10 Best Hotels In Miami To Add A Luxurious Experience To Your Vacation

Share

Miami is one of the world’s most popular vacation spots. Though destinations often are said to offer something for everyone, the Miami area does indeed offer multiple enticements for everyone.

Why Miami is "The destination" for celebrities?

Beautiful sunny beaches, art-deco buildings, vibrant nightlife, creative cuisine and a burgeoning arts scene are among Miami's principal attractions. Its hotels are the playgrounds for locals and visitors alike, with the added attraction of sunny poolside terraces, artfully designed dining rooms and plush nightclubs.

Miami is blessed with natural beauty, and you may spend the day peering out from your sunglasses on South Beach for the quintessential Miami Beach experience. You can look for colourful bird species while walking the trails of Oleta River State Park, or simply enjoy some downtown greenery while lounging in Bayfront. The open-air is also where Miami’s biggest parties unfold, whether at massive music and dance festivals or the neighborhood fiestas that pack the city's cultural calendar.

From art and design to global cuisine, Miami always on the hunt for bold new ideas. You can also indulge in retail therapy worthy of an A-lister there at Bal Harbour Shops, which has a collection of luxurious retail stores like Bulgari, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Tiffany, Gianni Versace and more. All the magic of the city unfolds after dark, in its salsa-filled dance halls, candlelit lounges, and rooftop bars with sweeping views over Biscayne Bay and the city skyline.

You'd never know who you'll spot as Miami certainly has drawn the stars over the years. If you're in the mood for local star spotting, celebrities with homes in Miami include Cher, Matt Damon, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Julio Iglesias, Shaquille O’Neal and Ricky Martin.

Drawn to Miami’s vices, A-list celebs regularly come to the city of sand, sun, and sass — whether for a red carpet affair or to be-seen on South Beach. Here’s top 10 list of where to stay if you want to catch a glimpse of your favorite movie stars, musicians, and athletes.

1. Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club     

2. 1 Hotel South Beach

3. The Villa Casa Casuarina

4. Faena Hotel Miami Beach

5. Fontainebleau Miami Beach

6. The Miami Beach EDITION

7. St. Regis Bal Harbour

8. Acqualina Resort & Spa   

9. The Setai

10. Mandarin Oriental, Miami

Share

1. Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club: Tom Cruise, Britney Spears, John Mayer, and Jessica Simpson have reportedly been guests of the hotel. However, high-profile guests choose the Four Seasons when they want to fly under the radar, not when they want to be gawked at by fans around the pool, so don't expect a celebrity-watching scene.

Share

2. 1 Hotel South Beach: Reclaimed woods, organic linens, and a massive living wall: 1 Hotel’s commitment to sustainability permeates every facet of this jumbo-sized oceanfront resort. But going green never comes at the expense of luxury. Its 425 airy rooms and suites average an impressive 700-square-feet each, among the largest in all South Beach, and guests in the sprawling accommodations sleep on grey-toned oak beds topped with cotton mattresses.

Share

3. The Villa Casa Casuarina: Set in an opulent mansion in the heart of the Miami’s Art Deco District the glamorous Villa Casa Casuarina is a stone’s throw away from gay-popular South Beach. The architect, author, and philanthropist, Alden Freeman, originally built the Villa in 1930. In 1992 the famous Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace purchased the Villa. Today it operates as a luxury boutique hotel encompassing ten lavish suites; the signature restaurant Gianni’s, Onyx Bar, Sushi by Bou (an exclusive experience in Versace’s former bedroom) and several unique event spaces. The three-story villa has been completely preserved with furnishings and appointments as Versace styled them. The restaurant and bar overlook a 54-foot long pool lined with 24-karat gold, showcasing Versace’s notorious Medusa logo comprised of more than one million Italian mosaic tiles. Additional amenities include the open-air courtyard, a rooftop oasis, an observatory, and more.

Share

4. Faena Hotel Miami Beach: Faena Miami Beach Hotel features 169 guestrooms and suites conceived by Alan Faena and designed by award-winning film director/producer Baz Luhrmann and four-time Academy Award® winning production and costume designer Catherine Martin. A retro-glam masterpiece chock-a-block with theatrical accents, like a 24-karat gold wooly mammoth skeleton from Damien Hirst. In the eye-catching rooms and the oversized lobby, dubbed “The Cathedral,” red and gold abound, with pops of turquoise to remind you that this Gatsby party is in Miami and not West Egg. Each floor features dedicated, around-the-clock butler service, and guests enjoy access to a 22,000-square-foot spa, a serene beachfront pool, and two of the buzziest restaurants in Miami: Los Fuegos, Argentine griller extraordinaire Francis Mallmann’s love letter to wood-fired meats, and Pao, an Asian fusion hotspot from chef Paul Qui.

Read More: Most Expensive Hotel In The World 

Share

5. Fontainebleau Miami Beach: The stars turned out for the hotel's grand reopening party in November 2008 -- Kate Hudson, Alex Rodriguez, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amanda Bynes, and the Kardashian sisters were among them -- and haven't stopped coming by since. They come to party at events like Lady Gaga's New Year's Eve poolside concert, where stars including Hayden Panettierre, Kevin Connolly, Chace Crawford, and J.C. Chasez came to help Gaga ring in 2010, and stayed to celebrate at the hotel's LIV nightclub (which has also played host to Christina Aguilera and Kim Kardashian during celebrity stylist Simone Harouche's bachelorette party). Maria Sharapova, Sean Combs, Nick Lachey, and Molly Sims have all been seen partying here in the past. The hotel is also a hotspot for celebrity families, like J-Lo and her twins and Kate Hudson and son Ryder.

Share

6. The Miami Beach EDITION: The Miami Beach EDITION is an ideal escape. Local venues and iconic attractions, including Miami Beach Convention Center, the Fillmore and Perez Art Museum Miami, are minutes away. Return from the beach and experience exceptional dining at our restaurants developed by Michelin-starred Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. This Miami Beach hotel boasts two ocean-facing pools, a wellness spa with a gym, a nightclub, a bowling alley and an ice-skating rink, as well as chic indoor and outdoor event space.

Share

7. St. Regis Bal Harbour: St. Regis Bal Harbour is one of the most luxurious beachfront hotels in Miami. Highlights include lavish decor, spacious guestrooms with oceanfront balconies, two infinity pools, three on-site dining options, and a prime location across from Bal Harbour Shops. The hotel is an excellent choice for visitors who are indifferent to the South Beach party scene.

Share

8. Acqualina Resort & Spa: Four pools, great Italian cuisine, a luxurious spa, 97 huge, modern rooms, and some of Miami's most attentive service -- this is family-oriented Sunny Isles' best hotel. This is a superb luxury pick for families.

Share

9. The Setai: Celebrity sightings at the Setai, where the enormous rooms can easily accommodate a small posse, are really too numerous to mention. Everyone from Jay-Z to Cat Power to Chris Brown has laid down tracks at the Lenny Kravitz-designed on-site recording studio, and the hotel regularly plays host to major fashion and entertainment events. The Setai is also reported to be a favorite of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Gisele, U2, and Madonna, among others. Hilary Duff and Jennifer Hudson have performed at the hotel on New Year's Eve, and Beyonce and Britney Spears have frequented the hotel as well.

Share

10. Mandarin Oriental, Miami: This is a world famous five star luxury hotel located in an island enclave called Brickell Key, which is set off away from the financial center of the city and thus offers a true escape. However, even though it’s a resort retreat, it’s still quite close to some of the nightclubs and other restaurants in the area, so you can easily dine out and have a fun night out, and then come back to the peace of your charming room! Amongst its many attractions is the fact that it features one of the most charming Peruvian restaurants in Miami, and a grand spa.