With one day of recorded snow in history and as many sun-drenched shorelines as your heart desires, the Magic City was always destined to have the best beachfront resorts. Better yet, picture walking beside Art Deco architecture as the biggest cruise ships in the world pass by with endless restaurants and bars within reach. With this in mind, we’ve got the lowdown on Miami’s best beach resorts and spa hotels – whether you’re looking for luxury, affordable, family-friendly or adults-only holidays in 2023 and beyond...
Best for a wallet-friendly break
No beachfront resort is truly a budget break, but if you want to make your money go further, the
Confidante Miami Beach has you covered. Despite being relatively wallet-friendly, the Confidante delivers two pools, an upscale restaurant and a rooftop spa. Location-wise, it’s just across the boardwalk from the beach, so you can flip flop your way over to the white sands in no time. The resort is based in the quieter Mid Beach – a more chilled-out alternative to South Beach. Here, you can walk the 20 blocks to the heart of the action, or catch a cab and be there in 10 minutes or less.
There’s plenty of buzz back at base, though, thanks to a couple of bars with live music and a poolside DJ. Plus, you can stroll up to the uber-fancy Fontainebleau’s nightclub if you’re craving something even more up tempo.
Best for families
The friendly-friendly touches start at check-in at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, where ice cream and coffees are handed out when the queues get too long. And the little extras just keep coming. All the restaurants have kids’ menus, crayons, colour-in placemats and toys. Plus, you can get iPads on request. Pampering’s not reserved for parents, either – with mini manicures, pedicures and haircuts on offer at the beauty salon.
But it’s the state-of-the-art kids’ club that really steals the show. There’s a huge clubhouse with a vintage arcade room. You can sign your little ones up for the likes of pizza-making classes, or just let them get down to some crafts in the clubhouse. There’s also a dedicated kids’ area on the beach, along with a family-friendly zero-entry pool. Banana boat rides, kayaks and paddleboards are included in the resort fee – as is a beach photoshoot, so you can get some professional quality pictures for the family album.
There are grown-up perks, too. Once you’ve checked the young ones into the kids’ club, book yourself an adults-only cabana that comes with a dedicated butler and air-con.
Best for couples
The
Nobu Hotel Miami Beach is a hotel set within a hotel. It sits within the grounds of the famous Eden Roc Hotel, to the north of Miami Beach’s strip. That means you get to use all the facilities of the Eden Roc – which is a lot – but with extra Nobu perks. These include the use of an adults-only Nobu pool, extra spa time and special access to the famous Nobu restaurant.
The stylish rooms here are equipped with luxe touches like Nespresso machines, iHome docks and minibars filled with Chef Nobu’s wines and sake. A dedicated concierge also ups the luxury ante. It’s no surprise then that the hotel was recently crowned the Number One Hotel in Miami for 2022 by Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler.
Best for eco-conscious adventurers
1 Hotels go big on sustainability, so all their hotels in the US are 100% LEED Certified and Certified Carbon Neutral. And the
1 Hotel South Beach is no exception. Everything from the bed linen and mattresses to the food and décor is eco-friendly.
Farm-to-table dining is practised in all the seven eateries, which serve organic, locally sourced fare. You can also pick up local produce from the farm stand in the lobby. They even carry their eco credentials through to the Seedling Club, where youngsters can learn about the importance of taking care of our world. Plus, guests are encouraged to leave any unwanted clothes behind to the Miami Rescue Mission – perfect if you’ve been on one too many shopping sprees.
Activities are focused on healing your energy – we’re talking spirit card readings, live poetry and butterfly releases, alongside the obligatory happy hours. But, if you do want to explore, you can do so by taking out the hotel’s electric Audi.
Best for luxury lovers
The rich and famous have been gliding through the doors of the legendary
Fontainebleau Miami Beach since 1954. It’s a perfect fit for everyone from families to couples, thanks to its abundance of facilities. Within its huge 22-acre site, it packs in 11 pools, 11 eateries and bars, and a popular on-site nightclub.
Pools-wise, there’s a family-friendly one with a slide, as well as an adults-only day club, which hosts a live DJ on weekends. And, of course, luxe poolside cabanas are up for hire. It’s dining where this hotel comes into its own, though. Hakkasan, celeb-helmed Scarpetta, StripSteak and Arkadia Grill are the high-end options, while casual dining comes courtesy of a poolside place, a bakery, a snack joint and a sushi bar. The spa doesn’t scrimp on facilities, either, with a pool, rain room, deluge shower, steam room and hammam. Meanwhile, the kids’ club sorts out younger ones with scavenger hunts and special movie or game nights.
Best for spa seekers
Health is wealth and all that jazz. And the
Carillion Miami Wellness Resort, in North Beach, takes that saying seriously. The hotel’s fronted by a 750-acre stretch of private beach, which means snoozy sunbathing’s an easy feat. But it goes a couple of steps further than your average spa resort.
The spa measures in at a whopping 70,000 square feet. As such, there’s room for a huge hydrotherapy circuit. You can work your way around a sauna, steam room, herbal laconium, experiential rains, thermal loungers, a foot spa and an igloo. The treatment menu ticks off massages, facials, cryotherapies and red light therapy pods. What’s more, you can find the right treatment for your needs by using the hotel’s tailored online tool.
There are more than 20 fitness classes a day, so your fitness routine doesn’t have to suffer. And when we say they take wellness seriously, we weren’t kidding. There are professionals, who you can talk to about topics, like nutrition and mental health. There’s an indoor rock climbing wall. And mobile phones are banned in some areas, so you don’t have to listen to other guests FaceTiming home.
Start planning your escape to the Magic City today by browsing our best Miami beach holiday deals. 
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