We found The Hotel of South Beach for our long weekend in Miami and couldn’t have been happier. A boutique, art deco hotel one block off the ocean with a perfect rooftop pool? Perfect.

The rooms aren’t big – boutique art deco means small – but gorgeous, fully adequate and very Miami feeling. The rest of hotel was magical as well. Even more so, the service was mind-blowing. The guys at the desk, the bell hop, the valet, the other guys in the lobby — all went out of their way to take care of us.

Miami isn’t known for its service, but these guys were impeccable. I call them “guys” because they were literally all guys and joked with Leo about having the guts to wear a Cavaliers jersey in Heat-country, made sure I never lifted a bag on my own, held doors and shot the shit with Leo at every chance they had. Loved them.

This kind of service isn’t midwestern hospitality – it didn’t feel coached or like it was expected. It was almost an unspoken bond between Leo and the staff, which I didn’t need to be in on, but they all were. The team at the Hotel of South Beach treated us like royalty and their old friends at the same time. Perfection. The service alone would draw 5 stars from us, but add in the room, bathroom, pool and reserved chairs on the beach? Is more than 5 stars even possible?

Possibly the best part? Roof top pool overlooking the ocean that never had more than five people on the deck, a bar and cabanas for sipping cocktails and towels brought to you as needed. Of course, I forgot to take even mobile pictures of the pool or the hotel. Oh well, you get the gist.

This is living.