America's Top Design Hotels, Cities & Architectural Styles

Paradise Found: Chic Coastal Hotels

From sunny Southern California to uber-hip Miami and tropical Key West, the design world's brightest stars are giving high-end hotels looks worth stealing. Bring coastal hotel style home with ideas inspired by their designs.

By H. Camille Smith
Filed under: Decorating, Tropical Theme

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Casa Marina Resort, Key West, Fla.

Opened in 1920, this historic hotel was planned by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler as a tropical destination for well-to-do passengers of his Overseas Railroad. Designed by famed architects Thomas Hastings and John M. Carrera (who also designed the Metropolitan Opera House and Public Library in New York), the hotel's classic Spanish revival exterior and lush grounds have earned it acceptance into the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel has hosted presidents and celebrities, such as Cary Grant, Gregory Peck and Rita Hayworth, and has served as officers' quarters for the U.S. Navy during World War II, then later as home base for the Army's Sixth Missile Battalion during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Image courtesy of Oyster.com