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 The Setai our number two hotel in Miami?
The Setai is our number two Miami hotel because it does the one thing the rest of South Beach cannot: it delivers a full five-star stay in near silence. The historic building at 20th Street and Collins opened in the late 1930s as the Dempsey-Vanderbilt Hotel, designed by the Art Deco architect Henry Hohauser, and its thick original walls give the 90 rooms inside a hush that newer towers on the beach simply do not have. When the property became The Setai, that Art Deco shell was paired with an adjacent 40-story ocean tower holding the Ocean Suites, and the whole was wrapped around a courtyard of dark teak, slate and bamboo. The result reads less like a Miami resort than like an Asian city hotel that happens to face the Atlantic, and for a certain traveller that restraint is the entire appeal.
The other half of the case is service. The Setai runs on a discretion principle that most Miami hotels do not attempt: staff anticipate but do not interrupt, check-in is done sitting down with a cup of tea, and a request made once is remembered the second time without being repeated. That culture, held for the better part of two decades, is why the hotel keeps its Forbes Five-Star rating and its reputation as the most refined address on the strip. For an anniversary, a honeymoon or a solo reset where you want the beach and the polish without the volume, this is the Miami benchmark. The Setai is also a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, which is the kind of company it keeps rather than the kind of scene it courts. Set expectations for calm minimalism rather than spectacle, and it delivers.
What are the best rooms to request?
Decide first between the two buildings, because they offer very different stays. The 90 rooms in the historic Art Deco tower are the quiet choice: thick-walled, low-lit, styled in the same teak-and-slate palette as the courtyard, and prized by returning guests for how completely they shut out South Beach. The 50 Ocean Suites in the 40-story tower are the view choice, with panoramic balconies over the Atlantic and the Miami skyline, full kitchens and living areas large enough for a private breakfast. For a milestone, request a higher-floor Ocean Suite for the balcony and the light; for a pure decompression trip, an Art Deco room is the more atmospheric and often better-value pick. The single Penthouse occupies the top of the ocean tower and is among the most expensive keys in the city.
One honest caveat: the Setai's design is deliberately austere, and it is not to everyone's taste. The rooms are dark, minimalist and monastic by intent, with restraint standing in for the gold-leaf drama of a Faena. Guests who want colour, pattern and a sense of occasion in the room itself sometimes find the Setai too severe. Treat the room as a calm frame for the pools, the courtyard and the sea rather than the star of the stay, and book the category that matches whether you have come for the quiet or for the view.
Ask for an Art Deco room on a higher floor away from the courtyard for the deepest quiet, or an Ocean Suite facing due east for sunrise over the Atlantic. Reserve a courtyard table at Jaya for the anniversary dinner, and arrive at the three pools early to claim a lounger by the coolest of them before the day builds.
What is the dining and the bar scene like?
Dining is a genuine reason to book, not an afterthought. The signature restaurant is Jaya, which serves South and Southeast Asian cooking, Indian, Chinese, Thai and Balinese, in a low-lit indoor room and a candlelit courtyard that is one of the more romantic settings on the beach. Ocean Grill handles the daytime and Mediterranean-Italian side of the operation, serving lunch and dinner by the sea, and Japon adds a contemporary Japanese room to the line-up. Between Jaya and Japon sits the reimagined Jo's Bar, the place for a cocktail and a curated bite before dinner. It is a self-contained cast of venues, so a long weekend here never has to leave the property, and the courtyard dinner in particular is the meal guests remember.
What about the pools, spa and the beach?
The three temperature-controlled infinity pools are the daytime heart of the hotel, set at different temperatures in the central courtyard so guests can move from cool to warm without leaving the property. Beach service runs directly on the sand in front of the hotel, with cabanas and attendants delivering food and drinks so a whole day can pass between the courtyard and the shore. The Spa by Valmont runs treatments across a small set of private suites, each with its own steam shower, drawing on the healing traditions of Bali, India and Tibet. It is intimate rather than sprawling, in keeping with the hotel's whole approach, and the point throughout is calm rather than scale. A stay here is best understood as a rhythm rather than a checklist: a slow breakfast in the courtyard, a morning between the three pools, an hour on the sand under a cabana, a treatment in the afternoon and a candlelit dinner at Jaya, with the noise of Ocean Drive kept firmly at arm's length the whole time.
Signature amenities
On the sand at 20th and Collins
South Beach, north end · beachfront · ~25 to 40 min from Miami International (MIA)
What's nearby
- The beach
Directly on the sand1 min walk - Collins Park & Bass Museum
Art & green space3 min walk - Lincoln Road
Shops & dining mall9 min walk - Espanola Way
Historic lane12 min walk - Miami Beach Convention Center
Events & Art Basel12 min walk
The tower, the suites, the courtyard pools
Exterior
Ocean Suite
Pools
JayaHow does The Setai compare with Miami's other five-star hotels?
Against the field, The Setai is the quiet, design-led, service-first benchmark, and the choice comes down to what you want your days to sound like. Faena Hotel Miami Beach is the theatrical opposite in Mid-Beach, gold leaf and a red-velvet theatre where the Setai chooses restraint. The Four Seasons at The Surf Club in Surfside is the most privately excellent hotel in the metro area, more secluded and residential. The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach is the more classic, art-deco-restored South Beach stay a short walk down Collins. The Setai's own trade-offs are its high rates and a minimalism that some find austere.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Setai | Quiet Asian-inspired five-star | Calm, service, design, three pools | Austere minimalism; premium rates |
| Faena Hotel Miami Beach | Theatrical Mid-Beach flagship | Spectacle, romance, scene | Loud by design; highest rates |
| Four Seasons Surf Club | Secluded Surfside modernism | Privacy, service, dining | Away from South Beach |
| The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach | Restored art-deco landmark | Classic service, central beach | Less of a design statement |
Frequently asked questions
Where is The Setai in Miami Beach?
The Setai is at 2001 Collins Avenue, at 20th Street on the northern edge of South Beach. It sits directly on the sand, a short walk from Collins Park, the Bass Museum and the shops of Lincoln Road, in the Art Deco historic district.
How many rooms and suites does The Setai have?
The Setai has 141 keys in total: 90 rooms in the historic Art Deco building, once the Dempsey-Vanderbilt Hotel, and 50 Ocean Suites plus one Penthouse in the adjacent 40-story tower. The Art Deco rooms are prized for their quiet, and the Ocean Suites for their panoramic balconies and full kitchens.
What are the restaurants and bars at The Setai?
The signature restaurant is Jaya, serving South and Southeast Asian cuisine in an indoor room and a candlelit courtyard. Ocean Grill handles Mediterranean-Italian dining by the sea, Japon serves contemporary Japanese, and Jo's Bar sits between them for cocktails and small plates.
Does The Setai have three pools?
Yes. The Setai's courtyard holds three temperature-controlled infinity pools set at different temperatures, arranged so guests can move between them without leaving the property. Beach service with cabanas and attendants runs on the sand in front of the hotel.
Is The Setai worth it for a quiet, high-service stay?
For a couple or a solo traveller who wants five-star South Beach without the volume, yes. The Setai runs on a discretion-first service culture and thick-walled Art Deco rooms that stay hushed, which is unusual on this strip. The trade-offs are the high rates and a restrained, minimalist mood that some find too austere.
Other luxury stays in Miami
#1 · Mid-BeachFaena Hotel
#3 · SurfsideFour Seasons Surf Club
#8 · South Beach