Editorial score of 9.3 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 Faena the top hotel in Miami?
Faena is our number one Miami hotel because it is the most complete piece of theatre in the city and still remembers to be a hotel. The property occupies the restored Saxony, a 1948 art deco landmark on Collins Avenue at 32nd Street, and Alan Faena rebuilt it with Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, the husband-and-wife team behind The Great Gatsby. The lobby's centrepiece is a Damien Hirst gilded woolly mammoth skeleton in a glass case, the corridors are lined in red velvet, and the ceilings carry painted murals. None of it is understated, and that is the whole point. What lifts Faena above a set piece is that the spectacle is matched by a genuine Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond service culture, so the drama never comes at the cost of a working stay.
The other half of the case is that the rooms and the beach are calmer than the public rooms, which is exactly the balance a milestone trip wants. The 179 rooms sit across the original Saxony tower and a discreet oceanfront wing, and the design there softens into creams, pale blues and honey marble. Out front, the Faena District gives the hotel a walkable cultural block of its own, and the beach service sets the standard other Miami hotels are measured against. For a honeymoon, an anniversary or a proposal where you want a stay that reads like a film, this is the benchmark. Set expectations for maximalism rather than minimalism, and it delivers on every count.
What are the best rooms to request?
Request a corner junior suite or a premier oceanfront room and prioritise the balcony and the sunrise line over square footage. The 179 rooms range from bay-view entry categories in the original Saxony tower to the oceanfront wing, and the difference between them is real. The bay-view and partial-ocean rooms are lovely and quieter on the wallet, but they look away from the water and can feel more like town rooms than beach rooms. The corner junior suites and premier oceanfront rooms open onto furnished balconies that face the Atlantic and the rising sun directly, which for a honeymoon is worth the step up in price on its own. At the top of the building, the Imperial Suite is a multi-bedroom apartment with a private terrace over the ocean.
One honest clarification: the guest rooms are deliberately calmer than the gilded public spaces, so travellers who expect every surface to match the lobby's red velvet and gold leaf will find the bedrooms restrained by comparison. That restraint is a feature rather than a fault, because it is the part of the hotel you actually sleep in, but it is worth knowing before you book. Treat the room as the quiet frame around the spectacle downstairs and the beach out front, and book the highest oceanfront category your budget allows for the balcony and the view.
Book Los Fuegos for the celebration dinner and ask for a terrace table near the open fire at sunset, then hold seats for a later Faena Theater show so the evening runs from dinner into cabaret without leaving the building. For the morning after, reserve the Tierra Santa hammam ritual early, when the spa is quietest.
What is the dining and the bar scene like?
Dining at Faena is the most theatrical programme in Miami, and it is a genuine reason to book rather than a convenience. The marquee restaurant is Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann, the Argentine grill master's only North American location, where whole animals and vegetables cook over open fire and a weekly asado turns dinner into an event. Beneath the mammoth, Pao by Paul Qui serves a bold contemporary Asian menu that draws on Filipino, Spanish, Japanese and French flavours. Around the two restaurants, the Living Room pours cocktails to a crowd that comes for the room itself, and the Saxony Bar runs the late-night scene. The one venue that has no equal in the city is the Faena Theater, a 150-seat horseshoe cabaret modelled on a 1920s European opera house, which sells tickets to non-guests as readily as to guests.
What about the pool, spa and the beach?
The 22,000-square-foot pool deck is the daytime heart of the hotel, opening straight onto the sand, and the beach service is the reference point for the rest of Miami: cold towels, branded sunscreen, fruit and a personal attendant who appears before you have decided you need anything. The Tierra Santa Healing House is a full spa built around a Latin American treatment sensibility, and its hammam ritual is among the most ambitious in the city, the natural choice for the milestone version of the trip. Unlike a town hotel, Faena sits directly on Mid-Beach, so the ocean, the pools and the deck are all a few steps apart, and a full day can pass without leaving the property.
Signature amenities
In the heart of Mid-Beach
Mid-Beach, the Faena District · about 30 min drive from Miami International Airport (MIA)
What's nearby
- Faena Forum
Rem Koolhaas culture hall1 min walk - Miami Beach Boardwalk
Oceanfront pathOn site - Faena Bazaar
Shops & market2 min walk - The Bass museum
Contemporary art12 min walk - Lincoln Road
Shopping & dining10 min drive
The Saxony, the rooms, Los Fuegos
Pool deck
Ocean-view room
Lobby
Los FuegosHow does Faena compare with Miami's other five-star hotels?
Against the field, Faena is the maximalist, design-and-theatre benchmark, and the choice comes down to what you want your days to look like. The Setai, Miami Beach is the opposite temperament in South Beach, an Asian-restraint five-star built around three pools at three temperatures and a quieter kind of luxury. The Four Seasons at The Surf Club in Surfside trades the spectacle for architectural calm, 77 rooms behind Richard Meier's white towers and two Michelin Keys. Acqualina in Sunny Isles is the family answer, a Mediterranean-style beachfront resort with a serious kids' programme. Faena's own trade-off is that the drama is not for everyone, and the rates sit at the top of the market.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faena Hotel Miami Beach | Maximalist Mid-Beach landmark | Design, theatre, cinematic romance | Spectacle not for all; top rates |
| The Setai, Miami Beach | Restrained South Beach five-star | Calm, service, three pools | Less of a scene, high rates |
| Four Seasons Surf Club | Richard Meier Surfside modernism | Architecture, privacy, dining | Away from South Beach nightlife |
| Acqualina Resort | Mediterranean Sunny Isles resort | Families, spa, space | Further north, quieter setting |
Frequently asked questions
Where is Faena Hotel Miami Beach and what building is it in?
Faena is at 3201 Collins Avenue in Mid-Beach, inside the restored Saxony, a 1948 art deco landmark. It anchors the Faena District, a walkable cluster that also holds the Faena Forum, Faena Bazaar and the Miami Beach Boardwalk runs along its beach.
How many rooms does it have, and who designed it?
There are 179 rooms and suites across the original Saxony tower and a newer oceanfront wing. The interiors were created by Alan Faena with Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, the pair behind The Great Gatsby, and the lobby holds Damien Hirst's gilded woolly mammoth.
What are the restaurants and bars?
The marquee restaurant is Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann, the chef's only North American location. Pao by Paul Qui serves contemporary Asian cooking, the Living Room and Saxony Bar handle cocktails, and the Faena Theater is a 150-seat cabaret.
Does Faena have a spa and a pool?
Yes. The Tierra Santa Healing House is a full spa with a hammam ritual, and the property runs a 22,000-square-foot pool deck with full beach service on the sand, both at the Forbes Five-Star standard the hotel holds.
Is Faena worth it for a honeymoon?
For couples who want the most cinematic address in Miami, yes. The theatricality, the cabaret and the calm ocean-view rooms give a honeymoon a story most Miami hotels cannot match. The trade-off is the city's highest rates and a spectacle a few travellers find too much.
Other luxury stays in Miami
#2 · South BeachThe Setai
#3 · SurfsideFour Seasons Surf Club
#4 · Sunny Isles