Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Dezerland Beach and Spa

Frommer's Review

Designed by car enthusiast Michael Dezer, the Dezerland is where Happy Days meets Miami Beach, with its visible homage to hot rods and antique cars. Visitors, many of them German tourists, are welcomed by a 1959 Cadillac stationed by the front door, one of a dozen mint-condition classics around the grounds and lobby. The hotel's Nirvana Spa is a popular Turkish-style bathhouse, but the best part about this place is the cheesy restaurant in which you dine in classic cars. The rooms are still somewhat lackluster, despite the fact that the renovation added new drapes, bedspreads, furniture, and wall coverings. Though named for various fabulous cars, these, alas, are the Pintos of hotel rooms -- nothing more than a typical motel room. The lovely pool, however, has its requisite Cadillac -- a mosaic pink one, located at the bottom. For '50s kitsch and car fanatics, this is a fun place to stay; otherwise, you may think you were taken for a ride.

Facilities:
Restaurant; pool; nearby tennis courts; small spa; Jacuzzi; watersports equipment/rentals; game room; tour desk; car-rental desk; shuttle service to Aventura Mall and nearby antiques shop; coin-op washers/dryers

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.