Editorial score of 9.0 of 10, the composite average of the three factors above (Rooms, Service, Location). Method at our methodology page. Affiliate disclosure: booking links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
Why is 1 Hotel South Beach the top wellness hotel in Miami?
1 Hotel South Beach earns its place because it does sustainable luxury for real rather than as a marketing line, and it does it at scale on the best stretch of beach. The property occupies a 425-room oceanfront block at 23rd and Collins, the seam where South Beach meets Mid-Beach, and it opened in 2015 as the flagship of Barry Sternlicht's eco-luxury 1 Hotels brand in a converted oceanfront building. The conversion stripped out the old white-and-gold Miami palette and rebuilt the interiors in reclaimed wood, living walls, raw cotton and unsealed limestone, so the lobby reads more like the entrance to a forest lodge than a beach hotel. The restraint is the point, and the brand is honest about it: filtered tap water instead of plastic bottles, keys and hangers made from recycled material, and a shorter supply chain than the standard luxury hotel runs.
The other half of the case is that the wellness positioning is backed by genuine infrastructure rather than a spa menu and a green juice. The Bamford Wellness Spa, a serious fitness centre, daily classes from beach yoga to sound baths, and rooms designed to minimise off-gassing are all real, and the adults-only rooftop pool gives the whole thing a grown-up centre. Add one of the largest room footprints on Collins Avenue and a location that walks to Lincoln Road and the boardwalk, and it is the strongest wellness-and-beach combination at this price in Miami. Set expectations for a large, design-led hotel rather than an intimate hideaway, and it delivers.
What are the best rooms to request?
Request a one-bedroom ocean-view suite and prioritise the balcony and the water aspect, because that is where 1 Hotel puts its best space. Entry rooms start around 700 square feet, among the largest on this stretch of Collins Avenue, and run through one-, two- and four-bedroom suites that reach well over 2,000 square feet. The palette is pale linen, driftwood and matte stone, showers are oversized and bathtubs are deep, and most balconies face the ocean. The most efficient buy in the inventory is the corner one-bedroom ocean-view suite, roughly 1,000 square feet with a wraparound balcony, while the top-floor penthouse adds a private rooftop with its own plunge pool for the splurge version of the stay.
One honest clarification: this is a large hotel, so the ground-floor pools and the lobby can be busy, and the entry city-view rooms look inland rather than at the water. If the ocean and the calm matter, book an ocean-view category on a higher floor, away from the pool noise. Treat the room as the quiet base for a day that runs from beach yoga to the spa to the rooftop pool, and book the highest ocean-view floor and category your budget allows for the balcony and the view.
Book a rooftop-pool day bed early in the trip, since the adults-only deck fills fastest on weekends, and reserve a class or two at the Bamford Wellness Spa when you arrive. For dinner, hold a table at Watr on the rooftop for sunset over the beach, and use the boardwalk that runs along the property for the morning walk before the day heats up.
What is the dining and the bar scene like?
Dining spans the whole building, from the sand to the roof, and it is a real reason to book. The headline room is Watr at the 1 Rooftop, eighteen stories above the beach, where a Japanese-influenced menu and one of the better cocktail programmes on the property come with the widest ocean view in the house. On the ground floor, Habitat is the heavier, all-day restaurant, and Plnthouse handles the plant-forward side, locally sourced dishes served poolside, on the terrace or to go, for guests who want the lighter end of the menu. The newest arrival is AVIV, from the James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov, which brings modern Israeli cooking to the hotel. Between the four, a stay can run from a quick working lunch to a long rooftop dinner without leaving the building.
What about the pools, the spa and the beach?
There are four pools, three at ground level, including a separate adults pool, and the rooftop pool that has done more than any single feature to define the hotel's reputation. At about 110 feet it is the largest ocean-view rooftop pool in South Beach, it runs adults-only, and it carries its own restaurant and bar service. Down on the second floor, the Bamford Wellness Spa spreads across a large floor with a salt-stone steam room, a vitality pool and treatment rooms with private outdoor showers, and it has been recognised in the World Spa Awards. The fitness centre is a fully equipped commercial gym with daily group classes, and the wellness programme runs from morning beach yoga to evening sound baths, with the boardwalk and the sand a few steps from the lobby.
Signature amenities
On the beach in South Beach
North end of South Beach, at the Mid-Beach seam · about 25 to 45 min drive from Miami International Airport (MIA)
What's nearby
- Miami Beach Boardwalk
Oceanfront pathOn site - Lincoln Road
Shops & dining8 min walk - Collins Park & the Bass
Art & green space5 min walk - Ocean Drive art deco
Historic district15 min walk - Miami Beach Convention Center
Events10 min walk
The rooftop, the rooms, the beach
Rooftop
Ocean-view room
Adults pool
LobbyHow does 1 Hotel South Beach compare with the city's other beach hotels?
Against the field, 1 Hotel is the wellness-and-scale benchmark in South Beach, and the choice comes down to the temperament you want. The Setai, Miami Beach is the quieter, more polished five-star a short walk south, built around three pools at three temperatures and an Asian-discipline service culture, for guests who will pay more for calm. The Miami Beach EDITION in Mid-Beach is the play-hard alternative, an ice rink, a bowling alley and a nightclub under one roof from Ian Schrager. The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach is the classic art-deco choice, a restored Morris Lapidus building with a reliable dining room. 1 Hotel's own trade-off is that it is large and popular, so it trades intimacy for a genuine wellness programme and the best rooftop pool in town.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Hotel South Beach | Eco-luxury oceanfront flagship | Wellness, rooftop pool, big rooms | Large and busy; not intimate |
| The Setai, Miami Beach | Restrained South Beach five-star | Calm, service, three pools | Higher rates, quieter scene |
| The Miami Beach EDITION | Schrager play-hard Mid-Beach | Nightlife, entertainment, design | Scene-led, less about wellness |
| Ritz-Carlton, South Beach | Restored art-deco landmark | Classic service, dining, address | Period building, smaller rooms |
Frequently asked questions
Where is 1 Hotel South Beach and when did it open?
1 Hotel South Beach is at 2341 Collins Avenue, at the northern end of South Beach where it meets Mid-Beach. It opened in 2015 as the flagship of Barry Sternlicht's eco-luxury 1 Hotels brand, in a converted oceanfront building, and the Miami Beach Boardwalk runs along the property.
How many rooms does it have?
There are 425 rooms and suites, including 158 suites. Entry rooms start around 700 square feet, among the largest on this stretch of Collins Avenue, and run through one-, two- and four-bedroom suites that reach well over 2,000 square feet, most with private ocean-facing balconies.
What are the restaurants?
Watr at the 1 Rooftop serves Japanese-influenced plates eighteen stories up, Habitat is the ground-floor restaurant, Plnthouse handles plant-forward dishes, and AVIV, from the James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov, brings modern Israeli cooking to the property.
Does it have a rooftop pool and a spa?
Yes. There are four pools, including the adults-only rooftop pool, which at about 110 feet is the largest ocean-view rooftop pool in South Beach. The Bamford Wellness Spa runs across the second floor with a salt-stone steam room, a vitality pool and treatment rooms, alongside a full fitness centre.
Is it good for a wellness trip?
Yes, it is one of Miami's most credible wellness hotels. Morning beach yoga, a serious gym, the Bamford Wellness Spa, the Plnthouse menu and rooms designed to minimise off-gassing back up the positioning. The adults-only rooftop pool turns a wellness stay into a usable holiday.
Other luxury stays in Miami
#2 · South BeachThe Setai
#6 · Mid-BeachMiami Beach EDITION
#8 · South Beach