hotels · Miami
Where you stay shapes the whole trip. These are the hotels in Miami that travelers rate above everything else — each holds at least a 4.5-star average across thousands of reviews.
South Beach · $$
An Art Deco landmark reborn as a serene Asian-minimalist retreat, where three pools kept at three different temperatures step down toward the sand. The courtyard's Sunday jazz brunch is a Miami Beach institution.
Insider tip: Daybeds at the warmest of the three pools go first — claim one before 10 a.m. in high season.
Mid-Beach · $$
Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin dressed this 1948 Saxony tower in red velvet, gold columns, and mural-lined corridors; Damien Hirst's gilded mammoth skeleton stands in a glass box by the pool. The Tierra Santa spa's hammam is the most lavish in the city.
Insider tip: Walk the gold-leafed 'Cathedral' corridor even if you're not staying, and book the Living Room's live tango and cabaret nights ahead.
Surfside · $$
Richard Meier's glass wings rise around the restored 1930 Surf Club, where Winston Churchill painted and Sinatra partied; Thomas Keller runs the Continental-throwback restaurant. Cabana rows face one of the area's quietest beaches.
Insider tip: Book The Surf Club Restaurant when you book the room, and ask the concierge about the original 1930 ballroom and cabana history.
South Beach (Collins Avenue) · $$
An eco-luxury flagship with driftwood-and-living-green interiors, four pools including an adults-only rooftop, and 600 feet of private beachfront. The rooftop's skyline-to-ocean panorama is the best hotel view on the beach.
Insider tip: The rooftop pool is guests-only and the best perk — go for sunset; main-pool cabanas book out by mid-morning.
Coral Gables · $$
A 1926 Mediterranean Revival national landmark whose 315-foot tower copies Seville's Giralda, ringed by a golf course and one of the largest hotel pools in the continental US — Johnny Weissmuller once taught swimming here. Sunday brunch under the colonnade is legendary.
Insider tip: Ask about the free weekly history tours, and have a cocktail under the hand-painted lobby ceiling even if you sleep beachside.
Belle Isle · $$
A grown-up wellness playground on Belle Isle with a bayfront infinity pool, sunken waterside hot tub, hammam, and sunset views over Biscayne Bay instead of the ocean. The Lido Bayside Grill's waterfront tables are a locals' brunch favorite.
Insider tip: Book a spa treatment to unlock full hydrotherapy access, and stay for sunset on the bay lawn — it beats the ocean side of town.
December–April
US Dollar (USD)
English & Spanish
How this list is made: we only feature places rated 4.5 stars or higher with 1,000+ reviews from real travelers. Ratings and review counts are approximate and move over time — always check current numbers before booking. Photos are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses (credits in each gallery).
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Good to know
Three to four days works well: one for South Beach and the Art Deco district, one for Wynwood and the Design District, one for Little Havana plus Vizcaya or Coconut Grove, and a beach or Everglades day. Add more if you want to run down the Keys.