South beach is no exception. Inspired by the staterooms of luxury liners, the eleven-story Ritz Carlton South Beach welcomes guests with an abundance of natural light by day, and the illuminated details of stainless steel accents and hardwood floors by night. As you stroll through the hotel you'll find a wash of colors ranging from rich, cobalt blue, to an unmistakable chartreuse and tropical mango and citrus. You'll also come across large circular columns wrapped in rich cherry veneer, and when you look up you'll see ceilings adorned with Venetian glass chandeliers. Across from Americana is a "balcony" that overlooks the main hotel. Among the features that have been preserved from Lapidus' original design are black terrazzo floors, a grand lobby staircase, and a curved wall of polished cherry wood with 72 polished, dome wall sconces. Both the restaurant and the hotel embrace visitors with a fluid, modern feeling - and that was exactly what Lapidus had hoped for with many of his design techniques. Here you'll find examples of the Lapidus "moth complex", designed to draw people toward light, "bean poles," metal rods that don't support anything, "cheese holes", holes cut out in walls, and "woggles", those curves and boomerang shapes that echo around the world now – and always mean Miami. Most of these designer and architectural touches became part of the futuristic look that's often referred to as Miami Modern - or MiMo

The Americana restaurant is located one flight above the lobby of the Ritz Carlton, South Beach, right next to the Lapidus Lounge. Should you have any trouble finding the restaurant, or just would like to give your guests a directional cue, there is a beautiful hard wood column with the name Americana at the check in, along with gossamer floor-to-ceiling draperies and a table set with a vase of colorful exotic flowers. To the right of the restaurant, you'll find floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the outdoor terrace, the infinity pool and, just beyond the pool, the Atlantic Ocean. Should you care for a drink before dinner (or after) the Lapidus Lounge offers seats at a curvilinear bar or at individual tables where you can relax and enjoy the weekend jazz or just simply have a drink and a conversation. If you want to make an impression, you can also order a $400 Star Martini, created specifically for the high-profile clientele who frequent the Ritz. According to Ritz, this "Martini" serves four to six people and comes with a bottle of Dom Perignon. In other words, you can think of the Star Martini more as a round of drinks rather than as a single martini. The Star Martini is made with a mix of Dom Perignon, Grand Marnier, Chambord and star fruit.