Aside from its all-important Electoral College votes, Florida is most known for its sunny recreational activities: beaches, boating and golf. While there are a bevy of luxury resorts in the Sunshine State, a few stand out above the rest. Check out Forbes Travel Guide’s picks for the top Florida getaways:
Tucked away on tiny Brickell Key, this Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel serves as an oasis of calm in bold, bustling Miami. While a quick cab ride will take you to the center of the city’s nightlife action, we recommend spending time on the private beach, lounging by the infinity-edge pool, hitting the Five-Star spa for a treatment and dining at the stunning Four-Star restaurant Azul. The contemporary, streamlined design of the hotel complements the tranquil vibe; guest rooms are dotted with discreet Asian accents and artwork and have floor-to-ceiling windows facing the city skyline or Biscayne Bay.
Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean-style, Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel presides over three miles of white-sand beaches. The facilities and amenities are on par with the luxury brand’s other hotels — think embellished European décor, a multimillion-dollar art collection, a Four-Star spa, marble bathrooms and high-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets. But we’re partial to the resort’s many activities, which include watersports, an interactive environmental program for kids and access to two Greg Norman-designed golf courses at its nearby sister hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples.
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
As one of the newest options in Miami, there’s a certain amount of (much-deserved) buzz surrounding the posh oceanside hotel. First, there’s the Jean-Georges Vongerichten-created J&G Grill with its incredible views and lively atmosphere. Then there’s the Remède Spa; the private, oceanfront beach cabanas; and the floor-to-ceiling windows with ocean views in the lavish, Art-Deco-inspired guest rooms.
This historic, Italian-Renaissance hotel has overlooked the Atlantic Ocean for more than 100 years, but you won’t find dated design and subpar amenities here. Instead, the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel has an Old World feel with all the amenities of today’s best luxury resorts. It’s also filled with the type of active offerings that attract people to Florida: 10 tennis courts, two championship golf courses, five pools and a 20,000-square-foot, Four-Star spa.
Photos Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, The Breakers Palm Beach, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide
