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We review the best luxury hotels in Downtown Miami. These include EAST Miami, Four Seasons Hotel Miami, W Miami, Mandarin Oriental Miami, SLS Lux Brickell, InterContinental Miami, Hyatt Regency Miami, Kimpton EPIC Hotel Miami, Hotel Beaux Arts, Autograph Collection, and Aman Miami.
If your hotel is situated in DownTown Miami, consider renting a car as using taxis or uber can be expensive to get to and from landmarks and Miami beach (A cab to south beach is 25 dollars for a one-way trip), and public transport in Miami is not great. That said, some hotels may charge for parking, so parking costs can cancel out savings from rentals.
1. EAST, Miami
EAST, Miami is Swire Hotels’ first venture into North America, following the openings of EAST in Hong Kong and Beijing. This superb hotel is Centrally located within a 15-minute drive from the Miami International Airport and is situated on top of Brickell City Centre. The hotel is conveniently connected to popular districts such as Wynwood, the Design District, and South Beach.
EAST, Miami, offers an irresistible mix of hip venues, high-tech gadgetry, and hot shops. It takes the modern luxury concept in a decidedly cool direction. Miami’s buzzy Brickell neighborhood feeds the 352-room hotel’s intoxicating energy. At Quinto La Huella, a wood-fired parrilla turns out grass-fed Uruguayan rib eyes next to locally sourced grilled vegetables.
Take a dip in the fifth-floor pool, or head to Sugar, the Zen rooftop bar and garden, for magnificent Miami views. Also, on the top floor? Tea Room a hidden speakeasy-style lounge that will transport you to Hong Kong for the evening without ever leaving the building.
The advice from our Virtuoso travel agents is to book a Bay King room with a wraparound, east-facing balcony for views of Miami, Biscayne Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean.
2. Four Seasons Hotel Miami
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.
Wherever you are in the world, Four Seasons hotels are consistently one of the best hotels in that city or resort. There isn’t a Four Seasons loyalty program, so you will never be able to book a free stay by racking up and redeeming points, or by collecting points on your credit card and spending them at a Four Seasons hotel. It can’t be done. But you can get discounts at Four Seasons hotels and benefit from special rewards at Four Seasons hotels for no extra cost by booking your next stay via our luxury travel concierge.
3. W Miami
Escape to W South Beach, featuring large guest-room suites with oversize private balconies and striking ocean views. This luxury oasis is within walking distance from world-class shopping, dining, and nightlife.
Take a dip in the pool at WET or soak up the sun on the full-service beach, SAND. Fuel up at FIT, a state-of-the-art fitness center, or play tennis or basketball on the rooftop at SWISH and SWING. Detox and relax at AWAY Spa. Dine-in style at RWSB or Mr. Chow. Experience true mixology at Irma’s at the Grove or Living Room Bar.
4. Mandarin Oriental
Located on Miami’s exclusive Brickell Key, Mandarin Oriental, Miami offers sophisticated serenity in an urban resort setting. Select one of four distinctive dining experiences: Peruvian cuisine at La Mar by Gastón Acurio, cocktails with a view at MO Bar + Lounge, sushi, and light bites poolside at Oasis Pool Café and pisco punches and Peruvian tapas at YAKU by La Mar.
Luxuriate in the tri-level, 15,000 ft² spa offering yoga, spa treatments, and soaking tubs overlooking Biscayne Bay. The hotel is ideally placed within walking distance of Brickell City Centre, with shopping, dining, entertainment, and cultural destinations.
5. SLS Lux Brickell Miami
Guests are welcomed to the SLS Lux Brickell Miami by a ceiling of digital artwork, a long green carpet, and a spiral staircase leading to the African-safari-inspired SAAM lounge.
These art installations are just some of the cool and quirky elements of this Philippe Starck-envisioned hotel, the centerpiece of Miami’s of-the-moment Brickell neighborhood. Beyond the eye-catching public spaces, the 124 rooms enhance the senses, their black and white palettes softened by pink walls. Other highlights are Fi’lia, Ciel Spa, and a rooftop deck with two pools.
6. InterContinental Miami
Built around Henry Moore’s famous sculpture, “The Spindle,” the luxury InterContinental Miami hotel lies along the downtown waterfront, with the city’s business center and with famous beaches both within easy reach. This is usually considered the best InterContinental in Miami.
Although this is a five-star hotel, there is a lack of soundproofing, and you can hear noise from the corridor and the next-door room, which can be a problem for light sleepers. The hotel also has an extra “service fee,” a similar concept to the Resort Fee in Las Vegas. As long as you pay this mandatory $15 USD extra per day, you can use the spa, gym and get 2 bottles of water every day.
Book a Club InterContinental room and experience luxurious Miami hotel rooms along with exclusive Club amenities. These spacious rooms feature modern decor, contemporary in-room amenities, and access to the Club InterContinental Lounge. Located on the 29th floor of the InterContinental Miami hotel, the Club InterContinental Lounge offers a place to enjoy a hot breakfast in the morning and hors d’oeuvres and drinks later in the evening.
Options a bit limited if you are expecting a full American breakfast. During happy hour, you can enjoy alcoholic cocktails there while taking Miami’s excellent views from floor 29.
There is a rooftop pool at this InterContinental on the third floor, which means that around noon, the taller buildings surrounding the hotel start blocking the sun. There are about 40 pool chairs available next to the pool, plus a couple of daybeds that need to be booked separately. The on-site Bluewater Café is open until 10:00 pm.
The fitness center is right next to the pool, a compact gym with weight machines, a couple of treadmills, exercise bikes, and a free weights area.
7. Hotel Beaux Arts, Autograph Collection
Hotel Beaux Arts, Autograph Collection is a modern private hotel ascending 39 stories above Miami’s majestic skyline. Located in the same modern all-glass skyscraper as the JW Marriott Marquis Miami, the boutique hotel boasts innovative technology, contemporary design, an intimate setting, exclusivity, and first class services.
Recently named to Marriott’s Autograph Collection of hotels, this private retreat is replete with the finest features, including famed chef Daniel Boulud’s new Mediterranean-style restaurant Boulud Sud, Mariano Bartolome Indoor Golf School, Enliven Salon and Spa, virtual bowling, and indoor basketball court. The hotel is within minutes of Port of Miami, the AA Arena, and upscale dining. Guests are greeted and receive personalized check-in to one of 44 guest rooms and suites featuring complimentary Wi-Fi, iPad, iLLY Espresso machines with complimentary espresso, lavish bedding, and top-of-the-line entertainment systems.
8. Kimpton EPIC Hotel Miami
The gorgeously renovated Kimpton EPIC Hotel is an excellent base camp from which to explore Miami. This glamorous, flirty city loves showing off its outdoorsy side. Miami’s tropical climate inspires alfresco activities day and night all year long. Relax in a spacious cabana by the two sky-high pools, enjoy dinner and drinks alfresco at the Area 31 restaurant, walk barefoot on nearby hidden beaches, go kayaking and boating, or visit open-air attractions like artsy Wynwood.
9. Hyatt Regency Miami
There are two Hyatts in Miami, and neither is desperately exciting, although they are solid choices, particularly if you are a World Of Hyatt member. The Hyatt Coral Gables is a reasonable property with well-appointed rooms, some with a balcony overlooking the pool area, but if you want to stay downtown, choose the Hyatt Regency Miami, which can be found next to one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Miami, known as Brickell.
This DownTown Hyatt has a great location near the American Airlines Arena and has great views. The Hyatt Regency’s iconic white towers overlook the Miami River, and the hotel is connected to the James L. Knight Center. This ideal location puts you steps from the Miami Riverwalk and close to the Port of Miami. Shop the Brickell City Centre or Bayside Market Place, explore Little Havana, or tour the Frost Museum of Science.
At the time of writing, the hotel rooms here need refreshing, although the current furnishings are more than adequate. Elite members get free water bottles in the room, and the breakfast here is extensive, with custom eggs & omelets. The gym and pool are adequate, but the whole hotel is next to a busy drawbridge. You can hear boats passing even up high, so if you are a light sleeper, this proximity and noise should be considered. There is also a rather disappointing Regency Club lounge at the Hyatt Regency Miami.
10. Aman Miami
Aman, one of the most exclusive luxury hotel brands in the world, is opening a hotel in South Beach in 2023. While this hotel isn’t open yet and isn’t in Downtown Miami either, we felt we had to include what will be one of the best hotels in Miami. According to the Miami Herald, the two-building Aman Miami project will include an Aman hotel and Aman-branded residences. It will be built on the Versailles Hotel’s former site at 3425 Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.
Aman currently has two US locations – Amangani in Wyoming and Amangiri in Utah and is expected to open a New York hotel in late 2020. While this hotel will not be one of the best hotels with club lounges in Miami, it will definitely be a new bucket list hotel in the sunshine state of Florida.
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