Price alone doesn't cut it -- what we're looking for is iconic design, beautiful rooms, overindulgent service, and the best food in Miami. Here's a list of Northern Beaches hotels where you can live in the lap of luxury.
Four pools, great Italian cuisine, a luxurious spa, 97 huge, modern rooms, and some of Miami's most attentive service -- this is family-oriented Sunny Isles' best hotel. The rooms don't quite match Regent Bal Harbour's, but the Acqualina's beach is far better (especially with its free cabanas). For families especially, this a superb luxury pick.
With some of the most beautifully decorated (and largest) guest rooms in Miami, a beachfront location, a great spa, and a huge fitness center with a rock-climbing wall and dozens of daily classes, Canyon Ranch is a great choice for a healthy vacation -- provided you're not also looking for nightlife or a happening pool scene.
Sure, it boasts a 10,000-square-foot Guerlain Spa, $4 million worth of modern art, and some of Miami's grandest rooms. But the Regent, which opened in 2008, brings a low-key, Four Seasons-type luxury to South Florida. It's more romantic and understated than the nearby Acqualina, but keep in mind: It's 20 minutes from South Beach. Trade-offs, trade-offs.