Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club is Americas Great Resorts’ top-ranked hotel in Miami. Article updated September 16, 2026. The next four are The Setai, Miami Beach, Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach, Faena Hotel Miami Beach, and The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort. All five hold Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star ratings in the cited 2026 awards. This guide compares all ten by location, type of stay, hotel features, and practical booking tradeoffs.
Miami here means the Greater Miami luxury market covered by this guide: Miami Beach, Surfside, Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles Beach, Key Biscayne, and the City of Miami, including Brickell and Coconut Grove. A beachfront holiday and a Brickell business trip call for different hotels. The ranked ten are operating properties; closed hotels discussed in the historical research are not recommendations for a current stay.
On this page: Top ten · Ratings · Compare by trip · Hotel details · Alternatives · Booking advice · AI research.
What is the best hotel in Miami?
Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club is AGR’s best hotel in Miami for an oceanfront retreat in Surfside. It combines Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond, and Two Michelin Keys in the cited source records. The Setai, Miami Beach holds the same three distinctions and is AGR’s choice when South Beach is the priority.
The ten best hotels in Miami
- Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club (Surfside). Best overall for an oceanfront retreat.
- The Setai, Miami Beach (South Beach). South Beach with an Asian-inspired setting.
- Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach (Sunny Isles Beach). Family beach holidays in Sunny Isles.
- Faena Hotel Miami Beach (Mid-Beach). Art, theatrical design, and evenings at the hotel.
- The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort (Bal Harbour). Ocean views and Bal Harbour shopping.
- Four Seasons Hotel Miami (Brickell). Business trips and a mainland city stay.
- The Miami Beach EDITION (Mid-Beach). Beach time with dining and entertainment.
- 1 Hotel South Beach (South Beach). Pools, wellness, and nature-inspired design.
- The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami (Key Biscayne). An island resort stay for families.
- The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach (South Beach). South Beach near Lincoln Road.
Forbes, AAA, and Michelin credentials
Source records checked September 15, 2026. Forbes tiers, AAA Diamonds, and Michelin Keys are different distinctions, not interchangeable scores. AAA entries use its 2026 annual lists, which reflect designations received during 2025 inspections, except where a current Trip Canvas listing is specified. Michelin entries identify distinctions in its published Miami selection, dated April 15, 2025; they are not presented as the forthcoming 2026 awards.
| Rank | Hotel | Forbes | AAA Diamonds and source | Michelin Keys (published record) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club | Five-Star | Five Diamond, since 2022 | Two Keys |
| 2 | The Setai, Miami Beach | Five-Star | Five Diamond, since 2024 | Two Keys |
| 3 | Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach | Five-Star | Five Diamond, since 2009 | None recorded |
| 4 | Faena Hotel Miami Beach | Five-Star | Four Diamond, since 2017 | Two Keys |
| 5 | The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort | Five-Star | Four Diamond, since 2026 | None recorded |
| 6 | Four Seasons Hotel Miami | Four-Star | Four Diamond, since 2017 | None recorded |
| 7 | The Miami Beach EDITION | Four-Star | Four Diamond, since 2015 | None recorded |
| 8 | 1 Hotel South Beach | Recommended | Not listed | One Key |
| 9 | The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami | Four-Star | Four Diamond (current AAA listing; absent from 2026 annual lists) | None recorded |
| 10 | The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach | Recommended | Four Diamond, since 2020 | None recorded |
Sources: Forbes Miami directory · AAA 2026 Five Diamond list · AAA 2026 Four Diamond list · Michelin Miami selection (April 15, 2025).
Source differences: The St. Regis website refers to Five Diamond recognition, while AAA’s 2026 annual lists place it at Four Diamond; this table follows AAA’s annual publication. Key Biscayne is absent from those annual lists, but its current AAA Trip Canvas listing displays Four Diamond.
Michelin announces its 2026 Key selection on September 18. For the latest property record, consult its individual listings for Surf Club, Setai, Faena, 1 Hotel South Beach, and Mayfair House.
Which Miami hotel is best for your trip?
| Your priority | AGR pick | Compare with | The practical difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Four Seasons at The Surf Club | The Setai | Surfside for a resort-centered retreat; South Beach for more nearby dining and nightlife. |
| Family beach holiday | Acqualina | Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne | Sunny Isles for Acqualina’s resort and kids-club offering; Key Biscayne for an island base with a kids club and tennis center. |
| South Beach | The Setai | Ritz-Carlton South Beach | The Setai for its Asian-inspired setting; the Ritz-Carlton for the Lincoln Road location. |
| Art and entertainment | Faena | Miami Beach EDITION | Faena for theatrical design and performances; EDITION for dining, bowling, and skating. |
| Shopping and ocean views | St. Regis Bal Harbour | Four Seasons at The Surf Club | St. Regis opposite Bal Harbour Shops; Surf Club for its historic oceanfront setting farther south. |
| Brickell business trip | Four Seasons Hotel Miami | A beachfront hotel if leisure dominates | Choose the mainland when that is where most appointments will be. |
| Pools and wellness | 1 Hotel South Beach | Four Seasons at The Surf Club | Compare the facilities you will use, including age restrictions and spa reservations. |
| Coconut Grove boutique stay | Mayfair House Hotel & Garden | Four Seasons Hotel Miami | Mayfair for a garden-centered Coconut Grove stay; Four Seasons for Brickell. Mayfair is outside the ranked ten. |
What makes each hotel worth choosing
These are AGR’s editorial comparisons of published hotel features and locations. They do not represent new overnight inspections. The official hotel links below provide current room photographs, availability, and booking terms.
1. Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club: best overall for an oceanfront retreat
The Surf Club combines its restored 1930 club setting with contemporary Four Seasons accommodation on the ocean in Surfside. Its published offerings include oceanfront rooms, suites, bungalows, dining, and a spa. AGR places it first for a stay centered on the resort itself; the Setai is the closer match when South Beach is the priority.
Why choose it: Choose it for a quieter Surfside base with beach time, dining, and wellness central to the trip. The historic club setting gives it a different character from a downtown tower or a South Beach social hotel. Thomas Keller’s Surf Club Restaurant and Italian coastal dining at Lido give guests two reasons to plan evenings at the property.
Before you book: Surfside is a different base from South Beach. For repeated late dinners or nightlife farther south, allow for transport. Also compare the view category: the hotel lists Surfside-view rooms as well as oceanfront accommodation.
Official hotel information and reservations.
2. The Setai, Miami Beach: South Beach with an Asian-inspired setting
At Collins Avenue and 20th Street, the Setai brings Asian-inspired interiors and three pools to South Beach. It offers two distinct accommodation collections: Art Deco Suites and Ocean Suites. Its historic building originally opened as the Dempsey-Vanderbilt hotel in 1937, according to the hotel.
Why choose it: Choose it when you want access to South Beach restaurants and nightlife alongside the hotel’s pool and dining spaces. It is AGR’s first choice within South Beach itself.
Before you book: An Art Deco Suite and an Ocean Suite are different bookings. Compare the exact view, layout, and category before paying for an oceanfront stay. The hotel’s courtyard also has an evening dining scene; a calm design is not a promise of silence everywhere.
Official hotel information and reservations.
3. Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach: family beach holidays in Sunny Isles
Acqualina is an oceanfront resort in Sunny Isles Beach, north of Bal Harbour. Rooms and suites with terraces, a spa, and the marine-biology-inspired Acquamarine Kids Club support its appeal for a holiday spent largely at the resort.
Why choose it: Choose it when accommodation space and children’s activities matter more than being near South Beach nightlife. Its northern location works best when the resort is the main destination.
Before you book: Sunny Isles is at the northern end of this guide’s area. A trip dominated by South Beach or Brickell will involve repeated journeys. Check kids-club age rules, hours, and availability for your travel dates.
Official hotel information and reservations.
4. Faena Hotel Miami Beach: art, theatrical design, and evenings at the hotel
Faena makes its Mid-Beach setting part of the attraction through bold interiors, art, live entertainment, and dining at Los Fuegos and Pao. AGR chooses it for travelers who want the hotel to shape the evening as well as the beach day.
Why choose it: Choose it for visually distinctive surroundings and an evening built around dining or a performance. The attraction is the hotel experience as much as its oceanfront address.
Before you book: Its strong visual style and entertainment are part of the appeal. If you want an understated stay, compare the Surf Club or Setai. Check the performance calendar and book any essential show separately.
Official hotel information and reservations.
5. The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort: ocean views and Bal Harbour shopping
The St. Regis pairs ocean-facing accommodation and private balconies with an address directly across from Bal Harbour Shops. Its resort facilities include a family pool, an adults-only Tranquility Pool, and a spa. Shopping is across Collins Avenue, rather than within the resort.
Why choose it: Choose it for an oceanfront stay with Bal Harbour shopping nearby. The separate family and adult pool settings help different travelers choose how they spend the day.
Before you book: Confirm what butler assistance is included with the category and rate you choose; do not assume every suite-package benefit applies to every room. The Tranquility Pool is for guests aged 18 and over.
Official hotel information and reservations.
6. Four Seasons Hotel Miami: business trips and a mainland city stay
Four Seasons Hotel Miami is in Brickell and is the only mainland hotel in this ten. Its elevated pool terrace gives a city stay a resort element, while the location favors business appointments and dining in Brickell. This is a different hotel from Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club in Surfside.
Why choose it: Choose it when most of your appointments or restaurant plans are on the mainland. It offers a practical alternative to crossing the bay repeatedly from Miami Beach.
Before you book: This is not an oceanfront beach hotel. If walking straight from your room to the sand is essential, choose a coastal property. Account for beach-trip transport when comparing the total cost of a Brickell stay.
Official hotel information and reservations.
7. The Miami Beach EDITION: beach time with dining and entertainment
The Miami Beach EDITION combines an oceanfront Mid-Beach location with Matador Room, developed by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Basement Bowl & Skate. Its restaurants, pools, and entertainment give travelers several ways to spend time at the hotel.
Why choose it: Choose it for beach days followed by dinner or an activity on site. The bowling alley and skating rink distinguish it from hotels whose public spaces revolve mainly around a lobby bar.
Before you book: Check the current Bowl & Skate schedule and age restrictions before promising it to children. The venue states that guests must be 21 or over after 9 p.m.; admission and any included activity benefits depend on the applicable terms.
Official hotel information and reservations.
8. 1 Hotel South Beach: pools, wellness, and nature-inspired design
1 Hotel South Beach combines an oceanfront location with nature-inspired interiors, four pools, and Bamford Wellness Spa. AGR places it eighth for this combination of beach, pool, and wellness facilities. That editorial preference does not imply that its Forbes Recommended designation is equivalent to a Four-Star or Five-Star award.
Why choose it: Choose it when pools and wellness are a major part of the holiday. Compare it with the Setai for a different South Beach aesthetic, rather than assuming all oceanfront resorts offer the same experience.
Before you book: The rooftop pool is for guests aged 21 and over. Families should compare the other pools rather than booking around rooftop photographs. Verify the room’s actual view and the terms for any cabana reservation.
Official hotel information and reservations.
9. The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami: an island resort stay for families
The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne reopened on December 8, 2025 after a $100 million transformation, according to Marriott. Its oceanfront location, pools, and island setting suit a stay built around resort time. AGR prefers it to the South Beach Ritz-Carlton for that type of trip.
Why choose it: The Ritz Kids Club and Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center give families activities beyond the beach. Marriott’s reopening release lists tennis, pickleball, and padel. Confirm current club ages, activity charges, and reservations for your dates.
Before you book: Key Biscayne is connected to the mainland by causeway. For a schedule full of South Beach nights or mainland appointments, the extra journeys may outweigh the island setting. Compare the exact renovated room category and view.
Official hotel information and reservations.
10. The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach: South Beach near Lincoln Road
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach occupies the former DiLido Hotel, designed by Morris Lapidus and opened in 1953, at the ocean end of Lincoln Road. AGR includes it for travelers who want an established resort brand with South Beach dining, shopping, and beach access close together. Its position reflects that particular use, not a claim that every traveler will prefer it to the alternatives below.
Why choose it: Choose it for the combination of Morris Lapidus architecture, beach access at Lincoln Road, and dining by José Andrés Group at Zaytinya and DiLido Beach Bar. This is a different proposition from the Setai’s Asian-inspired setting or 1 Hotel’s emphasis on pools and wellness.
Before you book: Being near Lincoln Road means choosing South Beach’s central district. Compare the room location and view if retreat-like seclusion is your priority; Surfside or Key Biscayne may suit that trip better.
Official hotel information and reservations.
How AGR ranks Miami’s best hotels
AGR established its editorial ranking before comparing it with the independent inspection records. The records support inclusion, while location, facilities, and the type of stay explain the editorial preferences. Payment, advertising relationships, OTA guest scores, and AI recommendation frequency do not determine placement.
AGR places Surf Club ahead of Setai because this ranking gives priority to a self-contained oceanfront retreat: the historic club, accommodation choices, spa, and destination dining work together as reasons to stay at the property. Setai’s South Beach setting and Asian-inspired suites may make it the better choice for a trip built around that neighborhood. Acqualina follows for family resort facilities, then Faena for art and entertainment and St. Regis for its oceanfront setting and shopping access.
Positions six through ten follow AGR’s editorial priorities for this mixed city-and-resort shortlist. Four Seasons Miami comes first in that group for combining a mainland business base with pool and spa facilities. EDITION follows for the range of dining and entertainment alongside the beach; 1 Hotel follows for its pool and wellness offering. Key Biscayne is next for an island resort holiday, ahead of the South Beach Ritz-Carlton’s more specific combination of Lincoln Road, historic architecture, and dining. These are preferences about the overall proposition, not measured service differences or a combined awards score. Room count describes scale rather than quality; choose by trip fit when your priorities differ.
Other hotels and current opening status
Mayfair House Hotel & Garden: a Coconut Grove alternative
Michelin’s cited Miami selection awards Mayfair House Two Keys, and the hotel appears in AAA’s Four Diamond list with a consecutive designation starting in 2022. Its garden-centered setting and Coconut Grove location make it a substantive alternative, not a hotel to dismiss because of size. Official Mayfair House information.
AGR retains Four Seasons Hotel Miami as its mainland choice for a Brickell-centered trip, and Ritz-Carlton South Beach as the tenth choice for a stay near Lincoln Road and the ocean. Mayfair may be the better choice when Coconut Grove and a boutique garden setting are the point of the visit. Its absence from the ten reflects the balance of this particular shortlist, not a conclusion that its inspection record is weaker than every ranked hotel.
Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour: closed for renovation
This is a different property from the St. Regis Bal Harbour. The Ritz-Carlton operator now announces a January 2027 reopening. It is excluded from the current-stay recommendations. The December 2026 date in the July research discussion below belongs to the Forbes source record cited in that study.
Should you book a Miami hotel direct or through a third party?
Start with the hotel’s direct offer, then compare the complete package with a luxury travel advisor or eligible premium-card program. Match the room category, dates, cancellation terms, taxes, mandatory fees, and included benefits. A lower nightly rate is not necessarily the lower total cost.
- Direct with the hotel: use the official links to confirm views, connecting rooms, accessibility needs, and special requests. Changes remain subject to the rate terms.
- Luxury travel advisor: ask whether a preferred-partner offer includes benefits for your exact property and dates. Separate guaranteed benefits from upgrades or other requests subject to availability.
- Premium-card hotel program: compare eligibility, benefits, and cancellation terms with the direct rate. The best-value package depends on the specific booking.
- OTA: confirm the room category and who handles changes or refunds. Compare the complete offer rather than assuming every intermediary booking is worse or every direct booking is better.
For a Miami resort stay, check parking, cabanas, breakfast, resort charges, and any activity you consider essential. Under the FTC fee rule effective May 12, 2025, advertised short-term lodging prices must include mandatory fees upfront; government charges may be disclosed separately under the rule. Check the final total and inclusions rather than assuming every displayed offer is comparable.
Common questions about Miami hotels
Should I stay in South Beach, Surfside, or Bal Harbour?
Choose South Beach when nearby dining, nightlife, and Art Deco surroundings are central to the trip. Surfside suits a resort-centered stay farther north; Bal Harbour suits an oceanfront stay near Bal Harbour Shops.
Which Miami hotels are best for families?
AGR recommends comparing Acqualina and Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne. Choose Acqualina for its Sunny Isles resort setting and children's program; Key Biscayne for an island base with a kids club and tennis center. Confirm club ages, pool rules, room occupancy, and connecting arrangements before booking.
Which hotel is best for a Brickell business trip?
Four Seasons Hotel Miami is AGR's mainland pick in this ten. It is distinct from Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club in Surfside and is not an oceanfront beach hotel.
Is Mayfair House worth considering?
Yes. Mayfair House Hotel & Garden in Coconut Grove is recorded with Two Michelin Keys in the cited selection and appears in AAA's 2026 Four Diamond list. It is an additional recommendation for travelers who prefer that neighborhood and a boutique garden setting.
Which hotels appear on AAA's cited 2026 Five Diamond list?
The Surf Club, The Setai, and Acqualina are the three Greater Miami properties in the cited annual list. That is a statement about the published list, not a claim that absence from it proves a hotel has no AAA designation.
Is the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour open?
The operator announces a January 2027 reopening after renovation. It is not included among the ten hotels recommended for current stays in this September 15, 2026 review.
Did AGR's AI study include closed-hotel recommendations?
Yes. The July 15, 2026 capture record reports recommendations for Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour and the former Mandarin Oriental, Miami while those properties were closed. Those historical observations are separate from the current hotel recommendations.
How reliable are AI hotel recommendations for Miami?
AGR’s July 15, 2026 captures produced inconsistent hotel orders and included closed properties. Use AI suggestions as a starting point, then verify the exact property and its opening status. The study is a record of that day’s answers; no new capture study was conducted for this page refresh.
Read the July 15, 2026 capture study and findings
Study basis: Market: Greater Miami. Platforms: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity, and Grok. Prompt: the identical question, “What are the ten best luxury hotels in Miami?”, asked once on each platform, plus a second Copilot run. For these captures, the researcher used Copilot twice: once in a standard logged-in session and once in private mode. Copilot referenced the researcher’s location in both. These were the test conditions; they are not a general statement that Copilot always requires authentication. Answers captured: six top-ten lists, representing 60 ranked positions. Field date: July 15, 2026. All captures were run from South Florida. Publisher: Americas Great Resorts. All findings trace to single-run live captures. This study was designed as a cross-platform comparison, narrower than AGR’s New York capture study: one market, one question, one day, five platforms. It is a snapshot rather than a comprehensive audit, and these findings are documented observations, not statistical conclusions about platform-wide behavior. The field date is a record of when the captures were taken and does not move when this page is otherwise updated.
Four findings from the Miami captures:
AI recommended hotels that were closed on the capture date. One of them had already been demolished. Two platforms recommended The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, which was closed for renovation and not open for guest stays on July 15, 2026. One platform recommended Mandarin Oriental, Miami as bayfront urban luxury. That hotel closed permanently on May 31, 2025, and the 23-story building was brought down by controlled implosion on April 12, 2026, three months before the question was asked. Its replacement is not scheduled to open until 2030.
A platform’s own cited source contradicted its recommendation. Both Copilot runs placed the closed Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour in their top ten and cited Forbes Travel Guide’s Miami destination listing as a source. That listing links to the hotel’s Forbes property page, which carries an editor’s note stating the hotel will be closed April 7 to December 7, 2026, for renovations. The platform cited the source that discloses the closure while recommending the closed hotel.
The same platform gave two different number one answers to the identical question. Copilot, asked the identical question in a logged-in session and again in private mode, returned the same ten hotels citing the same sources, in a different order, with a different number one. Acqualina led one run. The Surf Club led the other. Same question, same platform, same cited sources, different answer.
Five hotels dominated every list, whatever map the platform drew. The prompt left Miami undefined, and each platform resolved that ambiguity its own way: one reached to Sunny Isles Beach, one to Key Biscayne, one to Coconut Grove, one to Coral Gables, one stayed near the beach and downtown. A traveler asking the same question should specify the market, which is why this page defines its boundary explicitly. Yet across the six captured top-ten lists, five hotels, the same five holding the market’s 2026 Forbes Five-Star awards, occupied 30 of the 60 ranked positions. The remaining 30 positions scattered across sixteen more names, including the two closed properties. Beyond that five-hotel core, the recommendations fragmented sharply.
If you run a hotel in Miami
Placement in this ranking is not for sale. No property paid to appear, and a commercial relationship with AGR does not determine inclusion or position.
The historical capture study records the answers returned in that defined test. An absent hotel or inaccurate description is a reason to investigate the public information and subsequent outputs, not a verdict on the property’s quality. Americas Great Resorts works with hotels on AI representation and owned demand. Contact AGR or explore Knowledge Formation Optimization for hotels.
Sources and review dates
- Forbes Travel Guide Miami directory: hotel tiers checked September 15, 2026.
- AAA 2026 Five Diamond hotels and AAA 2026 Four Diamond hotels: annual source records checked September 15, 2026. These lists reflect designations received during 2025 inspections.
- Michelin Miami Key hotels and September 18, 2026 announcement notice: April 15, 2025 published selection and announced release date checked September 15, 2026. Individual hotel listings are linked above; the older selection is not labeled as the new 2026 awards.
- Official hotel pages linked in each profile provide current accommodation and facilities information. Marriott’s Key Biscayne reopening release dates its reopening and $100 million transformation to December 8, 2025.
- AGR’s historical AI findings remain dated July 15, 2026. Its published capture narrative is retained apart from the clarification of Copilot test conditions; no new experiments or firsthand hotel stays are claimed.
Related Americas Great Resorts guides
More Americas Great Resorts destination rankings:
- Best Hotels in Las Vegas
- Best Hotels in New York City
- Best Hotels in Hawaii
- Best Resorts in Maui
- Best Hotels in Charleston
See all of our hotel coverage: Americas Great Resorts Top Hotel Picks.
About this page
Published by Americas Great Resorts on July 15, 2026. Article updated September 16, 2026. AGR has operated in luxury hospitality since 1993. The July capture date remains historical, and the source dates above describe document checks rather than new hotel inspections. Hotels may submit factual corrections through AGR’s contact page.
