1942
Within a few years of its completion, the Riviera was among the hundreds of Miami Beach buildings used by the U.S.Army Air Forces for military training. Tourists were turned away and hotels became barracks, restaurants served as mess halls, theaters became classrooms, and thousands of new recruits trained daily on the beaches, streets, and golf courses. Government records show that the Riviera at that time had 50 hotel rooms (apparently the original apartments were subdivided), with a capacity to house 185 soldiers, and was leased by the military for $11,500 per year. It returned to civilian use on May 20, 1944.

1950
The Riviera was renamed the Bentley Hotel, which it remains today. Retail tenants in the building’s storefronts over the years included Burton’s drug store, a Kasdin drugstore, a beauty parlor, and several restaurants, but no major structural changes were made and the building exterior still remains largely true to its original design.

2020
While the exterior continues to reflect our history, the interior of the hotel has gone through a beautification process. The freshly updated room décor of our oversized guest rooms honors the essence of Miami Beach!