Best places to Stay in Miami? If only there was a simple answer to such an open question!
MIAMI – the sun soaked Floridian city that sparks images of fun, sand and sea. This tropical metropolis is one of the top visited cities in the US with visitors flocking from within the US, Canada, Latin America and Europe. This diversity of visitors means the city has to cater for many different tastes and styles. And only Miami can truly deliver on this premise.
Miami City offers hundreds of hotel properties that spans the full geography of this southern Florida landscape. From the white sandy shores of South Beach to the palm tree lined Coral Gables; to the glistening sky scrapers on Brickell Avenue; each Miami neighborhood offers travelers very distinctive experiences and stays. The ultimate question is: what do you want? Not where’s the best places to Stay in Miami! Because its entirely down to personal preferences – the best places to stay in Miami will be the places that fully meets the needs of you – the traveler! And these differing needs will naturally vary between travelers.
Best places to stay in Miami Florida and South Beach
I think the best approach to the question of where are the best places to stay in Miami, is to understand the different Miami neighborhoods, and discover which of these best fits with your vacation plans and activities that you look to enjoy during your visit to Miami. Discover all the top things to do in Miami in our Miami Travel Guide.
Best Neighborhoods and best Places to Stay in Miami
1. Best Hotels in Miami Beach
Miami Beach is the headline attraction for visitors to South Florida. Beautiful stretches of uninterrupted white sandy beach fronted by swaying palm trees and unique 1930’s art-deco architecture. This is the place where people come to party, relax, soak up the sun, and drink the nights away!
South Beach Art Deco style – Find the best hotels in Miami Beach
Situated in close proximity to all the main areas of Miami, staying in Miami Beach can be a great location with the added bonus of basing yourself directly on the beach. An expansive board walk now stretches the full length of Miami Beach. With many green spaces: Lumnus Park and South Pointe Park, there are plenty of quiet and relaxing green spaces to enjoy away from the beach and downtown.
Best Place to Stay in Miami Beach
Fontainebleau Hotel is One of Best places to Stay in Miami
The Fontainebleau leads the pack for sprawling resort style hotels on Miami Beach. With it’s unique 22-acre oceanfront plot, located on Collins Avenue, in the heart of Millionaire’s Row, it is one of the top rated hotels in Miami Beach. With an iconic architectural design that blends the Golden Era with modern luxury, this huge resort offers signature restaurants., 2 night club venues, a two-story spa and endless pools that blends into the pristine white sands of Miami Beach.
Best Hotels in Miami Beach
There are so many to choose from in Miami Beach; South Beach really does offer some of the best places to stay in Miami!
- Miami Beach EDITION
- W South Beach
- Ritz-Carlton South Beach
- Faena Hotel
- The Setai
- SLS South Beach
- Nobu Miami Beach
- Loews Miami Beach
- Kimpton Surfcomber
2. Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne is an island (of the Barrier Islands) connected to downtown Miami by a long causeway freeway; Popular as an events and sporting location you’ll find swimmers, cyclists, kite surfers, kayakers and runners enjoying the state parks and secluded beach parks. The Miami Tennis Masters is held here annually. With all these recreational activities, for the keen sports-goer Key Biscayne offers some of the best places to stay in Miami.
Because of it’s distance from the main Miami urban area it almost feels as if one were in the Florida Keys. And this can be most notable when visiting the highest end hotel on the island, the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne; a sprawling 5-star beach resort.
Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne: where Miami living meets the beach. Redesigned ocean-view residences and suites offer the best of beachfront living with guest use of the Caribbean-inspired resort spa makes every vacation a relaxing stay.
3. Downtown Miami: Brickell & Bayside
Downtown and Brickell are often most associated with business travelers, but with the closest density of high end luxury hotels and proximity to fantastic shopping areas, restaurants and bars; the Miami Downtown location is perfect for leisure travelers looking for high quality accommodations. These are also some of the best hotels near Miami Beach, if you prefer to stay centrally. High rise skyscrapers dominate the choices of best places to stay in Miami. But this is exactly the type of Miami Lifestyle that visitors and business travelers wish for.
Bayside waterside area has many visitor attractions: Bicentennial Park, Bayfront Park, the Freedom Tower, Perez Art Museum, frost Science Museum. Or just grab a Citi-Bike and cycle across the Venetian Causeway to Miami Beach.
Proximity to many other interesting areas of Miami is the other bonus of staying centrally in Downtown. Trendy Wynwood Walls and the Design District are just to the northern end of Brickell and have some fun activities, art galleries and shopping districts.
Downtown Miami: Brickell Avenue; home to many luxury high-rise luxury hotels
SLS Brickell: Set on the South Miami Avenue, in the heart of Brickell neighborhood, designed by Philippe Starck this luxury Miami hotel offers an Altitude Pool terrace where enjoyable cabanas and alfresco dining bring excitement to guests all day long.
EAST Miami: Trendy and topical EAST Miami accommodation offers guests an unusual Asian twist with a playful attitude to downtown Miami. Packed with features such as an energetic co-working space, pool deck, Uruguayan eatery and 40th floor rooftop bar.
Mandarin Oriental: Located on Brickell Key, a small island opposite downtown, the Mandarin Oriental brings five-star luxury to Miami. A unique infinity-edge pool, bayside dinning and exotic day spa; all offers guests an exotic Asian stay in Miami.
Intercontinental Miami: A premier luxury experience in downtown Miami waterfront, perfectly located for all that Bayside has to offer. Vibrant art and tropical worlds collide is this modern and comfortable offering from the Intercontinental brand.
Kimpton EPIC: A newly renovated property in Downtown, the Kimpton Epic offers the perfect base camp for exploring Miami. With 2 sky high pools and the Area 31 alfresco restaurant, consistently voted one of best hotel in the USA.
JW Marriott Miami: located in the heart of Brickell, a sophisticated Business hotel, offers many dinning venues, from a British Pub to alfresco restaurant. A full service spa and 7th floor pool is a fantastic place for guests to relax.
4. North Shores, Surfside & Bal Harbour
Just north of South Beach, the Miami Beach district tapers into North Shore, then Surfisde and finally Bal Harbour; before crossing the inlet into Sunny Isles. Continuing the architectural art-deco themes but somewhat further from the buzz of South Beach, North Shores is the quieter counterpart of Miami Beach. Here larger sprawling beach resorts enjoy more space, quieter neighborhoods and peaceful beaches. The luxury shopping center at Bal Harbour is a particular point of interest, and offers guests all their shopping and dining needs in a luxury and upscale shopping precinct. And so these North Shore and Bal Harbour districts offer some of the most luxurious and best places to stay in Miami.
Ritz Carlton Bal Harbour: With stunning views of the Atlantis Ocean and proximity to Bal Harbour, guests can enjoy both privacy and pampering. Renovated suites on exclusive floors, a day spa and a semi-private beach offers all luxury five star services.
Four Season Hotel at the Surf Club: The recently converted Surf Club is now home to the Four Seasons hotel, an oceanfront destination bringing a new era of glamour with Amalfi coast inspired Italian dining and a world-class spa.
St Regis Bal Harbour: The 27 story St Regis Bal Harbour is a landmark on the white sand beach, that is an intriguing mould of art, fashion and design. With a prestigious Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond ratings, this is one of the finest hotels in North Miami Beach.
5. Coral Gables & Coconut Grove
Coral Gables is a leafy suburb of Miami, in very close proximity to Downtown. Points of interest include the luxury Biltmore Hotel and golf course, Little Havana district and adjacent Coconut Grove. Renown for its historic Mediterranean Revival architecture, the neighborhood has stunning landscapes. Coconut Grove and the Coral Gables have some of the most iconic, prestigious and best places to stay in Miami. Nearby Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, and Fairchild Tropical and Botanical Gardens; are both fantastic days out.
The Biltmore Hotel, is a sprawling estate with Golf Course and leisure experiences
Biltmore Hotel: The iconic 1926 hotel is an icon of Miami’s Golden Age of development. Hosting fashion shows, galas, water shows and golfing tournaments; the Biltmore became the only place to be seen in a young and upcoming Miami city. Features include an 18 hole championship golf course, pool, spa and historic grounds.
Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove: The golden age of glamour is interwoven into the fabric of the Ritz-Carlton. With classical cocktail bar, five-star accommodations and dinning in Miami’s cultural soul of Coconut Grove.
6. Sunny Isles Beach
A seaside community that offers a casual relaxation atmosphere. Away from the frenetic nature of Miami Beach, Sunny Isles and Avenutra are ideally located just to the north of Miami. A prized location with close proximity to some of the finest stretches of unspoilt beaches (Haulover Beach) and green tropical lush parks (Oleta River State Park). Staying in Sunny Isles or Hollywood beach is perhaps a welcomed break from those others on our list and its not always about the best places to stay in Miami Beach, but all the areas of Miami best considered!
JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa: Two 19-hole Championship Golf Courses offer golf enthusiasts some of the best golfing in Miami. This sprawling resort offers multiple restaurants, a spa and tropical grounds to relax in.
Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort: The prefect family getaway on Hollywood Beach (between Miami and Fort Lauderdale), offers year round fun with water sports, shopping, pools, beach bars and their own branded Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville and JWB Prime Steak restaurants.
Acqualina Resort: This luxury beach resort in Sunny Isles offers luxurious accommodations, world-class dining, 3 swimming pools, a spa and lush grounds. Winning Trip Advisor’s 2021 Travelers Choice Best award (rated #1 beach front resort in the US for 3 consecutive years!)
From South Beach Hotels to Bahamas Luxury experiences!
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