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One Bedroom Bay View Suite
1,050 sq. ft with a King bed.
A bay view.
Premier One Bedroom Suite
1050 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Doubles.
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Oyster Review Summary
Photos and review by Hailey E., Oyster Expert Hotel Investigator.
Updated: July 13, 2010
Pros
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Cons
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Bottom Line
Rooms date back to 2003, but with two acres of rooftop pools (Downtown's best), the city's top gym -- Sports Club/LA -- in the building, and the above-and-beyond service that the Four Seasons is known for, this is a premier choice for Miami's boring business district.
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Four Seasons - Miami - Downtown, Miami
Four Seasons - Miami - Downtown, Miami
Rooms at Four Seasons - Miami
Best Price Guarantee
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One Bedroom Bay View Suite
1,050 sq. ft with a King bed. A bay view. |
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Premier One Bedroom Suite
1050 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Doubles. |
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Moderate Room
500 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Doubles. A city view. |
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One Bedroom City View Suite
1,050 sq. ft with a King bed. A city view. |
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Superior Room
500 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Doubles. A city view. |
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Premier Bay-View Room
500 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Doubles. A bay view. |
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Four Seasons Executive Bay View Suite
750 sq. ft with a King bed. A bay view. |
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Four Seasons Executive City View Suite
750 sq. ft with a King bed. A city view. |
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Premier One Bedroom Suite, Bay View
1050 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Doubles. A Bay view. |
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Deluxe City-View Room
500 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Doubles. A city view. |
Oyster Hotel Review
Contents
Scene
An urban oasis in the blah business district with two acres of stunning rooftop pools and the wonderfully accommodating service that the Four Seasons is known for.
A guest enjoys food delivered to the pool
The Four Seasons' 221 guest rooms occupy Floors 20 to 29 in a 70-story Downtown Miami high-rise. The glass and granite building also houses a law firm, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and the posh gym Sports Club/LA (where guests have free access) as well as a number of Four Seasons residences.
The hotel feels like equal parts upscale office building, art museum, and hotel. Guests enter on the ground floor, greeted by bulbous Fernando Botero sculptures, and have to take an elevator to the actual lobby on the seventh floor. To get to the guest rooms, you'll have to take another elevator from the lobby. Unlike at the neighboring Conrad Hotel, the elevator system doesn't get too tedious -- everything seems to function just as it should, and it only takes one elevator (as opposed to three) to get to the pools.
The pools themselves -- two for guests, plus a third for residents only -- are a lovely urban oasis. Located on a two-acre outdoor terrace off the seventh floor with dozens of palm trees, they're just as relaxing as anything by the beach. For something more lively, the hotel has a special nightlife concierge that can arrange "pretty much anything legal" to entertain guests.
Delivering its famous brand of personal yet discreet service, it's Miami's top choice for visiting politicians and dignitaries, even the occasional celebrity. It tops the Intercontinental on the cool and modern scale, but unlike some of South Beach's trendier luxury hotels, the Four Seasons doesn't try to be hip. It strives to be understated and elegant, and it succeeds. But being built in late 2003, the hotel can feel slightly dated, as with the geometric print rugs in pale yellows and blues. The restaurant, Acqua, lacks local notoriety (excluding its $70 breakfast buffet). And while the hotel has aged well for the most part, it still lags behind the more stylish Epic (opened late 2008) or the Viceroy (opened 2009).
Service
The Four Seasons is known for its high standards of service, and its Downtown Miami outpost doesn't disappoint. It has some of the most professional and accommodating staff in the city.
Staff at 14Thirty-Five restaurant
On arrival, a doorman grabbed my bags before I was even out of the cab. The only question he had for me, aside from my name, was what kind of newspaper I'd like in the morning. I requested the 'New York Times', and it was promptly delivered to my room the next morning. At checkout, however, I was dismayed to see I was charged for the paper -- just an extra dollar, but it seemed like needless nickel-and-diming.
One evening, when I needed to grab a cab to dinner, the same cheery doorman went above and beyond. He didn't just grab a cab for me but had a detailed conversation with the driver about where I was going, making sure that I was well taken care of wherever I went.
There are plenty of other small but classy touches. Extra towels are delivered to the room on a wooden tray. At the pool, food is brought with both a table by your chaise longue and a bed tray, should you wish to lie back and relax while you nibble. Even packets of ketchup come chilled and elegantly presented. At the bar, the bartender convinced me to try an orange mojito, promising he'd make me something else if I didn't like it. After bringing me the drink, he checked back in to make sure I liked it. (I did indeed.) That didn't happen at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne when my beverage wasn't up to snuff.
The concierge staff is especially accommodating. From getting the yoga class schedule from the gym (the beautiful Sports Club/LA, which shares the building with the hotel) to making dinner reservations, requests are dealt with promptly and thoroughly. When I asked the concierge about going to the beach, she kindly gave me a "preferred Guest Card" to Nikki Beach, an outdoor beach club with a restaurant, nightclub, and VIP services. Just getting into Nikki Beach can be pretty tricky, if you don't know the bouncer or have a famous face. Scoring a VIP ticket is no small feat.
Location
On Brickell Avenue, Miami's business thoroughfare. But the beach is 15 minutes away by car, and nearby nightlife is scarce.
Surrounded by banks, office buildings, and high-rise condo towers, the hotel is at the center of Miami's business district. Both day and night, four-lane Brickell Avenue (outside the hotel) has plenty of car traffic but few pedestrians. Vehicles enter the hotel by turning off Brickwell Avenue onto a lane and then into a loading/ unloading area behind the hotel -- there's no grand hotel entrance right on Brickell. Other business hotels, like the Conrad and J.W. Marriott, are just a block or two away, and the Mandarin Oriental is on a small island, about a two-minute drive from the Four Seasons.
Eating and drinking options in the immediate vicinity are limited. Across the street, there's Novecento, a Latin bar and grill that's open until 2 a.m. A Morton's steakhouse is just a couple blocks away, and there's a Starbucks a few blocks in the other direction down Brickell.
For the most part, guests looking for any action at night need to get in a car or taxi and drive, baby, drive. South Beach is 15 minutes and a $20-$25 cab ride away, as are Coconut Grove and Coral Gables. The Design District, an up-and-coming dining destination with notable restaurants like Pacific Time and Michael's Genuine Food and Drink (hailed by the New York Times in 2008 as one of the top new restaurants in the country) is a 20-minute, $20 cab ride away.
The closest beach is in South Beach, a 15-minute, $20-$25 cab ride away. For a slightly more low-key venutre, grab a cab and head to Crandon Park Beach on Key Biscayne. Ranked one of the country's top beaches, it's just a 20-minute, $25-$30 cab ride away.
Rooms
With the hotel's signature "untucked beds," pillow-top mattresses, and super-soft sheets, you'll slumber in luxury. Too bad the bland décor might also put you to sleep.
The bathroom in the Deluxe City-View Room
Starting at 500 square feet, the standard rooms are pretty spacious, more than 100 square feet bigger than standard rooms at the Mandarin Oriental and slightly bigger than those at the Epic. There are three views available: city view, deluxe city view, and bay view. City view rooms feature vistas of the financial district's streets -- not too scenic. For another $150, deluxe city view rooms have views of Downtown skyscrapers -- fairly stunning. Another $75 buys views of the bay -- quite stunning. Upgrades are common.
As for the look inside the room -- light blue carpets, pale yellow accents, a bright white duvet, and light woods -- some might call it "traditionally elegant," but compared with most in Miami, it's a bit bland.
The hotel first opened in late 2003, and rooms have not been remodeled since then. For their age, they feel quite fresh, thanks to high-quality materials. Like the Ritz-Carlton, the Four Seasons designs its rooms to stand the test of time.
They're plenty comfortable: luxurious beds with down duvets and pillows, etc.; ample desk space (you can work on either side, and they're big enough to double as a dining table); and even dehumidifiers in some rooms.
Plus they don't skimp on the luxe basics: L'Occitane toiletries; an elegant mini-bar with top-shelf liquor; and plush, 100 percent cotton bathrobes.
But unlike at the Aqualina, the Epic, or the Regent Bal Harbour, the electronics lack any kind of wow factor -- no iPod docks or even stereos in standard rooms. My deluxe city view room still featured a 27-inch Panasonic tube TV. (Flat-screens, however, are expected to be in all rooms by August 2009.)
All bathrooms have separate showers and oversize tubs with some of the same modern fixtures I've seen in newer hotels.
No rooms have balconies, but they all offer views of the city or the bay through large windows along the back wall. My deluxe city view, like most rooms, even featured a cozy window seat.
Features
Two gorgeous rooftop pools, a great gym -- Sports Club/LA -- in the building, and access to a top tennis center. The hotel isn't on the beach, but it's got plenty to offer.
The Palm Grove Pool
The heated main pool is located on a gorgeous, two-acre outdoor terrace off the seventh floor. On a nice day, the surrounding, mirrorlike skyscrapers reflect the blue sky and clouds, creating a lovely urban oasis. The only thing that spoils it, ever so slightly, is a bit of construction noise or the occasional plane overhead.
A poolside attendant station offers an assortment of magazines and both regular and mint-infused water. Guests can order food and drinks from the poolside restaurant Bahia without leaving their chaise longue. Like elsewhere in the hotel, service around the pool is perfectly attentive. The food's also pretty great.The fish tacos ($16) were some of the best poolside fare I had in Miami.
Cabanas, which eschew flashy flat-screen TVs in favor of ceiling fans, are free -- a rarity in Miami. (Example: The Regent Bal Harbour charges $250 to $350 for its cabanas.)
The gorgeous Palm Grove Pool, behind the main pool, looks almost too pretty to swim in. Dozens of huge palm trees sit in round, mosaic planters throughout the pool. The unheated water is knee-level at its deepest, making the pool a popular wading area, especially during the hot Miami summer, when the cooler water is a boon.
The hotel's gorgeous pools easily best the Mandarin Oriental's single infinity pool, but the Mandarin compensates with its Oasis Beach Club on Biscayne Bay.
The spa, located within the Sports Club/LA, offers a full range of luxurious treatments, but some find the atmosphere at the Mandarin's spa more relaxing.
Hotel guests also have access to the beautiful Brickell Tennis Club, owned and operated by tennis legend Cliff Drysdale. It counts Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova among its members. Guests can rent one of the center's seven Hydro-Clay courts for $20 per day per person, including balls and a soft drink, and charge it to their room. Lessons and clinics can also be charged to your room. A complimentary shuttle to the tennis center takes less than five minutes. On foot, it's just a 10- to 15-minute walk that's pretty pleasant when it's not too hot.
Family
With welcome amenities and even miniature bathrobes, the Four Seasons makes sure its youngest guests are just as well taken care of as their adult counterparts.
Restaurants feature a kids' menu
Though it's located Downtown and has a heavy business clientele, the hotel is also quite family friendly. Children get toys and edible welcome amenities tailored to their ages at check-in. Parents should let a reservationist know children's ages to ensure that the welcome amenities are age-appropriate. The hotel also has kid-size bathrobes. Cute. The concierge can also arrange baby-sitting services.
Rooms feature Disney OnDemand, and the hotel also has a DVD lending library of mostly animated films. Adjoining rooms are available between premier bay view rooms, and their availability can be guaranteed when reserving. Two-bedroom suites are also available. At 2,190 square feet, they're quite sizable -- and priced for those with sizable bank accounts.
Both Acqua and Bahia, as well as room service, have a children's menu.
Cleanliness
The last update to the hotel happened years ago, but it's still nearly spotless.
Built in 2003, the hotel shows its age here and there with worn lobby rugs and the occasional scuff in the hallway. But it's aging quite elegantly. Rugs are worn and faded but not stained. Guest rooms are thoroughly cleaned, the lobby shines, and the pool area is well tended. What else would you expect from the Four Seasons?
Food
Two restaurants supply both fine dining and casual poolside options, but neither is a notable foodie destination.
Dinner at Acqua
The hotel's main restaurant, Acqua, serves a traditional breakfast and cuisine with Asian and Latin flourishes, including hazelnut-crusted 'dulce de leche' lamb chops, for lunch and dinner. Entrees typically run above $25. On Sundays, the restaurant serves a notoriously lavish $70 brunch buffet with unlimited champagne and mojitos, mulitple serving stations, and a chocolate fountain. Still, the restaurant's atmosphere feels more businessy than trendy, and its views of the bay are limited. The scene and décor pales compared with the Mandarin Oriental's Azul restaurant, and it doesn't have the hot-restaurateur-from-New-York cred that the Eos at the new Viceroy does.
Around the pool, Bahia serves food and drinks from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. There's a lovely dining area next to a waterfall, or guests can order food from their chaise longues. I tried the mojo fish tacos ($16), accompanied by a side of sweet potato fries that made the dish big enough for two. They were delicious -- some of the best poolside fare I sampled in Miami. But it's not cheap -- even hot dogs run $14.
Drinks
A bar that even locals frequent.
When I visited the hotel in late April -- not the higest point in the tourist season -- it often felt pretty empty. But the hotel bar, 14-Thirty-Five, was lively, even on a Wednesday night. Residents of the hotel frequent the bar, and it's no wonder -- the bartenders make a mean mojito. My bartender, Carlton, sweetly convinced me to try an orange mojito ($14), promising that he'd make me something else if I didn't like it.
Gym
Free access to one of the best gyms in the city, Sports Club/LA.
One of the hotel's best features is free access to the Sports Club/LA. The ritzy, 50,000-square-foot gym is one of the city's best, with more than 80 fitness classes each week, stunning views of the city from the treadmills, and its own spa and salon. The space bustles with the city's buff and beautiful and the personal trainers who get them that way, not just hotel guests. Located in the same building as the hotel, it's easily accessed via the same elevator guests use to go from the ground level to the seventh-floor lobby.
Celebrity Sightings
With its top-notch service and tight security, the hotel is popular with celebs and politicos who don't want to be seen.
While Tom Cruise and Britney Spears have reportedly been guests of the hotel, don't expect a celebrity-watching scene. High-profile guests choose the Four Seasons when they want to fly under the radar, not when they want to be gawked at by fans around the pool. You're unlikely to see Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer canoodling in the pool, as they did at the nearby Mandarin Oriental not too long ago, or see Kate Hudson and Alex Rodriguez meet cute, as they did at a party at the Fontainebleau.
When I was there, a bodyguard sat outside the suite next to my room. I never found out who was inside, but they must have been important ... or at least thought they were.
Bottom Line
Rooms date back to 2003, but with two acres of rooftop pools (Downtown's best), the city's top gym -- Sports Club/LA -- in the building, and the above-and-beyond service that the Four Seasons is known for, this is a premier choice for Miami's boring business district.
Hotel Features
| Number of Rooms: | 221 |
| Pool: | Yes |
| Fitness Center: | Yes |
| Spa: | Yes |
| Internet Access: | Yes |
| Pets Allowed: | Yes |
| Cribs: | Yes |
| Kids Club: | No |
| Jacuzzi (in room): | No |
| Casino: | No |
Hotel Information
| Location: | Downtown, Miami |
| Toll Free Bookings: | 1-888-776-9783 |
| Address: | 1435 Brickell Ave, Miami, FL 33131 (See Map) |
Travel Guide
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Oyster Awarded This Hotel
We've visited hundreds of hotels. We slept in the beds and swam in the pools, and when we got home, we debated the pros and cons of every hotel and picked our favorites in a number of categories. Here's how this one stands out:
This Hotel Also Featured In
- Best Hotel Service in Downtown Miami
- Best Luxury Hotels in Downtown Miami
- Hotels for Celebrity Sightings in Miami
Things You Should Know About Four Seasons - Miami
Address
- 1435 Brickell Ave, Miami, FL 33131
Hotel Is Also Known As...
- Four Seasons Hotel Miami
- Four Seasons Miami
- Miami Four Seasons
Room Types
- Deluxe City-View Room
- Four Seasons Executive Bay View Suite
- Four Seasons Executive City View Suite
- One Bedroom Bay View Suite
- One Bedroom City View Suite
- Premier Bay-View Room
- Premier One Bedroom Suite
- Superior Room
- Presidential Suite
- Moderate Room
- Premier One Bedroom Suite, Bay View
- Bay View
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