Looking for serenity but with all the fun of the beach without the crowds? At Mediterranean-inspired Acqualina Resort, guests are a half-hour car ride from South Beach, but here they’ll find a calm, relaxing ambience, oversized rooms with oceanfront views, two pools, and beachfront access.
The hotel’s luxurious 54 rooms and 44 suites feature private terraces, classic furnishings with modern accents, sumptuous fabrics, and his-and-her bathrooms with imported marble. For shopaholics, the hotel is just up the road from Bal Harbour Shops, and if you’re staying in the Deluxe Three-Bedroom Oceanfront Suite, the hotel will arrange a daylong shopping tour around Miami for you.
Best bet: the hotel’s classic Italian outpost from the Big Apple, Il Mulino New York, featuring Northern Italian fare. The Costa Grill offers beachside lunch or a light snack. Aqualina Spa by ESPA offers a selection of Ayurvedic-infused treatments for face and body.
Visit: 17875 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach, FL; 305-918-8000; www.acqualinaresort.com
