I have grown to appreciate Miami for a few nights before heading off to a Caribbean Island resorts or a cruise. Do a little shopping, eat some great food and off you go in the morning to Turks and Caicos. A bit of sightseeing in the Wynwood district for some local culture is always fun.
Brickell / Downtown
Size: 221 rooms and suites
Style: Contemporary Hip
Year Opened: 2003
Most Recent Renovation/Update: on going
Designer/Architect: Tara Bernerd & Partners on most recent update
Set in the vibrant area of Brickell, Four Seasons Hotel Miami is situated near Miami’s most celebrated neighborhoods and features 221 guest rooms, including 39 suites with views of Biscayne Bay and the city skyline. The hotel boasts an award-winning steakhouse, EDGE Steak & Bar; a two-acre pool terrace with lush landscaping and private cabanas; exclusive Equinox access, offering an extensive range of fitness amenities, group classes, and spa; and a multimillion-dollar art collection throughout the hotel, featuring works by Latin American artists, paying tribute to the area’s Latin influences and culture.
Brickell / Downtown
Size: 352 rooms and suites
Style: Contemporary
Year Opened: 2016
Designer/Architect: Arquitectonica
With its irresistible mix of hip venues, high-tech gadgetry, and hot shops, EAST Miami takes the modern luxury concept in a decidedly cool direction. Miami’s buzzy Brickell neighborhood feeds the 352-room hotel’s intoxicating energy. From authentic Latin American flavors to Asian-inspired cuisine, EAST Miami will dazzle your taste buds. With a focus on simple food and great ingredients, our chefs serve up local favorites and original creations at each of our five dining outlets. Embark on a culinary adventure that ranges from Quinto’s smoky grilled meats to the sensual and sensory Asian Night Brunch at Tea Room.
Coconut Grove
Size: 100 rooms and suites
Style: Contemporary
Year Opened: 2019
Designer/Architect: Arquitectonica / Martin Brudnizki Design Studio
The C in Mr. C, as you may know from outposts in New York and Beverly Hills, stands for Cipriani, the famous family of restaurateurs. To their restaurant in Downtown Miami you can add Mr. C Miami – Coconut Grove, on Biscayne Bay just to the south of the city proper. Here, a bridge or two from the painstakingly preserved history of Miami Beach, there’s room for something different, and Mr. C Miami – Coconut Grove is certainly that.
It’s a ground-up, purpose-built hotel, and designers Arquitectonica didn’t let that blank canvas go to waste. The building is strikingly contemporary, though it owes an obvious debt to the mid-century modernism that’s so beloved in Miami. And the interiors continue in a similar vein, though with a touch more classic warmth. It’s a unique look, but one that never leaves you in doubt as to your location — though this being a Cipriani production, there’s more than a little bit of classic Italian style as well.
North Miami Beach
Size: 98 rooms and suites
Style: Contemporary, Sophisticated
Year Opened: 2006
Designer/Architect: Karl Lagerfeld
Acqualina Resort & Residences is an award-winning Forbes Five Star, AAA Five Diamond property situated on 400 feet of pristine white sands. The resort’s unobstructed views create a unique, sea-level experience as the lush green gardens effortlessly succumb to the sand. Here, guests enjoy expansive amenities, including three oceanfront swimming pools; four restaurants, including Avra Miami and Il Mulino New York; a tranquil spa; and a marine-biology-inspired kids’ program.
Mid Miami Beach
Size: 49 rooms and suites
Style: Modern Design & Happening
Year Opened: 1988
Most Recent Renovation/Update: 2010
Designer/Architect: Martin Brudnizki
Originally: Sovereign Hotel
Any decent hotel is in a dialogue with its location; obviously what works in central London would be absurd in South Beach. But the Soho House concept has proved to be eminently adaptable, even while it retains its core appeal — for an illustration you couldn’t do much better than Soho Beach House Miami. It’s set right on Collins Avenue, surrounded by hotels of every size and style, but none of them are quite like this one, a private members’ club whose highly covetable services and facilities are the reason for the lodging’s existence.
The bedrooms are excellent, don’t get us wrong. Though they nod to their South Florida setting they feel eclectic and lived-in in the manner that’s common to Soho House properties. And with a mere 49 of them, the scale feels personal — there’s none of that sense that you’re just one box in a vast, repeating grid.
But the bonus of booking one is that it comes with club membership, which is no small thing. From there you have access to an absurdly well-equipped gym and spa, a beach club and a pair of swimming pools, one located on the eighth-floor rooftop terrace. And as a guest you’re not limited to Cecconi’s, the public restaurant, though for Northern Italian fare via South Beach you can’t beat it — you’ve also got the option of taking your meals in the more private indoor-outdoor Club.
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► VIRTUOSO: Miami Information Page
Here is a good place to start for some additional information on quality Hotels, Water Adventures and Activities.
► WIKIVOYAGE: Miami Page
A great resource for all the basic information you need for Miami.
Miami Beach General Information Page
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page updated: August 2025
images courtesy: Wikimedia Commons, Miami Tourism Board
Please Note: All Hotel / Resort / Cruise / Services Amenities are subject to availability and may have changed since the date of this being originally published.
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