Which Four Seasons is the best in Florida? Whether it is Disney in Orlando, Miami city hotel, Miami Surf Club on the beach, or Palm Beach, we have outlined which of these luxury resorts is the best.
The most luxurious hotels in Miami include the Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club right on Miami Beach and the Four Seasons Hotel Miami in the Brickell neighborhood but not on the beach. In our opinion, the Miami Surfside property is the superior property. Of course, it may not be convenient if you are working in Miami, but for rooms, views, beachside location with a dreamy pool, and historical significance, Four Seasons Surf Club wins.
Beyond Miami, there are two more Four Seasons hotels in Florida, Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort and Four Seasons Palm Beach.
In terms of facilities, our winners are:
- Best for beach: Four Seasons Surf Club & Four Seasons Palm Beach
- Best for pool: Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort
- Best for restaurants: This is a tough one. I like the classy style and trendy beachside feel at the Four Seasons Surf Club
- Best for club lounges: None of these hotels has a club lounge (we review the best hotel club lounges in Miami separately)
- Best for nightlife: Four Seasons Miami as you are so close to the action
- Best overall for families: Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort
- Best for value: Four Seasons Miami, it is much cheaper
Review: Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach
Four Seasons Palm Beach much like Miami’s Surfside, is right on the beach. Palm Beach is a playground for the rich, with names like Kennedy and Astor as regular guests, this tiny resort on Florida’s east coast is the ultimate getaway for anyone who likes shopping at trendy boutiques, golfing on world-class courses, pampering at the spa, or sipping cocktails in a beachfront cabana. Try and stay for the annual sea turtle hatchings.
Four Seasons Palm Beach remains Palm Beach Island’s only Five-Star, Five-Diamond resort. With 47 miles of pristine golden beaches, Palm Beach, Florida, has a setting for everyone, from romantically private stretches of sand to family-friendly beaches with playgrounds, nature centers, and beach parks that offer snorkeling, wind sailing, fishing, or paddleboarding. A key feature of this newly refurbished resort is the two pools, one for families and the other second pool for adults only. Catch a gleeful glimpse of a loggerhead turtle, or relax in a cabana with the complimentary service of personal beach staff at Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach.
Review: Four Seasons Surf Club
The Surfside Four Seasons is beautiful and right on the beach. It is my favorite Four Seasons in Miami and is the best choice for the following reasons:
- Location just a few blocks south of the luxurious Bal Harbour shops and a 20-minute drive from South Beach
- The beach is just steps away
- The rooms have been beautifully and recently refurbished and offer stunning views
- Oceanfront views almost hang over the ocean with enormous floor-to-ceiling windows
- Glass-fronted balconies enable you to enjoy the sunshine in your own private space
- The pool is super stylish, and the gardens edge the beach with plenty of loungers
- The bar has a tropical feel with high ceilings
- The hotel oozes sophistication with photo opportunities at every corner
- Whether you are a family, a couple, or with friends, this Four Seasons has it all
Four Seasons Miami
Four Seasons Miami is located in the Bricknell neighborhood. This is very much an urban hotel in Miami, so it doesn’t offer the resort feel of the Four Seasons Surfside resort.
This hotel has a convenient location in downtown Miami’s financial center, and it does have a two-acre rooftop pool terrace surrounded by palm trees and seventh-floor views, but it does feel like a city resort rather than a resort hotel or a place to take a vacation. That said, this is all taken into account at a cheaper price!
In our opinion, the Surf Club wins hands down but if you aren’t sure, you could multi-center and try both, and make your own judgment.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort is nestled within the 47 square miles of Walt Disney World but tucked away in the secluded millionaires’ row of Golden Oaks.
This lakeside haven has extensive gardens, pools, and towering pillars of palms and cypress. Tee off at the exclusive Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando, splash around with the kids at Explorer Island, treat yourself to a soothing, post-park massage at The Spa, or toast the evening fireworks with dinner at our rooftop steakhouse Capa.
The hotel has its own luxury coach service to the four theme parks, and your room comes with a free EXTRA MAGIC HOURS benefit and DISNEY FASTPASS+ up to 60 days prior to arrival, making it the perfect base for your next Orlando adventure.
Beyond Walt Disney, World® Resort is the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, an incredible new world which is sure to excite any Star Wars fan young and old.
Within the hotel, highlights for the kids is the five-acre water park, with splash zones, interactive fountains, water slides, and pools for kids and grown-ups alike. An attentive poolside service includes towels, lounger pillows, suncream, and pitchers of iced water.
Highlights include two elegant infinity pools, one for the family and one for adults only, splashing around in the winding lazy river, two exhilarating water slides, and weekly Dive-In Movies at the family pool, which also has zero walk-in water, so it is ideal for any age! In fact, the pools are the biggest reason to stay here. The lazy river sparkles and is never crowded, with giant waterfalls. It just floats you along.. so relaxing!
The adult pool is a quiet oasis with a hot tub and lounge chairs, it is completely peaceful and a marvelous haven of escape. Crucially, wherever you go on the grounds, it is never too crowded, even when the hotel is full.
The grounds of this Four Seasons are immaculate and beautifully landscaped with palm trees everywhere and flower beds as well as container planters and water features.
There’s also a fitness center and a spa, plus an exclusive golf course. A special Disney concierge can arrange all theme park tickets and bookings.
The look of the buildings has a Spanish or Italian feel with tropical grounds. The entire complex is an oasis of calm and the perfect escape from the frenetic theme parks. All rooms are large, even the base standard rooms, and they almost equally large balconies as well as signature Four Seasons marbled bathrooms with bathroom mirrors with TVs in them.
Room Tip: You must book a room above the fifth floor on the west side if this is your first trip, a Park View room so that you can see the nightly Disney fireworks! Other rooms overlook the Golden Oak properties or the surrounding lake and do not have a direct view of this wonderful spectacle.
However, Golden Oak View rooms are cheaper and the same in square footage. Given that you are some distance from the park, and so the fireworks are distant and look quite small, you can’t really hear them, you might feel the premium is not worth paying for. Golden Oak View rooms are lovely, and you can always watch the fireworks from the 14th floor of the hotel from the hotel balcony.
If you want more space, go for a Golden Oak View Suite. They are magnificent, with a larger bedroom space and a separate living area with a pull-out sofa. Some rooms have a bathtub by a window, offering a gorgeous view while bathing. If you’re staying for a long time or traveling with a lot of stuff, these rooms are lovely if your wallet stretches far enough!
There are seven dining and lounge options. All are great. Ravello has its own bar and celebrates fresh Italian food and cocktails. The pool bar PB&G offers light bites. There is a coffee bar, plus the golf clubhouse has a restaurant open for lunch.
The rooftop restaurant Capa is the place to go if you don’t have a room with a view of the fireworks. This restaurant is on the roof, and from here, you. can watch the nightly Disney fireworks.
Finally, there is a free kid’s club (ages four to 12) that is open from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, with its own water-play area, water slides, and fun.
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