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Photo by: Casa Morada Resort

We fell in love with these old-school beauties years ago, and we're even more smitten today thanks to preservation efforts that morphed these classic beach getaways into the ultimate comeback kids. We like to call them motel chic.

Kitsch to Chic + Casa Morada, Islamorada
In an archipelago long known for dive bars as well as fishing, Casa Morada, halfway between Miami and Key West, provides an oasis of style in a former roadside motel. A trio of women — Lauren Abrams, Heide Praver Werthamer and Terry Ford — left the exteriors of two 1950s buildings, one near the road, the other by the bay, practically untouched sans a coat of fresh white paint and even a little railing repair. A grotto inside a tropical garden in the center of the property took the place of a parking lot. Inside, 16 suites went from kitsch to chic with flea-market finds, local artwork and in the true spirit of preservation, a handful of funky Italian furniture left behind by a previous owner. Terrazzo floors, very indicative of midcentury Florida, were also left intact. To brand itself a true original (as if this place needed to), Casa Morada provides guests free kayaks, bikes and snorkel gear for exploring the many statuaries, boutiques and even flats nearby. Believe it or not, fridges inside each room are stocked with free snacks and water.

• Fresh-Air Finds: Those who come here (minimum age is 16) do so to get away from city life, so the breezy stirring of palm fronds or a gliding sailboat is likely the only sound you'll hear while sunbathing. Over a restored wooden footbridge is a floating island where free yoga classes are taught most mornings. A carpet of tiny seashells and sand granules embraces a pool & lines pathways, and a renovated gazebo with an oversize daybed and Adirondack chairs offer a view of the bay from its second-story perch. For a true taste of nostalgia, play a game of backgammon under a poolside hut where drinks are made with sake instead of the usual island rum. From $229. casamorada.com – Ana Connery

The Other South Beach + South Beach Place, Vero Beach
On the surface, the low-slung seaside motel on the southern edge of Vero Beach might seem somewhat unremarkable: An uncomplicated L-shaped structure surrounds a standard-issue pool. But step inside one of the 18 sparkling suites — no two of which are alike — and you're transported to the martini-soaked Florida of the '60s. Oversize beds in wild floral prints are paired with space-age lamps. Couches in brilliant shades of turquoise sit alongside curvy coffee tables straight out of The Jetsons. And everywhere you look, the shine of Lucite seems to wink right at you.

• Slice of Nostalgia: Long known as a low-key, seaside outpost for European and Midwestern snowbirds, this venerable 1955 motel earned a makeover six years ago when Miami realtors Neli Santamarina & Esther Percal (who counts Lenny Kravitz as a client) took over the place. The pair immediately set about redoing the spacious suites with vintage pieces rescued from shuttered Miami Beach mansions. "This motel screams 1950s and '60s," says Percal of the architecture. "So we've tried to keep the collectibles and furnishings to that era."

• Simple Perks: The refreshed look and unexpected touches — each room comes equipped with chilled water and fresh fruit gratis — has turned the motel into a haven for folks looking to escape traffic and on-the-go lifestyles. "Vero is very retro," says Percal. "There's not a lot to do. You go to the beach. You go to a great restaurant. You have a cocktail." What could be more '60s than that?

• Permanent Vacation: If you find yourself wondering how you'll ever live without the double-tiered bedside lamps with African dancers, the good news is you don't have to. Percal and Santamarina can arrange purchase of many of the motel's vintage pieces through their Miami- based resale shop, Las Tías (lastias.com). From $125. southbeachplacevero.com – Carolina Miranda

Elegant Throwback + White Orchid Inn & Spa, Flagler Beach
Far from gated subdivisions and shade-casting high-rises, Flagler Beach is frozen in time. Tidy bungalows with iconic pink plastic flamingos and ceramic seahorse birdbaths in front yards surround the White Orchid Inn & Spa, where owners Bob and Karen Iaccarino radiantly preserve the tidiness of the 1950s.

• Pieces of History: The couple bought the 1945 house and converted it, carefully preserving its curved walls, glass-block windows & heart- pine floor. "I'm not sure how much was part of the original design, but these elements are deflnitely part of midcentury-modern," explains Bob. The big bay window in the great room, where guests gather for breakfast and cocktails, looks out across the black asphalt of Highway A1A, a stretch of Florida scrub and the Atlantic Ocean. The window originally had jalousies, a popular louver treatment from the 1950s, but Bob opted to install 10 panels of plate glass to take advantage of the view. Sofas, beds, coffee tables & big circular mirrors may have been bought new, but all have the curves and geometric motifs of art deco. Sit at an antique breakfast table from the 1930s (or even the '60s, depending on which you choose), and dig into homemade carrot-pineapple bread and flaky-crusted quiches served on 1950s plates that Karen finds in antique shops. But, most eye-catching is her collection of pastel ceramics — a swan, a seashell and a figurine of a girl in a full swinging skirt — from Redwing Pottery and McCoy Pottery, two American companies popular in the '40s and '50s that now boast proper collectors' societies.

• Motel With a Spa: In 2000, the owners bought the neighboring 1975 house and turned it into an intimate spa. The original kimonos with intricate embroidery from the World War II era hang on the walls; a new therapeutic mineral pool is fllled with salt from the Dead Sea. "We recommend the first thing our guests do is soak in the mineral pool. It definitely puts you in the right mood," Bob says. It certainly worked for Jennifer Patino and Walter Glascoff, found lingering over a glass of wine during the hotel's complimentary cocktail hour as Frank Sinatra crooned in the background. The Chicago couple fell off the grid the moment they stepped out of said mineral pool. Since then, they've spent hours walking the shoreline less than 100 steps from their room, bicycling past shops and eateries in eclectic Flagler Beach, where nothing is built higher than 35 feet, and even dining in St. Augustine 14 miles north. To wind down at night, there's a private Jacuzzi right in the room. A few modern comforts never hurt anyone. From $129. whiteorchidinn.com – Patricia Letakis