Fisher Island Hotel And Resort Rating: 5.0 Pearls

Fisher Island, Miami, Florida

Fisher Island

"Alcatraz for rich people," a friend quipped when I told him I was going to Fisher Island.

It's an island, yes, but hardly a prison. Originally built in 1925 by William Vanderbilt II as a winter estate, today Fisher Island is a private island residential community with a small hotel. It's just 20 minutes from South Beach (10 minutes by ferry, plus five minutes by car), but it feels like taking a trip back in time. Peacocks freely roam the lush grounds. The original Vanderbuilt Mansion is still intact and houses two of the island's restaurants, where genteel waiters in tuxedos see to guests' every wish.

The island's rich history coexists with tons of modern amenties: a top-notch tennis center, one of the best 9-hole golf courses in the country, two marinas, and a 22,000-square-foot spa. It also underwent an extensive, $60 million renovation (which ended in early 2010) on everything from the beach club to the guest rooms.

The island is accessible only by ferry, helicopter, seaplane, and boat. Residents, most of whom live there only part-time, are some of the wealthiest people in the world. Oprah Winfrey, Mel Brooks, and financier Martin Zweig have all lived on the island, and the Clintons and Prince Andrew have visited.

Yet despite all the wealth -- according to the 2000 census, the island has the highest per capita income in the United States -- it's an understated place, at least by Miami standards. Residents don't live in huge, gaudy houses or brightly colored high-rises, but rather in some 30 sprawling, Mediterranean-style condomimium buildings around the island. Though Fisher Island is more exclusive than Key Biscayne, it also feels far less stuffy.

The "hotel" itself exists only notionally: There's a check-in office, but its "rooms" are dispersed around the island among the residences. Two guest rooms, four suites, and seven villas are reserved exclusively for guests of the hotel, and another 30 or so larger one-, two-, and three-bedroom residences are privately owned and lent to the hotel.

While there's no firm line between the hotel and the larger Fisher Island Club that owns it, a clear distinction is maintained between guests and residents, who even board the ferry via separate, conspicuously labeled lines. "Residents only" signs are a common sight. Many of the waiters I met had worked on the island for more than a decade, and they greeted residents by name and knew their preferences by heart. As a result, guests can sometimes feel like outsiders.

Still, the residents themselves are a friendly bunch; several chatted me up at the bar and pool, eager to tell me more about the island. And even if you're not one of the wealthy residents, you're always treated like someone special when you're on the island.

Staff at the City View Café

Arriving by ferry, I gave my name to the security officer on the boat. By the time I crossed the channel a few minutes later, a private valet -- Clarence -- was waiting with a golf cart to pick me up. After a brief tour of the island, I was given a glass of Perrier Jouet champagne at check-in and then shown to my room.

Once in my two-bedroom residence amid the residential villas, a five-minute walk from check-in, service did feel far away. The resort is quiet and mellow, and staffing feels more sparse than it does at a hotel or even a more conventional resort. Still, whenever I picked up the phone, be it for ice, extra towels, or restaurant suggestions, I was helped promptly and courtesouly.

Service in the restaurants is among the best in Miami. Special requests are accommodated without fuss. In the Garwood Lounge one night, I ordered a martini and asked if they had any blue cheese olives. "No, but I can make some" was the waiter's immediate answer. Like the island itself, the service feels of a different time. Though longtime residents and staff have a special rapport, guests are also treated with care.

With such accommodating service, big tips seem to be the norm. I tipped my valet handsomely -- he spent nearly an hour showing me around the place, after all.

As with many exclusive island vacation spots, virtually none of the hotel staff can afford to live on the island, so they commute each day on the ferry, which has a special section for them. Some on TripAdvisor have commented that this feels rather like a caste system, and it may make some guests uncomfortable. The New York Times has documented the ongoing class struggle between staff and residents of the island.

View on a Larger Map

The hotel is owned by the Fisher Island Club, the entity that presides over the entire island and its facilities. As such, the resort encompasses the whole island, not (like the Ritz Carlton on Key Biscayne, say) just a small portion of it. All guests have use of a golf cart, so getting around is easy and fun.

The free ferry runs 24 hours a day, every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes (or as needed) through the night. It's just 20 minutes from South Beach, including 10 on the ferry and five by car. The airport is a 15-minute $32 cab ride from the ferry landing. Guests needing a cab on the mainland simply tell the security office when they're boarding the ferry, and a cab will be ready and waiting.

The ferry does carry cars, but space is limited and residents (and their cars) receive priority.

The beach

Although most of Fisher Island is surrounded by beaches, the hotel sits on a private half-mile stretch of sand. Chairs, umbrellas, and drink service are all available for guests.

After being renovated as part of the hotel's $60 million renovation, the Beach Club reopened in early 2010. The Club includes two large bars with plasma TVs, a lounge area, and a restaurant that serves salads, sandwiches, and seafood entrees. Popular events are held here, like Stone Crab Saturdays and monthly full moon parties.

In any case, guests who don't care about beach services have access to plenty of beautiful beach closer to guest rooms, just behind the Seaside Villas. Though these beaches don't offer food or towel service, they do have chairs and palapas, and can often be virtually private.

The sand, imported from the Bahamas, is very fine and soft. Waters are calm and clear.

The Two Bedroom OceanView Suite

The hotel lists itself as having 45 rooms, but most of them are privately owned residences that are lent to the hotel. Those used exclusively by the hotel include two 470-square-foot deluxe gardenview guest rooms; four 720-square-foot junior gardenview suites; and seven 675-square-foot courtyard gardenview villas.

The least expensive options, the deluxe gardenview guestrooms and junior suites, are located near the spa and salon. The price difference between them can be as much as $200, but only the junior suite can accomodate a rollaway bed.

The courtyard gardenview villas have a more prime location in the center of the beautiful garden at the resort's entrance. While slightly smaller than the less expensive junior suites, they have lovely private terraces with their own Jacuzzis.

The décor is best described at "Tommy Bahama" meets "Nautica" -- less high-design than South Beach's Art Deco hotel rooms, but not as drab as those at the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne. Electronics are up-to-date.

Two- and three-bedroom residences have full kitchens, while one-bedroom residences have kitchenettes. My kitchen was stocked with Wolfgang Puck pots and pans, plates, glasses, and silverware -- but no cutting knives or cutting boards for real cooking. There was a blender for making margaritas -- really the only food prep necessary when you have a balcony overlooking the ocean.

Bathroms are stocked with Gilchrist and Soames products -- nice, but you'd expect something a little fancier at this place. Beds are comfortable but not over-the-top luxe, with 400-thread-count linens and generous pillows.

Golf

Golf is both literally and figuratively at the center of Fisher Island life, so much so that a button on guest-room phones puts you through to the golf club for arranging tee times. The Pete Dye-designed course is only nine holes, but it's a stunner, with Scottish bunkers and views of the ocean, Biscayne Bay, and the Miami skyline. Greens fees are in addition to the resort fee and run $65 for nine holes and $125 for 18. The island also offers golfers a two-tiered driving range and practice putting green. Free weekly clinics are open to guests, and lessons can be scheduled throughout the week.

The Grand Slam Tennis Center features 14 clay, two hard, and two grass courts, all in beautiful condition. Courts cost $17 per person on weekdays and $20 on the weekend -- but that's for the entire day. Moderately priced two-hour workshops are offered Monday and Wednesday mornings.

No fewer than five of the island's 14 pools are available for hotel guest use. The main Mansion Pool, filled with saltwater and kept at 85 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, is located just behind the mansion. Though not huge, it is gorgeous, with a coral deck, limestone walls, and a view of the ocean. The Market Pool, located behind the market overlooking the main marina, is also lovely, though less conveniently located. Other clusters of villas each have their own pool, most of them along the beach.

The 22-000-square-foot Spa Internazionale boasts a huge fitness center on the second floor that overlooks the Vanderbilt Marina and a Pilates studio. A half dozen group fitness classes are offered daily. Guests can also visit Spa Internazionale's salon, which provides hair and nail services. The spa itself offers a number of massage treatments including a prenatal massage for those expecting and "aqua bliss therapy" -- a treatment where guests float weightlessly in a pool of warm water.

If you want to arrive at the island under your own power, the island's two deep-water marinas were both remodeled in 2008. The Vanderbilt marina can accommodate yachts up to 250 feet long, and the Main marina can accommodate boats under 180 feet long.

Guests on the beach

The Kids Connection Club, open to youngsters ages 4 to 12, keeps kids entertained throughout their stay. A day of activity, running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., is $75 per day. Children are allowed everywhere in the resort except for the spa, the Garwood Lounge, and the Snooker Club (which isn't open to adult hotel guests, either).

The Beach Club restaurant has a children's menu. The simple fare at the City View Cafe and the moderately priced pizza at La Trattoria are also kid-friendly. The small Market is also geared toward children and nannies, with plenty of mac and cheese on the shelves.

From the tennis courts to the front entrance, the grounds are kept in pristine condition. Every inch of my huge residence was cleaned thoroughly each day. The only nit I can pick was some peeling paint in the locker room next to the Mansion Pool.

Dinner at the Garwood Lounge

The small island has seven dining outlets: a Beach Club with casual fare; Porto Cervo, an Italian restaurant; the Golf Grill, for grabbing a post-links lunch; the Garwood Grill, a beautiful old piano bar and restaurant in the Vanderbilt Mansion; the City View, which serves steaks and American fare; a pizza place called La Trattoria; and Sunset Bar, with a raw bar and sushi. There's also the Island Market, a small grocer with food and wine.

Food in the restaurants runs from decent to delicious, but you won't find, say, any trendy Latin fusion cuisine. For that, you'll need to hop the ferry to the mainland. You have to charge the bill to a club account or hotel room at most of the outlets. But the prices are surprisingly reasonable -- in my experience, some of the least expensive resort food around.