By Olivia Cuccaro
What was once a warm-weather haunt for the likes of Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor has been restored into a luxury hotel, retaining all of the original glamour of 1930s Miami.
In Surfside, Florida, The Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club is now open on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Situated on nine acres of oceanfront and just minutes from the Bal Harbour shopping district, the new property features 77 guest rooms, a selection of hotel residences, Le Sirenuse Restaurant and Champagne Bar, three pools, a pristine beach, and a spa and wellness center.
First opened on New Year’s Eve in 1930, The Surf Club once served as a luxurious social club for famous actors, artists and politicians. Now, the historic hotel has been revived with three buildings designed by Pritzker-prize winning architect Richard Meier framing the original clubhouse. The Mediterranean Revival building and beachside cabanas were designed by Russell T. Pancoast and the interiors by Joseph Dirand. Artist Michele Oka Doner was commissioned to create a grand installation that tells the story of The Surf Club’s legacy.
With suites available later this summer, be sure to book the Premier Oceanfront Room for your upcoming trip. The 700 sq ft accommodation includes a king-size bed, sitting area, bathroom with marble vanity a private wraparound balcony overlooking the ocean. Guests of the hotel can explore the best of beachside and poolside, with watersports, a kid’s club and cabanas. The hotel offers quiet and family options for the pool and will soon include a cabana pool with 40 air conditioned, indoor furnished cabanas with full bathrooms.
Le Sirenuse, the property’s fine dining restaurant, is the first outpost its Michelin-starred location in Positano, Italy. With an oceanfront view and palm accents, the restaurant features a menu of classic dishes made with ingredients flown in from Italy and debuts new dishes by chef de cuisine Antonio Mermolia. Savor a dinner of lamb chops before before toasting to your vacation at Le Sirenuse Champagne Bar, once the site of The Surf Club’s ballroom.
When it’s time to relax, the Spa includes six indoor treatment rooms and two Spa Cabana Suites designed by Joseph Dirand. Amid white and blue decor, the Spa also features steam, sauna, showers and a mixed traditional hammam. After your treatment – be it a neuromuscular massage or something off the designated gentlemen’s services menu – unwind in the tea lounge and relaxation room with private alcoves for a view of the ocean and gardens.
Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club is located at 9011 Collins Avenue, Surfside, Florida 33154. For more information, please visit fourseasons.com.