Miami Travel Guide: Best Hotels, Restaurants & Experiences

Alan Faena's Miami Beach flagship occupies the site of the 1947 Saxony Hotel, where Sinatra and Monroe once headlined. The Cathedral great hall displays Argentine painter Gatti's towering murals and 632,000-tile mosaic floors beneath gold-leafed columns, while a 24-karat gold woolly mammoth skeleton by Damien Hirst commands the terrace. Guests access Faena Playa's exclusive beach club and the 22,000-square-foot Tierra Santa Healing House, Miami's first South American-inspired spa with ice room, hammam and waterfall therapy.

The Setai's forty-story aquamarine glass tower rises from a restored 1930s Art Deco shell, floor-to-ceiling windows framing Atlantic views across three temperature-controlled pools edged with privacy hedges. Inside, antique Shanghai brick meets polished teak and black granite in a strikingly dark, Asian-inflected aesthetic. Four intimate Valmont spa suites offer steam showers and open-plan terrazzo tubs for Balinese and Tibetan treatments, while Jaya serves inventive Asian cuisine steps from the beach.

Meyer Davis channeled surf culture and salvaged driftwood into 426 rooms across an entire Collins Avenue block, where four pools—including an 18th-floor rooftop perch—fan out toward the Atlantic. Living green walls by Plant the Future climb the façade, while the Bamford Wellness Spa, Anatomy gym, and SoulCycle studio anchor a wellness-driven stay. WATR serves Japanese plates with ocean panoramas; PLNTHOUSE takes a lighter, plant-forward approach.

Three oceanfront towers anchor this Mid-Beach property, including a restored 1940s Art Deco skyscraper reimagined with mid-century flourishes—art deco chandeliers, 1950s armchairs, suites filled with curated artwork. The José Andrés Group oversees Mediterranean dining at Aguasal and cocktails in a candlelit garden bar housed within a transplanted historic bungalow. Two heated pools nestle among palms, while the 1930s Spanish-style Olazul Beach Club—relocated and restored three times—serves as a beachfront landmark for guests seeking architectural heritage alongside contemporary luxury.

The 18-story tower at Bal Harbour's northern tip overlooks the Atlantic with just two rooms per floor—95 ocean-view accommodations in total, each with a private entrance. A curated international art collection anchors the two-story lobby, while the 10,000-square-foot Exhale spa delivers Barre, yoga, and HITT classes. The beachfront pool area features private cabanas with individual hot tubs, and Artisan Beach House serves fresh seafood steps from the sand.

Miami's Design District outpost of L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon delivers two-Michelin-starred French gastronomy in the house's signature style: counter seating around an open kitchen, rosewood walls, leather chairs. Expect classics like seared scallops in cilantro broth with coconut foam, lamb with eggplant caponata, and artichokes under a glass dome bathed in chickpea-turmeric cappuccino. The chocolate sensation dessert lives up to its name.

Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos brings elevated Colombian cuisine to Miami through a Michelin-starred menu built on theatrical service and technical precision. Activated charcoal buñuelos stuffed with porcini and black truffle, fritters made with fresh cheese and tapioca pearls, and tableside chocotherapy define the procession of dishes served in a sleek space anchored by an open kitchen, backlit bar, and stone floors softened by greenery.

Alain Verzeroli brings two decades of Michelin-trained precision to this Design District address, where seasonal French cooking earns a star through vibrant composition rather than weight. Butternut squash ravioli with brown butter emulsion and seared Hudson Valley foie gras with cherry anchor a menu that favors clarity and flavor impact; even the plant-based ice creams deliver remarkable creaminess, proving technique transcends category.