We spent 4 nights at the Betsy Hotel on Ocean Drive in January 2012. The hotel is elegant and classy and upon arrival we were greeted by the warm and friendly valet who took our car for us. The reception staff were also friendly and helpful (which continued throughout our stay) and it was great that our room was ready upon check in even though we checked in early.
The hotel lobby is stylishly decorated in colonial style and there always seemed to be a buzz day and night. We had a standard room, pool view which was lovely and quiet but I found it a bit cramped for 4 people (2 adults plus 2 teenagers). There is not much room to move around the 2 double beds and as we had been travelling for a month we had quite a few bags and nowhere really to store them other than stack them against the wall on top of each other leaving not much room for anything else. The bathroom was lovely and well equipped with fluffy white towels and toiletries although the shower pressure was quite weak. The hairdryer was faulty so i rang housekeeping who sent up a brand new one straight away.
We had booked the 'breakfast with Betsy' package which included continental breakfast. This consisted of tea/coffee (one cup each - we weren't offered refills) and a choice of 2 of either a croissant, a scone, a Danish or fruit. This was adequate but it would have been nice to have had the option of a bowl of cereal or a couple of slices of toast instead of the pastries (Hotels in Europe and the UK generally include some bread in a continental breakfast).
We did not eat dinner in the restaurant but it was always full and looked amazing.
The hotel is in a fantastic position -the quiet end of Ocean Drive but very centrally located and easy walking distance from Lincoln Road (great restaurants) and Collins st .
I would definitely recommend the hotel but perhaps not for a family of 4 (unless you are happy to pay for 2 rooms).

A truly fantastic experience. We stayed here for three nights and really enjoyed every one of them. Rooms were spacious, immaculately presented and superbly well furnished.

The staff were all friendly and very proffesional. Dining in the hotel restaurant is to be recommended. Although the Betsy is not the cheapest hotel in Miami it really does offer superb value for money.

Location was fantastic and the hotel was first class. From the staff on the door right through the hotel you were treated like a celebrity. The room was tastefully decorated as was the bathroom which was a little on the small side for me. I highly recommend eating in the hotel as it was one of the best meals I had in Miami. All in all this hotel was worth every penny.

We spent three days at the Betsy before going on a cruise and we had a great time in South Beach. The hotel is really well located in the quiet part of Ocean Drive; hardly a sound from outside, but only a few minutes walk from the action. It's a great looking building, inside and outside and tastefully decorated. The rooms are not very big, but adequately equipped and they have free Internet, which is great. The bed was one of the best we've slept in. Nice bathroom too with lots of toilettries; rather small, however but with a great walk-in shower. And a TV incorporated in the bathroom mirror; what a nice detail! The Betsy is located right opposite the beach, with its own beach facilities; sunbeds, umbrella's, towels and so on. We ate breakfast at the Betsy's BLT restaurant every day; the French toast is just yummy. However, we didn't try dinner there, since there are just too many places around Ocean Drive where you can eat. And, last but not least, the Betsy's wonderful staff. From housekeeping to front desk, they all are very friendly, professional and patient. All our questions were taken care of immediately; nothing is too much to ask. All in all, we spent three fabulous days in Miami, sightseeing, shopping, walking around, enjoying night life, enjoying Ocean Drive, the beach and the Betsy. On top of that, the Betsy is a pet-friendly hotel which is very good news for pet owners!