Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club

Character and identity

Set on 900 feet of Surfside sand between Bal Harbour and South Beach, this 77-room Four Seasons occupies the restored bones of a 1930s members' club, with Richard Meier towers rising behind the original coral-stone clubhouse and interiors by Joseph Dirand. The mood is "cool, calm hacienda": palm-filled beamed lobby, three pools (family, adults-only, cabana-exclusive), a row of 40 day-use cabanas, and Fernando Wong gardens. Dining is the headline act, with Thomas Keller's Michelin-starred Surf Club restaurant doing Lobster Thermidor and Beef Wellington, and Lido handling Mediterranean cooking in the old ballroom. Service is polished, international, brand-standard slick.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The pull here is the combination of a genuinely historic beachfront setting, Dirand's restrained interiors, and one of the strongest restaurant lineups in Miami; the trade-off is a sleepy neighbourhood and a pricing culture that rewards vigilance. Book an Oceanfront room (the Premier category is less compelling), reserve Keller's table when you reserve the room, and skip room service.