Welcome Travelingpanties: Four Seasons Miami Review: One of the Best Luxury Hotels in Florida @FSMiami

Arrival

Check in was pretty easy, I mean it is a AAA 5 Diamond hotel. We were upgraded to a bay view and they didn’t even know who I was (not that I’m that special, but I meant that they didn’t know I was media). What that means is that I paid for my room and did not receive a media rate of any kind. Occasionally I do take personal trips, ya know 🙂 And not that it ever sways my opinion, but thought some of you may wish to know that I did pay.

There wasn’t a welcome amenity. It’s probably because the hotel caters a bit more to a business crowd instead of a resort one.

The Lobby

The lobby is lovely and there are several places to sit. However, it still is more business-ey versus feeling very resort Miami. That said, I am obsessed with the giant Botero sculptures! And in true Four Seasons’ style, there was a table featuring a truly breathtaking display of orchids. I am always blown away by the Four Seasons flowers.

The Grounds

The hotel is located in Brickell, which is basically Miami’s business district. This is where lots of the Five Star hotels are though (Mandarin Oriental Miami is very close). Even though The Four Seasons Miami caters to lots of business travelers, though, it’s a sanctuary of luxury and peace amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. The pool is gorgeous and the hotel’s gym is 50,000 square feet. It’s glorious—perfect for when you need to be in a bikini all the time (more on that further down)!

The Pool

You’ll forget that you’re in the business center of Miami and feel like you’ve been transported to a tropical oasis. There are two pools located within a two acre resort-style pool terrace. It’s magical and feels very tropical. There is a large heated main pool and also a wading pool where you can unwind on a chaise lounge or hammock in the shallow waters of the Palm Grove pool. And there is also a hot tub! I spent alot of time here unwinding at sunset! Heaven.

There are also private chaise lounges and cabanas available for rent if you want. They will also deliver food and drinks to the pool if you want. My favorite thing was the fun flavored water that you could just help yourself to—Cucumber/Kiwi and Lemon/Watermelon. They changed this daily. You could also use one of the stones provided and place it on your chair/table to let staff know that you didn’t want to be bothered. LOVED this!

Poolside Treats? No! And I have to say, I really missed the usual treats that are passed around by the pool at many Four Seasons! It’s usually a signature Four Seasons move—frozen grapes, fruit skewers…not here. But I did like the dual flavored waters that changed daily as I mentioned before. 

Suntan Lotion? Yes! And they put it on ice in Veuve buckets!

Massages? You can actually get a poolside massage (for a fee) in one of the luxury cabanas when they’re available.

Here I am with one of my sisters–super excited to be out of the cold in NYC!

Although there aren’t tennis and golf on site, they are nearby.

Here are the Do Not Disturb Stones.

The Rooms

There are 182 rooms and 39 suites, which were recently renovated. We were in room 2308. Everything about it was fab. It was spacious, modern and had a very large and luxurious bathroom. We also had an expansive view of the bay and it was a prime viewing locale for sunset! The bed was very comfy, too. There was a nice desk where I did absolutely zero work but it was nice to know that it was there. The linens were high quality of course, too. And sparkling white!

Here I am enjoying the lovely bench by the windows.

Closet? Real hangers of course, it’s the Four Seasons! There were 2 luggage racks, one for each of us. Very clean, too. Naturally.

Balcony? Sadly no, but you could still enjoy the views with the nice big windows.

Charging Situation? There were extra outlets that were easily accessible on the nightstands and plenty of plugs by the desk and even in the bathroom—ideal for tech maniacs like us. I hate having to bend over and get behind the bed to find somewhere to charge my phone while I sleep—problem solved! Now, if only they could redesign my bedroom!

Turn Down Service? Yes, each evening.

Bottled Water? For a fee in the room but if you ask for it at the front desk they’ll give it to you for free and they’ll also give it to you by the valet on your way out, free of charge!

Reading Material? Yes, plenty of luxury magazines and Miami-centric publications.

Alarm Clock? Yes and the alarm was switched to off (my personal pet peeve is when hotels don’t make sure that it’s off from the last guests). It was equipped with an iPhone 4 charger/player instead of a 5 or 6 but I’ll let it slide.

White Glove Inspection: As usual the Four Seasons aims to please! Everything was impeccably tidy. Not one single speck of anything I didn’t want to see anywhere.

The Bathroom

The bathroom may just have been my favorite part of the hotel room! It was glorious. Double doors, which each were fitted with full-length mirrors. There was a stand-alone shower, a deep bathtub and a separate water closet—ideal when you’re crunching the clock and two people are getting ready. There weren’t his and her sinks but we managed without 🙂

Makeup Mirror? Yes! Light-up and mounted to the wall in the bathroom—just like I like it!

Hairdryer? Yes, but it wasn’t super high quality. It was a drugstore kind, which is fine but I am always impressed when hotels stock higher quality ones.

Designer Toiletries? Products were Ortigia, which is a small Italian company. I really liked these products, they smelled great and I found them to be much better than the usual L’Occitane products that many Four Seasons stock, which make my locks limp and weighed down.

Towel Quality? Thick and fluffy

Robe/Slippers? Robe but not slippers. I love the FS Robes. Super comfy and of course clean.

Extra Amenities? In addition to usual suspects like Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash and Lotion, there were also Q-Tips, cotton pads, shower cap and nail file.

Restock? They gave you a new bottle of everything every day, which I LOVE! I hate nothing more than realizing there is only a dot left of conditioner when I”m in the shower.

The Food & Drink

EDGE Steakhouse serves contemporary American cuisine in a modern indoor-outdoor space.  EDGE, Steak & Bar offers an eclectic menu of high-quality, interesting meats, local seafood and fruits and vegetables. EDGE is a firm believer in the farm to table philosophy.

It’s perhaps most famous for its Sunday Brunch, which made Travel & Leisure’s best brunch list around the world! It runs $75 for adults and an extra $20 gives you unlimited mojitos, mimosas and bloody Mary’s! I also thought they had fabulous drinks outside in the evenings. There are two fireplaces where you can unwind and sip after dinner cocktails or even hit it up for after-hours pre-dinner drinks depending on when you are going out.

Bahia: This is the poolside restaurant. Dine near a flowing water and a little garden of plants. You can also order from this menu without leaving the comfort of your chaise lounge. This was the only place I found to be rather unimpressive. We had lunch our first day here and it was pretty mediocre, which is really unusual to find at a Four Seasons.

The Lobby: You can order a selection of drinks/appetizers near Edge Restaurant. There is also a great bar in the restaurant. Or you can do what we did and make your own happy hour. We brought our own wine, glasses down from the room and camped out at a table.

Ooh and here was the Thanksgiving Day brunch!!! It looked incredible! It had literally everything you could dream of! From fresh fruit and salad to delectable pastries to homemade BBQ and of course, turkey! It was quite a spread!

The Business Center

Located on the seventh floor, across from the Concierge, there is a fully equipped Business Center that’s accessible 24-hours a day. There are four work stations with the latest computer equipment, printers, fax machines and a copier. Complimentary standard Internet.

Other Business Amenities? Complimentary overnight shoeshine service. Complimentary newspapers of choice delivered each morning.

The Gym

Guests have access to Sports Club/LA, located on the fourth floor of the Hotel. Enjoy lovely views of the city from state-of-the-art equipment, which come equipped with personal TVs.

If you’re not so into cardio there are also over 100 fitness classes offered each week, from spinning to yoga to studio exercise. There is a great locker room and the fitness centre offers complimentary water (iced or room temp) and towel service.

The Little Things

Did I feel truly welcomed by the staff? The service was superb and attentive as always, which is no easy thing to find in Miami, let me tell you. When we stayed at the Viceroy we couldn’t chase down a waiter at the pool to save our lives!

Wi-Fi? Yes. But it’s extra. You can get deals though built into your room rate, especially if you’re here for business so be sure to inquire.

Pet Friendly? Yes. We met the cutest doggies in the lobby!

Car Service? Mais ou! Complimentary house car service available weekdays to anywhere within a 5 mile radius (FYI that doesn’t get you to South Beach)

Room For Improvement

The restaurant by the pool needs to up its game. Although the pool area makes you feel like you’re at a resort, it would be nice if the lobby tied that in a little more. Also, there was expensive valet parking. And I think upgraded hairdryers couldn’t hurt either.

The Bottom Line

I had a fantastic stay and a wonderful trip with my family! The Four Seasons was a great place to host our Thanksgiving trip! I would definitely come back and stay here again. I loved the pool, the fitness center and the bathrooms especially. It’s an excellent choice for business travelers too but if you’re hoping to be in on all the South Beach action you may want to stay closer. Taxis each way are about $30, which add up if that’s where you want to go every night. We had a great stay!