The Luxurious Journey

The leaves are turning and it’s getting cold up here in the Northeast, so of course my mind starts wandering to Miami Beach. Since my first visit over 30 years ago, a year hasn’t gone by without my visiting this magical place. It’s an urban oasis, where you can laze under palm trees by turquoise waters, yet still enjoy the kind of nightlife that only a city can offer.

Miami Beach is as diverse as it is large, spanning 35 miles of shoreline. I have stayed in what seems like every part of Miami Beach and enjoy each area for different reasons.

North Beach, Surfside and Bal Harbour

North Beach (the area from about 60th street up to Surfside), is mostly residential with a few modest hotels and unassuming dining spots. But discerning visitors need look no further than the two destinations just north of it: the luxury villages of Bal Harbour and Surfside. In recent years, the introduction of five star hotels like the Saint Regis Bal Harbour and the Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, has elevated this northernmost point of the Miami Beach area.  Though technically not part of Miami Beach proper, it is an enclave for the sophisticated and family-oriented. This isn’t where you stay if you’re looking for nightlife, but you can’t beat the beaches and relaxed vibe. And of course there are the Bal Harbour Shops, with world class luxury shopping and a handful of restaurants with a lively scene, the best of which is Makoto.

If you’re looking for the finest in Miami Beach style and luxury accommodations, look no further than The Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club in Surfside. Opulent, yet elegant and stylish, the hotel offers spacious rooms with sleek balconies overlooking the Atlantic. It is the perfect marriage of luxury lodging and natural beauty and is one of the most expensive hotels in Miami Beach- truly magnificent.

The Surf Club also boasts 2 celebrity chef, five-star restaurants. Thomas Keller’s Surf Club pays homage to the clubby days of the early 20th century, with such dishes as Maine Lobster Thermidor and the Prime Short Rib Beef Wellington.

Lido, the hotel’s Italian restaurant located in the grand ballroom, recently added Michelin-star chef Michael White to its roster. White, formerly of the Altamarea Group, is famous for the critically acclaimed restaurants Marea and Ai Fiori in NYC. Dining at Lido is reminiscent of dining at the famous La Sponda at Le Sirenuse in Positano.

Mid Beach

When you think about Miami in its heyday, when Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack would play to sell out crowds at The Fontainebleau or the era that is depicted in The Marvelous Mrs. Mazel, you are thinking of Mid Beach. Starting around 26th street and spanning about 40 blocks north, Mid Beach used to be largely residential with a handful of hotels. In the last decade or so, more luxury hotels made their way to the Mid Beach scene, taking advantage of the proximity to the South Beach nightlife, while still providing an escape from it.

Coincidentally, the Fontainebleau is the first hotel I ever stayed in in Miami back in 1991. It made me fall in love with the city and its old world glamour. It’s since been renovated and reimagined, yet still retains some of that old Hollywood glitz.

The Fontainebleau has something for everyone. It is enormous. There  are several pools, including a kid’s pool tucked away on one side. There are no less than 9 places to dine. The adult pool area turns into a daytime party with a DJ. If you’re planning on staying longer than a weekend, you can find rooms through VRBO at a fraction of what the hotel sells them. Most have galley kitchens and plenty of space and you can enjoy all the amenities of the hotel. The gym at the Fontainebleau is one of the best hotel gyms I’ve ever used and the spa is noteworthy.

That said, my favorite  hotel in Mid Beach is The Miami Beach Edition. The Edition is a Ritz Carlton brand, eco-friendly hotel. It offers style and sophistication in a relaxed atmosphere. Dining at the Edition is a top notch affair at the Matador Room, by the  legendary Jean Georges Vongerichten. 

The Edition has all the amenities of a large hotel chain housed in an intimate boutique hotel setting. We love the Edition so much that we celebrated my husband’s 50th birthday weekend there with several couples and it was the perfect home base.

The service at the Edition is stellar and the facilities exude understated elegance. However, when you’re ready to celebrate, the Edition has it’s own nightclub on the lower level, as well as a state of the art bowling alley and ice skating rink.

South Beach

Dubbed by locals as “the Entertainment District,” South Beach is almost always what people think of when they hear Miami Beach. Shortly after my love affair with Miami began, my best friend decided to relocate to South Beach. I ended up going to Miami every chance I could and it felt like my home away from home during my 20s and early 30s.

A decadent scene, South Beach is all about the party. Back in the day, every night had a different vibe and it was truly an adult playground. The South Beach restaurant scene is one of the best in the country. From fine dining like MILA or Prime 112 to the best Roman street pizza this side of the Atlantic at Pizza Rustica, the choices are endless.

Traveling to South Beach with a family, my hotel of choice was always the RItz Carlton South Beach. It closed a few years ago for renovations and I have not been back since it reopened, but I can only imagine that it’s even more splendid than it was before.  It provided us a fabulous location in the heart of South Beach, but a private retreat from the scene.

There is no shortage of great hotels on South Beach. I prefer to stay north of Lincoln Road (home of the famous Lincoln Road outdoor mall). While Ocean Drive- a few blocks south-is popular with tourists and is the best place to see the art deco architecture that South Beach is known for, it is the more touristy area and let’s just say more lively…

My one exception to staying south of Lincoln Road is the the Villa Casa Casuarina at the former Versace Mansion. My husband and I stayed here for his 40th birthday shortly after it was transformed into a hotel and it is an experience! The former home of Gianni Versace, who was tragically murdered on the front steps of the Mansion, Casa Casuarina is one of the most photographed sites in the United States. We stayed in “Madonna’s Room,” reportedly where Gianni would host her because of her love for the tub in that suite. It’s a truly unique place to stay that really embodies South Beach’s beauty and history.

Miami Beach will always hold a special place in my heart. There is no place like it. There is truly something for everyone there, you just have to know where to look!