What it is

A low-key, luxe retreat with a residential feel

What it isn't

A scene. Yes, it’s close to Miami, but this is a place to seek discretion and privacy, not digits and paparazzi.

What we think

Strategically set away from the action, the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour sits on the secluded bank of one of the Atlantic/Intracoastal connectors. Eighteen floors of the tower are dedicated to rooms and suites, but the building is mostly home to private apartments giving it a quiet, residential feel - a warmly welcomed alternative to Miami Beach’s pulsing bass just a few miles south. Heightening the sense that this is your personal home, there are just two accommodations per floor:the elevators open to just two doors: one opens to a single bedroom suite and the other opens to a standard hotel room. If you elect to join the two and create a two-bedroom suite, the entire floor is exclusively yours. Guestrooms are huge and mature: have dark polished wood floors, floor to ceiling glass windows and because of the buildings curve, all of the terraces open to remarkable 180-degree vistas. On the grounds, amongst the manicured gardens, palm trees, pool and whimsical game of life-size chess, a path leads down to the beach where rentable private cabanas are equipped with personal hot tubs, orbit beds, lounge chairs, bottles of Prosecco, fruit platters and personal pool butlers.The hotel is also home to a massive 10,000 square-foot spa where 10 private rooms have direct views of the water.

You're here because

You’re looking for the place in Miami that's all about discretion (and also happens to have a $4 million art collection) in lieu of jostling club goers and sun-dazed tourists.

The Moment

You drift over to one of the cabanas by the pool. Before you even put your book down, a pool butler has laid out fluffy towels, poured ice water and is inquiring about which sunscreen you prefer. He lets you know that Prosecco and fruit are on the way - and, by the way, the life-size chessboard you’d joked about earlier? It’s open if you’d like to start a game.

Restaurants & Bars

Mister Collins - American cuisine made from scratch using only local and organic products

Pool Bar and Grill - The hotel's spectacular European-edged outdoor swimming pool and pristine white sand beaches tempt guests with the comforts of lounge chairs, day beds and over-sized umbrellas, ideal for relaxation amid the Florida sunshine and fresh ocean breezes in a tranquil Miami Beach setting.

Location

Walk across Collins Ave to Bal Harbour Shops and browse through likes of Prada, Armani, Hermes and Tiffany's. Arrange a car with the concierge or call an Uber for a 15-minute ride down to South Beach’s restaurants and Lincoln Road.