Mandarin Oriental, Miami

Most of us hear the word “Miami” and our minds automatically fill in the word “Beach.” But Miami’s Mandarin Oriental proves there’s more to this town than the South Beach scene.

The setting is unique, overlooking Biscayne Bay from Brickell Key, the tiny island just off the shore of downtown Miami, across the bridge from the banking and financial district of Brickell Avenue. The atmosphere is faultless modern luxury of the sort Mandarin Oriental does best. And best of all, at least for the sort of guest who would choose to stay here, you’re miles from Collins Avenue and the heaving crowds of Miami Beach.

Guest rooms are stunning, contemporary in style with a hint of the Far East mixed with the obligatory Art Deco. No luxury is spared: all rooms are spacious, and the extravagant marble bathrooms come with separate tubs and showers. Most have balconies with spectacular views of the city’s waterfront, Biscayne Bay, or the Atlantic.

The rooms are restful enough, and the manicured private beach is orders of magnitude more sedate than South Beach’s more public atmosphere. For more intense relaxation, there’s the Mandarin’s world-class 15,000-square-foot spa, offering beauty treatments and Thai massage with views of the bay through floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as a fitness center offering yoga, pilates and T’ai Chi.

It’s not all peace and quiet, though — however exclusive the Mandarin may be, it’s anything but isolated. La Mar by Gastón Acurio and the MO Bar + Lounge are local hotspots, and the hotel hosts a private party on the beach that tempts discerning locals away from South Beach for something a little bit different.