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Miami 1908Miami River
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The garden patio at dusk - chandeliers and string lights under a pergola, palms behind
  1. Miami 1908
  2. When Miami was really Miami.
  3. Before the towers.Before the traffic.Before Miami became a city the world wanted to know.
  4. There was the river.
  5. There were palms and porches, wooden houses and open doors.
  6. In 1908, this was Miami.

Miami 1908 - When Miami was really Miami.

The story, present tense

118 years. One more chapter.

The yellow house - coral rock walls, a tiled porch and the number 118 beside the door

The yellow house. Number 118.

  • Miami has changed.
  • The river has changed.
  • The city has changed.

The houses have remained.

Now Miami 1908 begins another chapter.

  • New hands.
  • New energy.
  • Same soul.

The story continues.

1908

The first house in the district goes up

c. 1908 - designation report

4

Historic houses around one garden

Frame vernacular, 1908-1914

176

Original windows, rebuilt to run on weights

2015-17 restoration

1987

Listed on the National Register

Ref. 87000671

Inside the gate - the drive and the houses under the palms

The city grew up around them. We didn’t.

The gate opens.

Inside the gate

The garden is the lobby.

Welcome to Miami 1908 - a historic little corner of the city brought back to life for a new generation.

  • Stay awhile.
  • Have a drink.
  • Follow the garden lights.
  • Listen to the music.
  • Eat something from the fire.
  • Meet somebody interesting.
  • Then stay a little longer.
A path curving through tall palms between the cottages

This isn’t a recreation of old Miami. It’s the real thing.

And if you would like to stay the night…

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Two ways in

Miami 1908 is the house.
River House is the heartbeat.

A guest can stay all night without leaving the property. A local can spend an evening there without ever checking into a room.

A guest room at Miami 1908 - two beds made up in white linen, palms outside the windowFor travelersStay hereThe hotel is the discovery.Four housesA gardenA poolMornings
River House - lounge seating and chandeliers under the pergola, palms and the vintage bus behindFor locals and visitors who simply want to experience River HouseCome overRiver House is the destination.WineFireMusicUntil 1 am

The houses

Four houses. One very unlikely hotel.

  • There are no corridors that disappear into the distance.
  • No identical rooms.
  • No elevator lobby.
  • No sense that you could be anywhere.

They’re not perfect. They’re real. And that’s the point.

Explore the houses

Afternoon to late

Come at four. Leave whenever you like.

  1. Loungers and white umbrellas along the pool in afternoon sun

    3 pm

    Afternoon

    Pool, garden, sunlight, quiet discovery.

  2. Rattan chairs and yellow cushions on the covered patio as the light goes gold

    6 pm

    Golden hour

    Wine, fire, river light and conversation.

  3. The garden dining terrace laid for dinner under the pergola

    8 pm

    Dinner

    Food in the middle, people gathering, music developing.

  4. Guests talking on a lit porch after dark

    10 pm

    After dark

    Cocktails, music, garden lights and movement.

  5. The garden path lit low between the palms late at night

    Until 1 am

    Late

    Fire, intimacy, great music and people who are not ready to leave.

The secret

What’s inside the bus?

  • Some places have a lobby.
  • Miami 1908 has a bus.

You’ll have to come inside to understand.

Come over
The side of the vintage bus - riveted steel, a yellow stripe and Air Conditioned in script - with a table set beside it

The people

Who are you going to meet here?

The rooms are lovely. They are not really the point. The people are.

Locals · Guests · Musicians · Bartenders · Cooks · Travellers · Neighbours

Guests gathered around a table under the trees
Two friends talking over dinner and wine
Two women dancing in the shared kitchen
Guests talking in the shared kitchen
A guest floating in the pool on an inflatable flamingo
A guest reading in a hammock strung between palms
Guests talking in the courtyard
Two guests on a day out, one holding a small alligator

The register  ·  1908 → 2026 → next

The inn was not built for the famous. It was built for the arriving.

The great names stopped across the water. Everyone else stopped here.

The register is still open. Your name could be next.

ArrivedName
  1. First ownersJohn C. and Rose Baile
  2. c. 1913William C. Eberwine
  3. c. 1914Charles and Isabella Gibbons
  4. 1915Dr James C. and Josephine Smith
  5. Next

Try it - nothing here is sent anywhere.

Sign it for real (opens in a new tab)

Names from the City of Miami designation report for the South River Drive Historic District, 1986.

The city, from here

We’ll tell you where to go.

Not necessarily where everyone else goes. Where we go.

You are here
437 SW 2nd St

A boat on the Miami River, bridges and the towers of downtown beyond

East

The river & Downtown

The working river, the bridges, and a downtown that is finally worth walking.

Where we go

From the journal

Notes from the river.

All stories

Some places are better in real life.

  • The fire.
  • The music.
  • The garden.
  • The people.
  • The river.

Miami 1908.

This is a place that cannot be fully experienced through a screen.

However you say it

Welcome, in many languages

Come from the hotel, from Brickell, or from the other side of the world. Everyone is welcome.

  • Welcome
  • Bienvenidos
  • Bienvenue
  • Benvenuti
  • Namaste
  • Willkommen
  • Bem-vindos
  • Welkom
  • Välkommen
  • Καλώς ήρθατε

Before you arrive

The things people ask first.

Anything else, a person will answer: +1 (305) 349 3904 or WhatsApp.

What is Miami 1908?

A historic hotel in Miami built around four historic houses, a garden, a pool and River House.

Is it a traditional hotel?

Not quite. Miami 1908 is a collection of historic houses and rooms gathered around a living garden.

What is River House?

River House is the social heart of Miami 1908 - a place for food, wine, cocktails, music and lingering.

Can hotel guests go to River House?

Absolutely.

Can locals come to River House?

Absolutely.

Do I need to be a hotel guest?

No. Everyone is welcome.

Is Miami 1908 a museum?

No. It’s a living place with a long memory and a new energy.
The pink house and the garden lit warmly after dark

Some places are better in real life

Come for the place. Stay for the people.

The gate is open. Book a house for the night, or just meet us at River House.

Book your stay (opens in a new tab)Come over