Fontainebleau

Character and identity

The Fontainebleau is the building that defined Miami-Modern, a 1,504-room resort whose curved main tower has anchored Millionaire's Row since 1954 and dominates its stretch of beach. The current incarnation, unveiled in 2008 after a rumoured billion-dollar overhaul, layers contemporary urban design over mid-century glamour: whites, earth tones and tan accents in the rooms, marble bathrooms, oversized leather armchairs. Dining is genuinely heavyweight, with Hakkasan for Cantonese, Michael White's Mirabella for Italian seafood, and the glass wine tower at Prime 54. Lapis spa, a sprawling freeform pool and LIV nightclub round out a self-contained resort.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The defining fact here is scale: 1,504 rooms, multiple Michelin-pedigreed restaurants, a nightclub, a spa and a pool complex, all wrapped in genuine architectural history. It works because the operation absorbs the volume gracefully. Book a Bay View room in Versailles, Sorrento or Tresor for quiet; pick Chateau if you're here for LIV. Budget for the $53 resort fee.