reflect Florida’s position between the American South, Caribbean and Latin America. Cuban culture is fundamental to Miami’s culinary identity, while influences from Haiti, the Bahamas and across Latin America have created one of America’s most distinctive food scenes. Seafood is naturally central—from stone crab and grouper to oysters and Key West pink shrimp—alongside old-school institutions, contemporary restaurants, rooftop bars and a cocktail culture perfectly suited to warm nights.

Florida’s most interesting hotels embrace its glamorous and occasionally eccentric history. Restored Art Deco icons, Mid-Century motels, Mediterranean Revival landmarks and intimate tropical hideaways offer a welcome alternative to the state’s enormous beachfront resorts. At DNA Hotels, we curate the places where architecture, food, history and a little Floridian escapism come together—hotels with enough personality to remind you that Florida has always been at its best when it refuses to be too serious.