If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Florida’s South Beach conjures up images of scantily clad women, wild nighttime parties, and celebrities galore. It’s a tourist hot spot and an expensive one at that. If you want to experience South Beach but don’t have the finances to stay on famed Ocean Drive you might want to consider staying at the nearby Clay Hotel instead. The Clay Hotel has an incredible past, having once served as the home of Al Capone’s gambling ring and it holds the title as the birthplace of the rumba craze. Since the 1930’s this hotel has seen guests come and go as the shape of South Beach’s popularity waxed and waned. Currently, the area is experiencing a resurgence in popularity and, as many historic hotels become condo conversions, The Clay Hotel is assuming a more important role in local tourism. The Clay Hotel has several layers of accommodations but remarkably, it not only serves as a private residence for guests but also functions as a hostel. The Lonely Planet Guidebook was so impressed with this hostel that they labeled it the “most beautiful hostel in America”. The hotel feels its popularity is due to the great rates (rooms start at around $80), the Mediterranean ambiance and it’s incredible location deep in the heart of South Beach. For a traveler on a limited budget The Clay Hotel is really the way to experience South Beach’s eclectic artistic side, you get all the thrills and excitement without going broke.