Reggaeton music, neon cocktails and bikinis everywhere: Miami’s South Beach can feel like the never-ending party of frat boy dreams, something akin to an immersive DJ Khaled music video. And yet there is so much more to the iconic beach strip than just tan lines and tequilas. Let’s raise our salt-rimmed glasses to the glorious 1 Hotel South Beach.
Perfectly located right on the beach, just where South Beach meets the quieter Mid-Beach, 1 Hotel South Beach occupies an entire city block on Collins Avenue. South Beach is an absolute treasure trove of brilliant luxury hotels – this is one of the world’s most coveted vacation spots, after all – and yet relative new kid 1 Hotel South Beach doesn’t just hold its own with the older and flashier, it recalibrates the South Beach experience for the sustainable age of luxury travel.
How? If you know the 1 Hotel brand, you know its dedication to sustainability and nature. This is evident before one even walks into the sun-soaked, elegantly minimalist lobby; guests are greeted by a giant 1 outside, constructed out of 7,500 pounds of Florida coral. The combination of South Beach glitz with genuine care for the local environment is a tricky balance to strike, and 1 Hotel South Beach succeeds with great innovation and sincere enthusiasm. It’s no surprise it’s become the hottest spot in town for the international jet-set scene; like the beach itself, 1 Hotel South Beach has rightfully become a solid presence in everyone’s travel itinerary.
[See also: 1 Hotels CEO Arash Azarbarzin on Putting Nature First]
Stay
1 Hotel South Beach has 425 guest rooms that range from tastefully decorated double bedrooms to the 1 Oceanfront Presidential Suite. The interior of the rooms are clearly inspired by the white gold sand and clear azure ocean that many of the rooms look out onto; expect lashings of teal and cream, with wooden features that bring the beach aesthetic inside.
All rooms are spacious and well-designed, and 1 Hotel South Beach perfectly utilizes today’s minimalist fashion with floor-to-ceiling windows that spotlight the wonderful beach and city vistas.
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Yet the aforementioned Presidential Suite is where the combination of beach chic and 21st-century luxury climaxes. Coming in at 3,500 sq ft, the Presidential Suite features two king rooms, a full kitchen and frankly awe-inspiring views over the Atlantic Ocean. If you can bare it, keep the curtains open throughout the night for a spectacular sunrise.
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All rooms are pet-friendly and feature in-room greenery that heightens the nature-focused ambiance. In a nod to 1 Hotels’ emphasis on wellness, yoga mats are complimentary. Similarly, the youthful vibe of the hotel is reflected in its replacement of the typical white cotton robes with grey robes that include a hood, for a look that leans more towards plush tracksuits.
[See also: South Lodge Review: The Ultimate English Wellness Break]
Dine
There are seven dining venues throughout 1 Hotel South Beach, from the hipster lobby coffee shop Neighbors to the Peruvian-influenced Japanese restaurant Watr which resides right by the rooftop pool. Ingredients are sourced from within Florida state, and the wildly different venues are all united in promoting farm-stand freshness across their menus.
The restaurants are popular across South Beach. Watr is unmissable for the luxury of delicious sushi options to enjoy under the vivid Floridian sunset. By night, it transforms into a popular watering hole for the city’s bright young things.
The 1 Beach Club deserves special recognition for its phenomenal design that so brilliantly repurposes the typical beach club experience into something that brings a sense of island paradise to the heart of Miami Beach. It’s a gorgeous oasis of tranquility and serenity that feels miles away from the beat of Collins Avenue outside; palm trees sway in the sea breeze, birds chirp amongst the vivid greenery, and the center of the club – the bar – is somewhat of a luxury beach shack, in which imaginative cocktails are served to low stools and 70s style daybeds.
The menu is excellent, but at the 1 Beach Club, it’s the seafood that really stands out. The crab croquettes are not to be missed: The lemon caviar complements the crab juices masterfully. The charred octopus is similarly wonderful. As for the dessert, the Greek yogurt and honey mousse are presented with olive oil cake and roasted peaches for a wonderfully unconventional meeting of flavors.
[See also: The Best Restaurants in Miami]
Relax
British luxury wellness brand Bamford is at the helm of 1 Hotel South Beach’s spa, the first Bamford spa in the United States. Coming in at 4,500 sq ft, the Bamford Wellness Spa features 12 treatment rooms and The Woodland Room, an area curated for relaxation and rejuvenation.
The interior, again, reflects the 1 Hotel South Beach aesthetic of indoor greenery and subtle wood and white tones. Locally sourced driftwood is used generously throughout the spa, which offers a wide selection of holistic treatments and services. Take advantage of the Aftersun Body Treatment, which uses a mix of scientific and natural remedies to revitalize sun-parched skin through the promotion of lymphatic flow.
[See also: The Best Urban Spas of 2023]
Explore
1 Hotel South Beach has so many brilliant amenities that one could spend a long weekend experiencing all the best of South Beach without having to ever leave the premises. Yet if you do, do it in style, the 1 Hotel way: Access to a fleet of Audi premium electric cars is complimentary.
Arguably the most popular spot in the hotel is the rooftop pool. The largest rooftop pool across the whole of South Beach, it is a gorgeous spot full of gorgeous people, in which the glittering Atlantic horizon is matched by the bejeweled young people that know better than to expect a free lounger after midday.
The hotel also has a private section of the beach, which is fully equipped with loungers, towels and even a bar. The hotel’s Seedlings program is great for children, with the nursery located right by another one of the hotel’s four pools.
[See Also: 1 Hotel San Francisco: A Sanctuary of Sustainability]
