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So you’re looking for the best Miami hotels on the beach. Perhaps a bumpin’ beach resort where the party never stops? Or a peaceful Florida retreat where you can relax your cares away? Either way, I gotchu fam.
Miami beach hotels are some of the priciest in Florida. But you get what you pay for. The million dollar sand bar’s beachfront resorts are known for their stunning pools, private beaches and outstanding service. Rates are typically a minimum of $200/night, but you can find sporadic deals on sites like Expedia and Hotwire.
Whether you’ve got just enough cash for a night of luxury or enough to make it rain, these are the five best North Miami Beach hotels and resorts.
Acqualina Resort & Spa
This is the Michael Phelps of Miami beach hotels. Just a few of the awards it has won: #1 Hotel in Florida by US News & World Report, #1 Beach Hotel in the Continental US by TripAdvisor, Five Diamond award from AAA and 5 Star Award from Forbes Travel Guide.
Why has the Acqualina won so many awards? Because this place is dope! The moment you pull into their opulent porte-cochere (that’s how rich people say “covered driveway”), a friendly staff member will whisk you through the sculpted archways into the magnificent lobby for check in. The receptionist will give you a glass of champagne and cold towel before you head up to your spacious room with your own private terrace soaring over the Atlantic.
When you get bored with plush accommodations, you can explore the immaculate grounds, complete with Baroque fountains, a “great lawn” and, most importantly, 400 feet of gorgeous beach. There’s also three oceanfront pools, an award-winning 2-story spa, world-class dining and a first-rate fitness center. They offer a boatload of amazing services including babysitting, pet walking, tailoring, butler services and complimentary transportation within a 5-mile radius.
Photos courtesy Acqualina Resort & Spa
Amenities:
- Private cabana rentals
- Poolside reflexology
- Hands-on marine biology programs for kids
- Private sports lessons
- Painting workshops
- Miami food tours
- Yacht charters
- Photo shoots and more
Price: $$$$$
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
At the north end of Miami Beach, in the exclusive village of Bal Harbour, this 216-room resort is kept on the down low by low-key travelers who want to keep it all to themselves. Although it’s just 15 minutes from bustling South Beach, the vibe here is totally serene. Rather than listening to the pulsing beat of the latest club hits, here you’ll only find the sound of gentle waves lapping the shore.
Photos courtesy St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
Amenities:
- Two infinity pools
- Private cabanas and daybeds
- 14,000-square-foot spa
- 1,000 feet of white-sand beachfront.
- 5-star butler service
- High-class athletic club
- Kid’s club with fun programs for children age 4-12
Price: $$$$$
Carillon Miami Wellness Resort
You like to treat yo’ self? Then this is the resort for you. This Miami beach hotel has south Florida’s largest spa at 70,000-square-feet – that’s roughly the size of Saturn. Roughly.
The spa specializes in detox treatments that blend ancient Arabic purifying practices with natural ingredients straight from the sea. There’s also an on-site wellness team and over 200 weekly fitness classes. They probably even offer kitten massages (as in kittens healing your body and soul with their teeny tiny paws) for ultimate purrification. Yes, purrification. Heh heh.
The 150 rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies with incredible views of the 750-foot beachfront and the Atlantic beyond. Perfect for people who love purrification (how many times can I get that into one article?) and beach bumming.
Photos courtesy Carillon Miami Wellness Resort
Amenities:
- A 2-story indoor rock wall
- 4 crystal clear pools
- A first-rate concierge service
- A Finnish sauna
- A hydrospa
- A crystal steam room. Treat. Yo. Self.
Price: $$$$$
Eden Roc
You wouldn’t believe it looking at the luxurious beachfront Eden Roc, but the hotel was once part of the most acrimonious drama in Miami Beach hotel history. Back in the 1950s, two real estate moguls went into the hotel business together. Shortly after building the Fountainebleu, they had a falling out. One of them retained ownership of the Fountainebleu, while the other bought the property next door and built the Eden Roc as a competitor.
The Fountainebleu owner was so infuriated by this that he built a 14-story “spite wall” on the border between the hotels to cast a shadow on the Eden Roc’s pool all afternoon. The wall had no windows except one in the owner’s suite, placed so that he could look down at the Eden Roc and laugh like the evil genius he was. Mwa ha ha ha ha!
Both hotels have since been renovated, with the Eden Roc building a 21-story addition that blocks the view of the spite wall. The updated beachfront hotel now has a total of four pools, both poolside and beachfront cabanas, modern, spacious rooms with over-sized balconies and a state-of-the-art fitness center.
Photos courtesy Eden Roc
Dining Options (this place is known for world-class cuisine):
- Fresh, farm-to-table goodness at Malibu Farm
- Japanese-style cuisine at Nobu Miami
- Awesome cocktails at the Lobby bar or beachside bar, Aquatica
- Your daily caffeine fix in the lobby’s Starbucks
Price: $$$$$
Fontainebleu Miami Beach
Wanna live like the rich and famous? This is where the celebrities stay. The Miami Beach hotel’s LIV nightclub hosts famous rappers like Kanye, Lil Wayne and Diddy all the time, and Martha Stewart once called the Fontainebleu’s 2-story spa, Lapis, “the most beautiful spa in America.”
The 22-acre beachfront hotel is an iconic member of Millionaire’s Row with it’s distinct curved design overlooking the sweeping pool and the Atlantic beyond. You might recognize it from movies like Scarface and Goldfinger.
The hotel is so exclusive that it has more security than Fort Knox. The pool area is surrounded by velvet ropes and beefy bouncers. And if non-guests choose to dine at the hotel’s poolside restaurant, La Côte, they are escorted to their table and then off the property by hotel staff. Swank.
The best thing about this Miami Beach hotel is that they offer butler service at their pools. Butler, please bring me another Eskimo-collected cloud water to pair with my diamond-encrusted ghost fish nuggets!
Photos courtesy Fontainebleu Miami Beach
Amenities:
- A whopping 1,504 rooms
- 12 restaurants and lounges
- A 40,000-square-foot spa
- 11 pools (yes, ELEVEN) with cabanas and loungers
Price: $$$$$
How to Choose the Best North Miami Beach Hotel
Would you rather spend your vacation mingling with celebrities or seagulls? Do you prefer the sound of club beats or ocean waves?
Whether you’re all about that swagger or you’re more into low-key lounging, Miami’s beach hotels have what you’re looking for.
P.S. – If you’re looking for things to do in Miami, check out our guide to South Beach or the Wynwood Arts district.
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