In 2017, Four Seasons Hotel At The Surf Club in Miami, Florida opened, and Travelbinger was among the first to check in. Three years later, we’re still swooning over this luxury resort, and we have 10 great reasons why you should book. Four Seasons Surf Club is honestly by far one of the most luxury-drenched, five-star hotels to open in Florida, bringing back the glam Miami so desperately needed. Accommodations are not cheap, but for luxury travelers who like to splurge, it’s well worth the $400/night rate when you consider what you’re paying for. Here’s our Four seasons at Surf Club review.
10 Reasons why we love Four Seasons Hotel At The Surf Club (REVIEW)
1. The resort is conveniently removed from all the Miami “cray.”
Surfside, Florida, is located about 20 minutes north of Miami Beach in a relatively quiet area. What does this translate to? A LOT more space. No crowded boardwalk or beach, no gaggles of tourists, virtually no traffic and a high level of privacy (if that’s what you’re looking for).
The remote location makes Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club great for couples who want a romantic escape, families that prefer intimacy over chaos and even solo travelers looking to unwind.
2. History resonates in an impressive way.
The Surf Club was an iconic, 1930s private club for celebrities (like Frank Sinatra). It feels like a timewarp, which adds allure to the property. In fact, you don’t find this much history often in Miami hotels (even though you can find history in Art Deco design).
“The idea for the club was born on a yacht owned by tire tycoon Harvey Firestone on a winter afternoon in the late 1920s. Firestone and a few friends including Miami Beach pioneers Carl Fisher and Irving Collins cruised up the coast of Miami Beach on the Marybelle, when they noticed an incredibly beautiful beachfront landscape,” Four Seasons wrote in a statement. “In the midst of Prohibition, they were hankering for a private place to gather and once they laid eyes upon this location, the ideal place was found. Architect Russell T. Pancoast, who defined aesthetics of that era, was brought on to bring their vision to life.”
Four Seasons did an impressive job preserving some of the old-school aesthetics with Surf Club and merging it with contemporary flair.
3. The design of the hotel is unique and impressive.
Two words: Richard Meier. The famous architect is responsible for this visionary hotel masterpiece. The lobby is grand, stately and remarkably elegant. It’s timeless but contemporary with a dash of Mediterranean inspired decor, so be prepared to Instagram all day long.
I especially loved the public spaces, like the lobby, the spa and the guest rooms. I truly felt transported to another era at times, and it’s the striking design of the hotel that truly inspired us to write the Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club review. The hotel is almost like a museum. Take a look at these photos below.
4. There’s more luxury in a guest room here than entire hotels touting five stars in Miami.
Every bathroom feels like it was carved out of a slab of Italian marble. It was truly inspiring for a luxury hotel to go above and beyond. Little details that are larger than life shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Also, there are only 77 rooms (all with balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows, electronic curtains, everything controlled by an in-room tablet and green-marble mini-bar), so there are basically a handful of rooms per floor. This accentuates the privacy.
Take a look at these photos.
5. The hotel is all about privilege, and you get heaps of it.
Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club has not one but two heated pools that are both uncrowded. Guests also receive back-bending service from well trained staff. Imagine you are a celebrity. You get the “celebrity treatment” here.
Furthermore, guests receive complimentary bikes, 24-hour room service, a private section on the beach… the works. You don’t get this at many Miami hotels, and privilege here is doled out in heaps.
6. Le Sirenuse is worth the splurge.
Goodness, Le Sirenuse is insane. The signature restaurant is helmed by Chef de Cuisine Antonio Mermolia, who serves up authentic Italian in an upscale setting where waiters are glammed up handsomely in white suits.
There’s also The Surf Club Restaurant helmed by iconic chef and culinary mastermind Thomas Keller, who’s responsible for the ever-famous French Laundry in Napa Valley, California. You know his fees don’t come cheap, so Four Seasons truly went all out for guests to have an incredible and unforgettable dining experience right on property. Honestly, it inspired our Four Seasons at Surf Club review.
7. Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club is so glam, you’ll feel like a VIP every second of the day.
Sure, I mentioned you’ll get the celebrity treatment, but honestly, at this hotel, it doesn’t matter who you are. The perfect combination of service, privacy, high level of comfort and exclusivity makes you feel like you OWN THE PLACE.
8. The intimate spa has a hammam.
While I couldn’t take photos inside the hammam, it was intimate and sleek, decked out completely in white tiles and felt like Roman Gods used back in the day. It looked and felt expensive, but it was also pampering and relaxing. The hammam can easily fit 8 people, but each time I went (three times), I was the only person there.
I should mention, in the spa, there are plenty of gorgeously designed rooms to chill out in, many that face the beach, so you’re drenched in natural sunlight.
And of course, all the indulging treatments you would expect, like massages, facials and body wraps. The spa is a true sanctuary, as you’ll see in these photos.
9. You can have whatever you want.
This is the type of hotel where staff are trained to say yes to everything. Any requests you make, anything you desire, you can basically have here. Because the rates are so high, you can bet expectations will be met. But also, because rates are so high, you know the hotel will already exceed expectations.
Also… THESE VIEWS ARE INSANE. Isn’t that enough??
(BONUS 10). SO much space that we’re mentioning it twice.
You have SO much personal space here. Rooms are huge and the grounds are huge… with only 77 rooms, it is very intimate and you feel that you have the entire hotel all to yourself!
The hotel was built from the ground up (rooms are on top of the historic Surf Club), unlike many Miami hotels that have taken over former, decades-old buildings, where rooms can still feel very cramped and small.
Four Seasons gave plenty of thought to the guest experience, and they strayed from letting anyone feel overcrowded here.
Should you book Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club? We say… YES! It’s been one of our favorite hotels along our journeys, well worth a Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club review, and we can’t wait to return.
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Jimmy Im has traveled to 113 countries, stayed at over 600 hotels and clocked millions of air miles. He currently lives in New York City.