Rooms: The original Morris Lapidus design called for large rooms, and that strategy follows through in the new tower. Look for all the high-tech extras one expects nowadays, including ''smart desks'' where you can hook up your iPod. Wireless will cost you $15 a day, but reception stretches to the beach.

Bragging rights: The original hotel was rehabbed but the new tower boasts nearly 300 rooms built from scratch -- a rarity in Miami Beach.

Caveat emptor: The debut of a souped-up spa originally planned as part of the renovation has been moved back to 2010. Any spa treatments will have to be in your room.

Details: 4525 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; www.boldnewedenroc.com; 305-531-0000

Rates/deals: No Florida resident specials, but anyone who books two nights can get a third free. Use the code B4F. Starting rate: $239.

EPIC HOTEL

DOWNTOWN MIAMI

What's new: The entire, towering 411-room hotel sits on the Miami River (location of the old Dupont Plaza), where workers finished up the new building last fall. Managed by the Kimpton group, it is embedded within a larger condo tower also called Epic.

Best for: Anyone who likes the city better than the beach, and wants a comfortable, quiet escape in the middle of downtown.

Public Spaces: A three-story wall done in white rock dominates the spacious lobby of this business-friendly hotel, where you'll find both a fountain and a lounge area far removed from the check-in desk. The 16th floor is the place to be -- home to the hotel's well-reviewed Area 31 seafood restaurant and a unique view: Staring south down Brickell Avenue. And the ample pool among the high rises offers a nice switch on the traditional weekend getaway for locals. Very Manhattan-y.

Rooms: The bathrooms dominate the look of these rooms, where the bathtub is divided by the rest of the space by a shutter. Balconies overlook either the river or downtown itself.

Bragging rights: A refined take on the downtown corporate hotel.

Caveat emptor: You're not very close to much in terms of walking, so plan on hopping a cab or staying put.

Details: 300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-400-7399; www.epichotel.com

Deals/rates: Florida residents get 20 percent off this summer. Use the promotional code FSR. Starting rate, $289.

FONTAINEBLEAU

MIAMI BEACH

What's new: Re-opened last fall after a $500 million renovation, the ''new'' Fontainebleau refashioned the original 1950s Morris Lapidus showpiece with a stylish vibe, hip bars and nightclubs and an expansive pool.

Best for: The $5 million opening weekend with Heidi Klum clearly angled for the young and restless, but as a recent week of shows with Regis & Kelly underscores, families are welcome too.

Public spaces: You should notice the difference in this Miami Beach icon the moment you drive up -- because the main entrance has been moved to an elevated driveway between the original 1954 building and the two new towers. It was a wise move, because now you see the ocean as you get out of your car. Look down and you'll spot one of the biggest changes in this massive redo: a sprawling pool deck around a network of pools and water features. For the kids: a waterslide; for the parents: an adults-only hideaway where women can go topless. In between, a huge infinity-edge pool for everyone, and enough beach chairs to make you feel like you're on a cruise ship. The new glass-walled spa looms over the pool, and inside you'll find a gym and some novel spa offerings, including a plunge pool that moves from hot water to cold water. The James Bond of Goldfinger days might not recognize the place.

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