Essex House Hotel, Miami

The Essex House Hotel is another masterpiece designed by the Floridian architect Henry Hohauser. The 1938 gem features a style of Maritime Deco, also known as Nautical Moderne. The building resembles a cruise ship heading into the ocean. In Miami, the Art Deco movement wasn’t just about bright and rich colors, it was also about trying out various architectural design styles.

The Essex is rich with marine elements, from the rows of porthole style windows and the natty racing stripes to the towering smokestack-like sign. The racing stripes that wrap around the building even continue inside the lobby, where the visitors can admire a rare mural painted by the Floridian painter Earl LaPan above the fireplace. LaPan left behind more than 300 paintings across South Florida, but many of his works were sadly removed or painted over. This painting not only survived but also was restored by LaPan himself in the 1980s.