Miami thrives on spectacle. The sun-drenched destination is a masterclass in tropical style, where art deco classics blend with modern luxury in the most visually captivating ways. Whether it’s an over-the-top oceanfront penthouse or a sultry champagne bar dripping in Old Hollywood glamour, Miami is a feast for the senses.
Here, Forbes Travel Guide highlights five of the most beautiful places in Magic City, each a gem of design, atmosphere and a quintessentially Miami experience.
Miami’s Most Beautiful Pool
Few pools hold as much cultural cachet as Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Fontainebleau Miami Beach. A fixture of Miami Beach’s glitzy past and present, the legendary poolscape is a timeless blend of design, nostalgia and contemporary cool.
Curvaceous and expansive beyond belief, the main pool’s black-and-white bowtie tile pattern is instantly recognizable, an homage to the hotel’s midcentury roots. Surrounding it, private cabanas with soft drapes and daybeds offer escapes while palm trees sway to the adjacent ocean breeze.
There’s an adult day club, Arkadia, if you’re looking to turn up in true Miami fashion, too.
Miami’s Most Beautiful Bar
Tucked within Five-Star Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, The Champagne Bar exudes Old World elegance and contemporary chic. Amid soaring arched ceilings, plush couches and intricate terrazzo floors, the golden glow of Murano glass chandeliers bathes the space in a romantic light.
The space’s palette — warm creams and rich wood tones — pays homage to the property’s nearly 100 years in existence while channeling a breezy sophistication of the nearby beach’s shores. The bar is stately green, complementing the pops of palms throughout.
Alongside the pizzazz, the bar lives up to its name by carrying Miami’s most extensive selection of bubbly.
Miami’s Most Beautiful Suite
If Jay Gatsby had ever dreamed of a Miami retreat, Five-Star Faena Hotel Miami Beach‘s Faena Penthouse would be it. Perched atop one of the city’s most visually stunning and multifaceted properties, this two-story, 14,507-square-foot suite is a symphony of opulence. Crimson-red accents contrast with pristine white furnishings, while golden art deco flourishes punctuate the space with a theatrical flair. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the Atlantic like an ever-rippling canvas — plus, its wraparound terrace boasts a panorama of the sea and cityscape.
Adding to the bold beauty here are the onsite Four-Star Tierra Santa Healing House spa featuring fetching floral murals by artist Juan Gatti and Four-Star Asian restaurant mainstay Pao by Paul Qui with a Damien Hirst unicorn sculpture standing underneath a gold-leaf dome ceiling.
Miami’s Most Beautiful View
Want two breathtaking vista points in one property? They await at Mandarin Oriental, Miami on the teeny-tiny Brickell Key, just off the city’s ever-burgeoning Brickell financial district. Each space presents its perspective of Miami’s magic. At La Mar, the open-air terrace unveils a 270-degree panorama of Biscayne Bay, with the downtown skyline as its backdrop. By night, it’s a prime viewing spot to watch the city lights dance across the bay while noshing on the most vibrant Peruvian flavors, spanning ceviche to pisco sours.
Just steps away at the property, MO Bar + Lounge has an equally mesmerizing but slightly more posh perspective. Inside, plush seating and warm, understated elegance frame a front-row seat to the twinkling cityscape and boats that coast by.
Soak up these views while you can — the hotel will close at the end of May.
Miami’s Most Beautiful Restaurant
Stepping into Queen Miami Beach is like entering a gilded fever dream of art deco grandeur. Housed in a restored 1930s theater, this supper club-style restaurant is a visual masterpiece where history and high fashion mingle. A grand staircase, velvet banquettes and cascading chandeliers set the stage for a dining experience like few others. The design is cinematic, with moody lighting that shifts throughout the evening, creating an interplay of shadows and gold.
Every detail is indulgent, including the open kitchen’s theatrical presentations, the tableside caviar service and even a periodic aerialist performance. And for sushi lovers, an intimate omakase space filled with morsels by chef Max Kamakura is as sultry as it gets.
