Award: Most eco-friendly

1 Hotel South Beach continues to set the tone for the eco-conscious-yet-trendy brand since it burst on the scene in 2015, as the debut property of 1 Hotel. The building is LEED Certified Silver and uses various design choices to minimize energy and water usage. Throughout the 425-room hotel (which includes 168 suites), the celebration of nature is clear: from the reclaimed wood to the lush biophilic design aesthetic to the ever-present sounds of the ocean just outside. Sunlight-filled interiors feature driftwood walls, reclaimed pinewood headboards, and hemp blend–filled mattresses clad with organic cotton sheets.

Set directly on 600 feet of beachfront, the hotel boasts an outdoor beach club, four pools, and an 18,000-square-foot wellness center, which encompasses the Bamford Wellness Spa and Anatomy gym (drop the kids off at Seedlings kids club to fully indulge). There are seven dining outlets, including Plnthouse Cafe, offering organic and seasonal dishes; Tala Beach Restaurant, serving tapas-style plates to sprawling daybeds in the sand; and the newest spot, AVIV, by celebrated Israeli chef Michael Solomonov.

Best amenity: Free creative programming like a pop-up poetry station where guests can receive a customized poem typed on a vintage typewriter (Saturdays at 4 p.m.), or a run club on the boardwalk (Mondays at 7 a.m.).

Can’t-miss experience: Settling into a cabana or at a table on the 18th-floor Watr 1 at the Rooftop, a massive pool deck and bar serving Japanese-influenced meals with a playful soundtrack.

From $871

Award: Most Old World glamour

Those looking to avoid the scene-y side of South Beach would do well to head north, to the tony enclave of Surfside. There, set on 900 feet of unspoiled beachfront, sits the Four Seasons at the Surf Club, spanning a total of nine acres. Opened in 2017, two newly constructed Richard Meier buildings flank the historic Mediterranean-style Surf Club, originally designed by Russell Pancoast in 1930. Those lavish doors welcomed everyone from Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. to Elizabeth Taylor to Frank Sinatra back then, and today they still see their fair share of celebrities.

The 77 rooms and four oceanfront bungalows—with interiors by Joseph Dirand—highlight clean, Art Deco–inspired lines around the floor-to-ceiling windows framing the cerulean water. Outside, there are three different pools, plus the beach. For indoor relaxation, head to the spa, which has six treatment rooms—bring the littles to Kids for All Seasons while you’re there. Upscale dining takes place at the Italian Lido Restaurant, inside the original ballrooms, or at Thomas Keller’s the Surf Club Restaurant, the famous chef’s first Florida outpost. Post up at the Champagne Bar to feel some of the glamour of the Surf Club’s early years, or Winston’s on the Beach for casual poolside dining with a Latin American menu.

Best amenity: The 40 cabanas that line Cabana Row in the oceanfront gardens. They come with tropical rattan furniture, terrazzo floors, private bathrooms—and air-conditioning. Refreshments, fresh fruit, and sunscreen are also included.

Can’t-miss experience: Driving one of the complimentary Mokes over to Bal Harbour Shops—leave it with the valet while you shop your heart out.

From $1,500

Award: Best renovation

This 24-year-old resort reopened on December 8 after a $100 million transformation that touches every corner of its oceanfront setting: all 421 rooms, six restaurants, and a newly envisioned spa. Set across 17 acres of shoreline, the resort features floor-to-ceiling windows framing panoramic ocean views in the lobby, and guestrooms sport natural materials such as limestone and mangrove wood, bespoke furnishings, and a palette inspired by sea and sand.

The dining and drinking outlets include the Italian restaurant Luma, the Greek and Turkish-influenced Paralía serving local seafood and produce, the Rum Bar in the lobby, and Scoop—an ice-cream spot sure to be the kids’ favorite hang. Speaking of, there’s also a new Ritz Kids Club to keep the whole family happy. Other things to keep everyone happy? Two pools, tennis and padel courts, e-bikes, and of course the sparkling beach right outside.

Best amenity: The new Ritz-Carlton Spa, Key Biscayne is a nature-heavy oasis with spacious relaxation areas, steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, Vitamin-C infused showers, and a beautiful outdoor garden. There’s also a robust fitness schedule and a complimentary class offered daily on the Grand Lawn.

Can’t-miss experience: The Sunset Lounge party every Saturday and Sunday at Dune Beach Bar. Enjoy burgers and rose sangria with toes in the sand as the sun sinks behind the waves, and a DJ’s soundtrack keeps things lively.

From $799

Award: Best for art lovers

It’s hard to believe Faena Miami Beach only opened in 2015, as it has become such an integral part of the Miami art scene and luxury lifestyle. Set within the four-block Faena District, the hotel transports guests to the fantastical world of founder Alan Faena, and it’s filled with incredible art, dining, and wellness options. Faena Miami Beach, which is the second Faena hotel after the Buenos Aires original, features artwork by Damien Hirst (yes, he of the famed golden woolly mammoth skeleton that stands guard on the hotel’s beachfront), Jeff Koons, Alberto Garutti, Amaya Bouquet, and Juan Gatti, who was commissioned to create The Way to Futopia, the large-scale, site-specific murals in the property’s entryway.

The hotel’s restaurants are among the best in the city: Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmannpresents Argentinean live-fire cooking; Pao by Paul Qui showcases Qui’s renowned modern Asian cuisine; and El Secreto Omakase is an ultra-exclusive six-seat speakeasy omakase. Guests can enjoy the palm-fringed and cabana-lined pool and the large swath of beach attended by beach butlers. The Faena Bazaar is a unique market-style shopping experience and Tierra Santa Healing House is the hotel’s 22,000-square-foot oceanfront spa. Retreating to one of the 179 accommodations is a true pleasure, thanks to film director/producer Baz Luhrmann and Academy Award–winning costume designer Catherine Martin’s interior design. Hardwood floors, sumptuous Faena Red velvet, blue tiled bathrooms, and curated art ensure a lavish stay—as do the on-call butlers.

Best amenity: Tierra Santa Healing House offers treatments that merge ancient rituals and indigenous ingredients with the latest anti-aging technologies and techniques. In addition to one of the largest hammams on the East Coast, there’s an extensive wet spa and five treatment rooms, plus two oceanfront suites with outdoor terraces and spectacular views of the Atlantic.

Can’t-miss experience: Seeing a show at Faena Theater, a gilded theater inspired by European opera houses and Old Hollywood. Reserve one of the 150 seats for its new show Obsession, or one of its many live musical performances.

From $800

Award: Best for families

The signature bright red umbrellas that dot the beachfront strand belonging to Acqualina Resort and Residences are a symbol of Sunny Isles, the posh area between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Acqualina is a family-run, independent hotel that’s part of the Leading Hotels of the World, lending it a more intimate, personalized feel that remains luxurious. The 54 spacious rooms and 44 suites each have a balcony, and suites have up to three bedrooms, many with full kitchens, making them ideal for families. Lavish textiles including chenille velvets, satins, and cozy bouclés, and other details such as channel tufted wraparound headboards, Italian-made sofabeds, and oversized wingback chairs, set the tone for livable opulence. Expansive bathrooms are outfitted with Italian marble flooring, Boca Terry robes, and Seed to Skin bath amenities.

Guests can indulge in the four oceanfront restaurants: Il Mulino New York for upscale Italian, Ke-uH Japanese restaurant, al fresco Costa Grill offering local and Mediterranean dishes, and popular Greek restaurant Avra Miami. Families appreciate the three oceanfront swimming pools, beachfront sports and lawn games, and the innovative marine biology–based AcquaMarine children’s program. Adults can head to the 20,000-square-foot Acqualina Spa, with an outdoor terrace hosting a spa pool, heated jet pool, and Roman waterfall spa; multiple steam rooms and saunas; and 11 treatment rooms plus a private spa suite for two.

Best amenity: Acqualina’s Guest Experience Managers (GEMs) provide personalized service and curate all aspects of a guest’s stay, from customizing the private bar and ordering groceries to making dining and spa reservations.

Can’t-miss experience: The private beachfront dinners that include four courses plus beverage service served at a table surrounded by lanterns, facing the ocean.

From $1,176

Award: Best for creatives

The Betsy is a family-owned-and-operated resort set within South Beach’s Art Deco Historic District. First opened in March 2009 following a complete restoration of the historic Betsy Ross Hotel, the space later expanded and merged with the former Carlton Hotel. This merge created one of the hotel’s most visual icons, the Betsy Orb, a white, egg-shaped structure that appears to be squeezed between the two buildings, and contains a functional walkway within. Today, the two wings have 130 rooms between them, as well as two restaurants by chef Laurent Tourondel, and the Piano Bar, a beloved venue for live jazz. The hotel has a courtyard pool, plus a 3,200-square-foot rooftop complex with an infinity pool that hosts complimentary daily yoga classes.

The hotel champions writers and other creatives, which traces back to owner Jonathan Plutzik’s father, poet Hyam Plutzik, a three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. The hotel has an on-site library, an artist/writer residency program, and the Betsy Poetry Rail, an installation of poetry etched into metal in the courtyard. In addition to the daily jazz shows, the hotel’s programming includes classical music pop-ups, art exhibitions, and poetry readings.

Best amenity: The Betsy has three resident dogs who greet guests at 5 p.m. every Friday for cocktail hour. The Betsy’s culinary team also prepares homemade dog treats that are offered at the registration desk. Dogs of all sizes are welcome to stay at the hotel.

Can’t miss experience: Hearing live jazz at the Piano Bar, the region’s longest-running jazz series. There’s no cover charge or drink minimum and international artists are hosted nine times a week.

From $699

Award: Best small hotel

Opened in 2024 in Miami’s Design District, the hotel at the Moore is on the fourth floor of the landmark building, which also houses a private members’ club, restaurant, executive offices, and gallery space. With just 13 rooms, the hotel is intimate and private, with a residential feeling. Each room has a distinctive design, led by Studio Collective, with art and custom furnishings by makers such as Mous, an emerging furniture line based out of Dallas, and Sossego, a sustainably focused collection from Brazil.

Public spaces are also a design lover’s dream, with a highlight being the site-specific Elastika, originally created by Zaha Hadid for the inaugural Design Miami in 2005. It now stretches above the ground floor atrium; below it is the recently opened Torno Subitorestaurant, by star Italian chef Massimo Bottura. The 4,500-square-foot gallery space on the fourth floor is a must-see for its rotating exhibitions showing museum-quality art works.

Best amenity: All guests receive access to the members’ club, which offers curated programming that encourages social connection, including performances, live music, and culinary events.

Can’t-miss experience: The Rabbit Hole is the hidden, late-night speakeasy with craft cocktails and a menu that changes quarterly. The space’s custom art was created by Amazonian artist Winny Tapajós, portraying a mischievous garden scene full of whimsical characters.

From $999

Award: Best representation of the Asian luxury aesthetic

Housed in a restored 1936 landmark building within the Art Deco District, the Setai, Miami Beach is inside the Dempsey-Vanderbilt hotel by heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey that first opened on January 1, 1937. It became the Setai in 2004, sporting a refresh by designers Jean-Michel Gathy and the late Jaya Ibrahim that weaves the aesthetics of the Far East into its original Art Deco facade. The lobby features gray Art Deco bricks rescued from Shanghai, lattice work inspired by Belgian Art Deco made from Burmese teak, and a bronze fireplace handcrafted in Bali.

The Setai has 91 Art Deco rooms inside the landmark building, as well as 57 ocean suites, three pool villas, and one four-bedroom penthouse suite, which are all in the newer Setai tower. There are five restaurants and bars, including Japón, a contemporary Japanese restaurant, and Jaya, a Southeast Asian restaurant that hosts a Sunday Jazz Brunch with a Peking duck bar. Relax on the beach, in one of the three pools, or at the Valmont Spa, which has seven treatment rooms with panoramic ocean and city views.

Best amenity: The courtyard. Plenty of Miami Beach hotels share the same sand and ocean, but only the Setai boasts the tranquil courtyard featuring towering pergolas of dark woods and the iconic serenity pond. Once the sun sets, the courtyard transforms into a glamorous social spot beloved by Miami’s elite.

Can’t-miss experience: Dining at Japón, which opened in late 2024, is a Japanese culinary experience. The opulent room has a gold leaf ceiling, glossy blue paneling, marble bar, and woodblock prints from the 1800s. Order tuna crispy rice, king crab roll, truffle hotpot, and fillet mignon with yuzu truffle ponzu.

From $1,200

Award: Best revival

Originally the Mayfair Hotel and Spa, an icon of Coconut Grove that first opened in 1985, the new iteration called Mayfair House Hotel and Gardens (re)opened in 2022 after a two-year renovation. Although many details were preserved, including the original ornate wooden entrance door and the signature archways, the transformation included fully renovated guest rooms, new culinary concepts, curated art from local and international artists, and a new garden courtyard, filled with cascading fountains and sparkling pools.

Each of the eight room types has its own terrace that’s accessible from the main courtyard. Luxurious details may include carved wooden headboards, vintage typewriters, clawfoot bathtubs, private walled gardens, outdoor showers, and curated art by artists including Ryan Humphrey, Shauna Lan La, and Anita Calero. Other hotel art includes commissioned glass pieces in the elevator by Jane Richardson-Mack, a lobby installation by Miami multimedia artist Michele Oka Doner, and a colorful hand-painted wall mural at the rooftop pool by Bahamian artist Angelika Wallace-Whitfield. Dine at the Mayfair Grill, where chef Giorgio Rapicavoli celebrates his Argentine roots, and the Fountain Lounge, a converted 1980s garden fountain where guests can enjoy cocktails and snacks served from an old elevator car that’s been transformed into a bar.

Best amenity: Although there’s no spa, there are several complimentary wellness amenities for guests: free bike rentals, yoga on the rooftop most mornings, and on Wednesday mornings, there’s a sound healing session in the courtyard.

Can’t-miss experience: Having a drink by the rooftop pool at Sipsip, named for the Bahamian word for “gossip.” Enjoy the extensive rum program, Caribbean bites, and live music.

From $349

Expected opening: Q1

When Ian Schrager debuted an all-white Philippe Starck-powered pleasure palace on South Beach in 1995, the MiMo-era hotel became ground zero for glamour in that hedonistic, Versace-heavy era. Its luster lasted for a while, but the hotel languished in the doldrums for several years as subsequent operators struggled to make it work. Finally, current owners Eldridge (which also owns the L.A. Dodgers and the Beverly Hilton) threw in the towel and shuttered the Delano for a proper, years-long makeover. That was in March 2020, as the pandemic took hold, and it’s taken six years for it to be ready to reopen, this time steered by Ennismore, the splashy boutique specialist run by Sharan Pasricha—whom we’ve told you to keep an eye on.Certainly, if anyone can recapture some of its 1990s swagger, it’s Sharan.