Miami 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.

Chef Tristan Brandt's one-Michelin-starred table occupies an intimate 18-seat dining room accessed by key card through the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort. Ten-course tasting menus rotate quarterly, showcasing modern French technique with Asian accents—beef tartare beneath a caviar blanket with kimizu, porcelet crowned with roe, Hudson Valley duck against butternut squash. The contemporary space, lit by halo fixtures and framed by brick-configured mirrors, hosts Wednesday-to-Sunday dinners where each dish arrives with detailed narrative from a cohesive brigade.

Chefs Maria Teresa Gallina and Nicolas Martinez helm this intimate South Miami dining room, where a tightly edited menu shifts with the seasons. House signatures include roasted dry-aged chicken and a striking chicken liver mousse paired with house-made speculaas cookies spiced with peppercorn and cardamom, finished with starfruit jam. When available, the wagyu ribeye in banana au poivre demonstrates their inventive approach. Counter seating offers close-up views of the kitchen at work.

Acqualina Spa draws from global wellness traditions, weaving aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, thalassotherapy, and phytotherapy into treatments crafted with organic ingredients. Signature experiences include chakra balancing with heated stones, TMJ Release Massage, and Stress Relief Back Massage. Resort guests may arrange in-room sessions overlooking the Atlantic, while the oceanside facility stocks ESPA and SwissLine products alongside holistic foot and nail rituals designed for body and spirit alike.

Spanning 16,000 square feet with 14 treatment rooms and two couples suites, this beachfront sanctuary features the innovative Timeless Capsule for self-guided wellness journeys. Ocean-inspired facials and body treatments harness minerals, sea salt, and algae from the adjacent shore, while the signature Deco Experience delivers 180 minutes of pre-evening preparation. Morning yoga sessions unfold directly on the sand, blending South Beach energy with restorative calm.

Joseph Dirand's design anchors this Surfside sanctuary where treatment rooms face the Atlantic and every session includes hammam, sauna, and steam access. A strict phone-free policy enforces disconnection from check-in onward. Director Laura Martinez built the menu around Biologique Recherche facials, Elemental Herbology body work, and Susanne Kaufmann organic protocols, all delivered by European-trained therapists in airy, light-filled spaces steps from the beach.

Heated marble floors and cashmere throws set the tone at this Bal Harbour wellness retreat, where the couples suite pairs a two-person soaking tub with private rain shower and dual treatment zones. Signature therapies include the 24-karat Designer Facial, blending exfoliating peels with gold oil application, while poolside cabanas allow for massage sessions beneath Miami's coastal sun within the resort's contemporary, neutral-toned setting.

Valmont for The Spa at The Setai occupies a tranquil oceanfront sanctuary inspired by Southeast Asian design, with rich wood interiors and garden views of the Atlantic. Four treatment suites include private steam rooms and showers, while the signature 90-minute Majestic Facial fuses precise Japanese technique with Swiss Valmont skincare. Traditional therapies draw on Balinese, Indian and Japanese healing methods, and bathing ceremonies can be arranged in-suite for those in the property's Spa Studio accommodations.