15 March 2023
If you’re new to Miami, your choice of where to stay can be overwhelming. From South Beach to downtown to Aventura or near Miami International Airport (MIA), there are hundreds of excellent hotels in the city and on the beach.
In this Miami guide to hotels, we discuss the best of the best — most of which are beachside. There are also a JW Marriott with a solid water park for the kids and a trendy spot downtown that’s a good bet for a pre-cruise overnight.
Before booking any Miami accommodations, see where they’re located versus other properties in and around the city. In addition to some sitting in downtown Miami, you’ll find several on an island parallel to the mainland. South Beach anchors this strip of land to the south with the following neighborhoods heading north from there: Bayshore, Mid-Beach, Surfside, Bal Harbour and Sunny Isles Beach.
When it comes to booking these hotels with points, you’re in luck — especially if you are a Marriott Bonvoy member. Otherwise, focus on reserving these properties via a method that confers additional perks such as late checkout or complimentary breakfast. Base rates are lowest during the summer months, when hot, humid weather (and a chance of hurricanes) prevails, while prices can more than double in the winter or during holiday and school vacation periods.
Here are the best hotels in Miami.
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On the fringe of South Beach’s northern boundary, 1 Hotel South Beach is ideal for runners and walkers since it’s close to a stretch of the Miami Beach Boardwalk beachside trail.
While the hotel opened in 2015, the building dates to the late 1960s. A $200 million renovation transformed the legacy building into what is today a highly sought-after getaway.
What’s the draw? The hotel’s 600 feet of beachfront, four pools (including one on the rooftop) and rooms spanning 500 to 750 square feet. (Suites are also available.) If you’re traveling with a pet, they are welcome. Plus, each room has a separate rainfall shower and tub, free Wi-Fi, filtered water taps, HEPA air filters, a Nespresso machine and a yoga mat.
The hotel is home to the Bamford Wellness Spa and Oren Salon and offers complimentary wellness classes for guests.
The only downside is a $49-per-night resort fee, but it includes two beach chairs, one umbrella, bike use, house car drop-off within 3 miles of the hotel and a few other amenities. While many Miami hotels charge a resort or destination fee, any beachside hotel should probably offer complimentary lounge chairs and umbrellas. Here’s our advice for avoiding resort fees.
Rates at 1 Hotel South Beach start at $535 per night, plus a resort fee of $49 per room per night.
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With its Mediterranean vibe, Acqualina is one of the prettiest high-rise hotels in Miami. Its carefully manicured beach — with bright red umbrellas and lounge chairs dotting the sand — is incredibly inviting. The strip of beach is lined by palm trees and there’s also plenty of shady seating on the grass (reserve your space via the Acqualina app). Beautiful bougainvilleas continue the red theme. There is also a variety of hammocks rigged between the palms. Don’t miss the fun chessboard, where you can move supersize pieces across the outdoor court.
If pools are more your speed, head to the oceanfront Adult Pool for guests 18 and older, which has plenty of sun beds, loungers and four luxury cabanas (extra fee of $300 to $500). Hang out here and the pool butler will circulate hourly with refreshing, complimentary treats. The Beach Club Pool is another option, as is the intimate spa pool. More active pursuits include a beachside basketball court.
One thing we love: The resort offers its complimentary AcquaMarine children’s program for kids ages 4 to 12. (Lunch is available for a fee.)
Rooms start at 600 square feet and have a terrace or balcony and views of the Intracoastal Waterway or the Atlantic. Gleaming white walls and crisp linens, smoked glass and bronze coffee tables and wingback club chairs create a comfortable milieu, while marble-floored bathrooms with Jacuzzis, glass-enclosed couples showers and double sinks are standard — even in entry-level rooms.
Dining options abound and include Greek, Japanese, Italian, a grill and room service.
Rates at Acqualina Resort start at $800 per night with no resort fee added.
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There are 339 rooms (300 to 400 square feet) and 35 suites (570 to 980 square feet) in a trio of towers serviced by separate, albeit sometimes slow, elevators. The rooms, with navy, diamond-patterned rugs and drapes, are clean and comfortable but might be feeling dated.
There are plenty of pool and beach loungers, the cost of which is included in the resort fee that is waived for Hyatt Globalists or anyone who redeemed points for a stay. Daybeds, pool cabanas and bungalows are also on offer for a fee, which is dynamic and based on the date.
There are breakfast and lunch options on-site, in addition to a casual spot that’s open at night, but for a more fine dining experience, you’ll need to head off-property.
Note: In May 2022, Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. entered into an agreement with Hyatt to purchase The Confidante and convert it to an Andaz. No word yet on when the transition will happen.
Rates at The Confidante start at $279 per night plus a $49 daily resort fee on paid stays. Reserve this hotel for 17,000 World of Hyatt points on off-peak dates, 20,000 on standard dates and 23,000 points on peak dates.
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Argentine hotelier Alan Faena and partner Len Blavatnik put this trendy spot on the map. For a special occasion, splurge for the 1,571-square-foot, 1 1/2-bath Premier Oceanfront Corner Suite with floor-to-ceiling windows, a wraparound balcony with views of the ocean and a separate dining room and living area. Plush is the overarching aesthetic here, with a comfortable red sofa, two club chairs, a tiger-inspired ottoman and green velvet drapes that perfectly match the colorful rug and evoke both sea and flowers.
Entry-level bay-view rooms (489 to 615 square feet) play on that same theme but have a comfortable window bench or furnished balcony. Bathrooms in both rooms and suites are tiled in gleaming Carrara marble.
You honestly never have to leave Faena during your stay. It’s got an exquisite spa, excellent butler-serviced pool and beach facilities, fine dining (many locals rave about Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann, where juicy cuts of meat are wood-grilled to tantalizing effect), and the Faena Theater experience is renowned as the setting for the hotel’s Allura Cabaret (shows on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays).
Rates at Faena Hotel Miami Beach start around $720 per night, plus a resort fee of $51.30 per room per night.
[roundup-affiliate type=”hotel” capi-id=”8719″ post-id=”1443880″]
While there is a Four Seasons on Brickell Avenue, we recommend its sister property in Surfside instead. It’s a classic, anchored by a Russell T. Pancoast-designed Mediterranean Revival building. Miami rang in 1930 at this brand-new oceanfront hotel, and Four Seasons has tenderly rebuilt its reputation as a “memory maker,” drawing the same guests year after year.
Today, The Surf Club comprises 77 rooms (435 to 600 square feet), 30 hotel residences and 121 private residential apartments across three new buildings. That number of residences gives this hotel more of a home-away-from-home feel than you may find at larger nearby properties.
Its beach has an incredibly private feel due to its location in Surfside and the residential condos to the left and right, meaning no one is “just passing through.” There is an adults-only quiet pool and for-fee day-use cabanas. It never feels crowded due to both the “Serenity Lawns” as well as the beachfront gardens where guests enjoy strolling.
You can grab complimentary bikes for a spin around the neighborhood or ask for the house car to ferry you somewhere. If you travel with kids, they’ll receive a fun welcome gift, and everyone gets free Wi-Fi.
Foodies will enjoy The Surf Club Restaurant by master chef Thomas Keller and the Lido Restaurant under the eye of much-lauded chef Michael White. The Champagne Bar, Winston’s on the Beach and the spa’s Biologique Recherche treatments should also secure high marks, too.
Rates at Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club start around $1,200 per night plus a resort fee of $40 per room per night.
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Here’s what you need to know about the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa: If you aren’t traveling with children, the experience with the free water park at the center might be a bit too “Disney-esque” for you. Picture kids being kids pretty much everywhere across the property.
Also, know that the resort is in Aventura, so you’re nowhere near the beach. You’d need to hop in the car or call a taxi or Uber.
As you can imagine with a hotel this big and popular with families, check-in lines can get long and loungers at the pool can become scarce during busy time periods. But if you’re attending a conference here, planning to do some golfing or picking up some elite qualifying nights on a very family-friendly trip, the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa fits the bill nicely.
The footprint of the resort is sprawling, so there’s a lot of walking depending on where your room is and what part of the resort you’re heading to.
Rooms start at 500 square feet and there are also junior, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites. There are several restaurants on-site and a mall is within walking distance.
Rates at JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa start at $237 or 44,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, plus a resort fee of $47 per room per night.
Related: Marriott Bonvoy members: Ask for your resort fee replacement benefit
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There are plenty of fans of Ian Schrager’s Edition brand, which can be found in major cities across the globe. But Marriott loyalists often say recognition at The Miami Beach Edition is inconsistent. And, with the hotel’s popularity, offering VIP treatment to elite members may not be at the top of management’s priority list. But if you’re willing to pay for the room type you want and not rely on upgrades, you’ll be fine. Just remember that if you’re a Platinum Elite or higher, you won’t get free breakfast at Edition hotels.
Rooms range from 385 to 445 square feet, but you can also book ocean-view and oceanfront suites as well as bungalows with a choice of pool or beach views. The decor in all accommodations is streamlined and clean, with white floors, walls, bed linens and chairs accented by blond and brown woodwork and other furnishings. Marble bathrooms skew functional rather than sexy, but that might be just what you want after a day at the beach.
Speaking of which, the beach is a favorite among travelers to South Florida while the pools are just the place to while away a breezy afternoon sipping cocktails.
Rates at The Miami Beach Edition start around $745 or 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, plus a resort fee of $49 per night per room.
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Moxy Miami South Beach was designed for young people who value trendy public spaces over spacious private ones. Rooms may lack frills — like closets (hang your clothes on wooden pegs) and bathtubs — but what they lack in creature comforts, they make up for with colorful decor palettes, floor-to-ceiling windows for great views and some interesting configurations that include quad bunk beds for those traveling with friends.
Amenities include what the hotel calls “furiously fast” Wi-Fi. Beds are dressed with duvets covered in 300-thread-count 100% Egyptian cotton linens. You can stream content from your devices to the 55-inch flat-screen smart high-definition TV and the bathroom has a walk-in rain shower.
Guests here visit for the location near Lummus Park and the Art Deco Welcome Center, the solid dining choices, two pools with private cabanas, an outdoor movie screening room on the rooftop and some nice freebies like bikes to borrow and complimentary morning coffee.
The Moxy South Beach is pet-friendly (dogs need to be under 20 pounds) and it’s got a thumping rooftop with a bar and restaurant.
Rates at Moxy Miami South Beach start at about $244 or 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, plus a resort fee of $27 per room per night.
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Nobu Hotel Miami Beach is a hotel within a hotel. It shares space with Eden Roc Miami Beach, so you get two stylish hotels in one. The lobby and most of the facilities are the same but the differentiation comes via the decor of the rooms — Nobu’s accommodations evoke a Japanese beach house feel.
David Rockwell designed the hotel’s 206 rooms and suites. Deluxe rooms (380 to 440 square feet) are outfitted with signature beds from Simmons, 60-inch TVs, gourmet coffee makers and bathrooms with rainfall showers and teak benches. The decor skews minimalist in tones of beige, white and gray.
Nobu does have its own pool, which is adults-only, or you can use any of the three at Eden Roc. Due to the high-rise nature of the towers, neither the pool at Nobu nor the one at Eden Roc has sun all day. That can be a problem for serious sun worshippers — especially in the winter months when daylight hours are shorter anyway. Nobu also has an exclusive area for its guests on the beach.
A stay here wouldn’t be complete without dinner at Nobu Miami. Served indoors or out, meals here are memorable, with signature dishes such as black cod with miso.
Don’t miss the afternoon Teas of the World ceremony that takes place daily at the Spa Ocean View Lounge, either.
Rates at Nobu Hotel Miami Beach start at $300 per night, plus a resort fee of $38 per room per night.
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For downtown digs, select the 124-room SLS Brickell if you plan to embark on a cruise after checkout or simply enjoy beautiful architecture. This chic hotel — with rooms designed by Philippe Starck — is near the eye-catching Brickell Arch skyscraper.
Rooms here range from 400 to 540 square feet and are minimalist, with white and pink walls, large mirrors and spare but comfortable furnishings. Suites share the same color palette but are more spacious at 800 to 1,674 square feet.
But what you’re really here for is the rooftop infinity pool with knockout views of Miami’s skyline. Daybeds and cabanas cost extra. You can also enjoy alfresco drinks and meals on the Altitude Pool and Lounge. Don’t miss the cute supersize duck statue poolside, which is perfect for Instagram selfies.
SLS Brickell is also home to the Ciel Spa, plus restaurants (in addition to the one on the pool deck), including Fi’lia with its wood-burning oven, the living room-like Lounge and in-room dining.
Rates at SLS Brickell start at about $350 per night, plus a resort fee of $34 per room per night.
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The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, near north Miami Beach’s dual Bay Harbor Islands, is a peaceful spot that offers what travelers have come to expect from the brand — an eye toward attentive service.
The 27-story hotel contains 216 rooms and suites that are designed with neutral tones and textures to evoke an ambiance of calm. Balconies use glass partitions so as not to obstruct any views, and suites feature bleached Black Limba wood and oak herringbone wall paneling. Base-level rooms are larger here than at some competing luxury hotels; a deluxe room with one king bed is 650 square feet.
Guests can relax beside two pools — an adults-only “tranquility” pool, and one for families — as well as on the 1,000-foot white-sand beach. Whether you prefer pool or ocean, there are a variety of loungers, daybeds and cabanas (extra fee) available. There are also outdoor whirlpools as well as one within the 14,000-square-foot spa.
Dining and drink options excel here. There’s casual hamburger joint BH Burger Bar, La Gourmandise for casual American fare, and a Greek outpost (that also serves breakfast) called Atlantikos. Hit the pool bar during the day and the alluring St. Regis Bar before or after dinner for sophisticated cocktails.
Rates at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort start at $940 or 80,000 points per night, plus a resort fee of $45 per room per night.
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There is a lot of history at The Betsy, which opened in 2009 after a multimillion-dollar restoration of the property developed by architect L. Murray Dixon. Then, in 2016, the hotel merged with the storied Carlton Hotel (architecture by Henry Hohauser) to become one hotel. An unusual floating orb hides a skybridge that connects the two buildings.
At the north end of Ocean Drive, this 130-room hotel is a fantastic option for visitors who don’t want to rent a car, but wish to be close to bars, restaurants and shops in the Art Deco District.
There are two modest pools on the property, one on a rooftop with a gorgeous view of the surrounding area plus a bar with food service. The Courtyard Pool is a mix of sunny and shady spots, and there’s also the beach for those that prefer sand between their toes.
Early risers: Don’t miss the Roof Decks that overlook the Atlantic with perfect sunrise views from carefully placed lounge chairs.
An intimate library, fitness center, a spa proffering doTerra aromatherapy treatments, a sleek lobby bar and LT Steak & Seafood for sumptuous surf and turf round out the amenities.
Note: The Betsy is a boutique property now and is no longer affiliated with Hyatt, as was the case in years past.
Rates at The Betsy Hotel start at $322 per night, plus a resort fee of $40 per room per night.
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The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach is one of TPG’s recommended hotels and among the best Marriott hotels Miami Beach has to offer. It closed in 2017 after Hurricane Irma did some damage and reopened in 2021 after a $90 million renovation.
The 376-room property is on the corner of Lincoln Road and Collins Avenue, so it’s firmly entrenched in the South Beach scene. It’s a vibrant neighborhood, but can be touristy, so prepare for crowds from time to time.
While the palatial art deco lobby and Lapidus Bar are eye-catching, the room design is more subtle, with white walls and linens accented by blue headboards and benches, gold bolsters and cane chairs and a table. Marble bathrooms feature double vanities, water closets plus tubs and separate showers stocked with Diptyque products. Balconies are spacious and furnished with chairs, cocktail tables and loungers.
You can eat and drink at three spots on-site: the nostalgic Lapidus Bar in the lobby for cocktails and small bites, Fuego y Mar for Latin American cuisine, the DiLido Beach Club (named after the hotel that formerly occupied this space in the 1950s) for Mediterranean, and swanky French at Bagatelle House.
The extensive pool offers plenty of loungers and umbrellas, plus some seating vignettes with chairs. There’s also a lovely sun deck beyond the pool that gets rays until the later afternoon — something that can be hard to find in Miami, where the high-rises can block out the natural light for their neighbors.
There’s also a Jacuzzi, gym and spa featuring Hydrafacial therapies for travelers that prefer to make this home base instead of an exploration of South Beach.
Rates at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach start at $515 or 71,500 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, plus a resort fee of $45 per room per night.
[roundup-affiliate type=”hotel” capi-id=”9235″ post-id=”1443948″]
South Beach regulars will tell you that The Setai Miami Beach is a real sleeper hit. It’s not part of a major hotel chain’s loyalty program, so it doesn’t get as much exposure as some of its neighbors, but it’s a fabulous choice when visiting this part of Miami Beach.
With an aesthetic that fuses art deco glam and Asian beach resort vibes, the 40-story hotel has 138 keys (all rooms are billed as suites) that offer views of either the city, pool or ocean, and feels like a bucolic hideaway from the busiest parts of this neighborhood.
King-size beds are dressed in Frette linens and are extremely comfortable thanks to their handmade Swedish Duxiana mattresses. Bathrooms have two vanities, soaking tubs and rainfall showers, plus bath amenities by Acqua di Parma.
You can take a meal at Jaya (indoor and alfresco dining offering Southeast and Northeast Asian specialties), the Ocean Grill for fresh seafood, or book a Sunday jazz brunch to send your weekend off on a high note. (Japon, a Japanese culinary experience, opens summer 2023.) The simply named Bar, meanwhile, is one of the most happening watering holes in town, slinging creative cocktails like a passion fruit-chile martini.
There are three pools plus a gorgeous stretch of beach, and polished attendants make sure guests have everything they need for a day of relaxation — well, except perhaps for a treatment at the resort’s high-end Valmont Spa.
Rates at The Setai start at about $600 per night with no resort fee.
[roundup-affiliate type=”hotel” capi-id=”8738″ post-id=”1443952″]
Anchoring a full block on Collins Avenue, W South Beach is one of TPG’s recommended hotels. Set aside the recent $30 million renovation for a minute and consider its knockout location with a happening pool and beach scene. Service throughout the property is attentive without being snooty or over the top. And you just might see a visiting celebrity during your stay.
Entry-level rooms are light-filled and spacious at 564 square feet. The decor palette includes white, beige, moss green and rose, all of which pay homage to the sultry South Florida setting. A variety of suites are available and Marriott elite members tend to regularly score upgrades — especially during slower seasons.
There are plenty of amenities at W South Beach. We love the outdoor movies on the green and beach yoga, plus craft cocktail- and sushi-making classes. Be sure to book a treatment at the brand’s signature Away Spa while you’re at it.
Dining options include the American-Tuscan The Restaurant, Mr Chow for modern Chinese, Irma’s for tiki cocktails and cigar flights, and the Living Room bar for cocktails with a DJ spinning in the background.
Rates at W South Beach start at about $570 or 82,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, plus a resort fee of $50 per room per night.