ONE Bal Harbour Resort & Spa Rating: 4.5 Pearls

Bal Harbour, Miami, Florida

Ferraris grace the grounds

In 2008, The Regent opened to become the first major hotel to grace Bal Harbour in more than 50 years. It didn't last long. While the notable international luxury hotel group held tight to the property for the first year or so, it gently slipped from their control, and it is now simply One Bal Harbour.

Its 124 rooms occupy an imposing 17-story building on the northeastern end of town, bordered on one side by Baker's Haulover Inlet and on the other by the Atlantic.

Despite the cost, the property doesn't feel stuffy. The incorporation of natural elements into the décor -- mahogany floors, stone sculptures, floating orchids -- lends the property an understated class. Think Don Draper, not Donald Trump.

Front desk

While the hotel might have dropped The Regent's prestigious brand-name title, the service still strives to satisfy an elite clientele. As wonderful as the service is, you'll find a lighter touch (more smiles) and more flash (complimentary smoothies, "service flags" at the beach) at the nearby Acqualina Resort & Spa, which boasts an equally impressive staff.

• 24-hour concierge service; personal shoppers available by request
• 24-hour room service
• Personal hotel cell phones for guests to use
• Express check-in and checkout; private check-in and checkout available (for high-profile guests)
• Luxury car service, but only one car is available, and on a first-come-first-serve basis

View on a Larger Map

This is probably the best indication of what you'll find in Bal Harbour: When you Google it, the first thing that comes up isn't the official government site or the tourism home page or the Wikipedia entry. It's Bal Harbour Shops, the shopping center five minutes south of the hotel on Collins Avenue. Home to seemingly every high-end retailer in the world, the mall is considered by many to be the most exclusive outdoor shopping destination in the country. (Rodeo Drive? Fifth Avenue? Nope. Bal Harbour.) The mall is just a 10- to 15-minute walk down the road, but if you want to fit in, you might want to take the Mercedes -- they outnumber the Hondas in the parking lot about two to one.

There's little else near the hotel. The pier down on the inlet is a nice place to people- (and bird-) watch. The locals fish out on the rocks; the pelicans take a more direct approach.

• South Beach is a 20-minute, $25 cab ride away.
• Miami International Airport is 20 minutes away. Taxis charge a flat rate of $42 (not including tip) to and from the hotel.

The beach

Located adjacent to Baker's Haulover Inlet and its pier, One Bal Harbour's beach is one of the hotel's only two drawbacks (the other being its suburban location, far from the action). You can walk south, but you can't get away from the seaweed and seashells strewn along the wet sand. Few to no guests actually swim in the water or relax on the sand.

On a positive note, it's still a scenic setting for a sunrise or sunset, and the 0.8-mile dirt path alongside the beach is a nice place for a walk or jog.

Bathroom in the Double Studio Room

Despite the size of the building, the Regent only has 124 rooms. That's because the the rooms, especially the suites, are huge. Each of the four towers only has two rooms per floor, so your elevator feels a lot like your own private conveyor.

Half the rooms are 510-square-foot studios, which feature wet bars and 72-square-foot balconies. The other half are suites of various shapes and sizes; they feature living rooms, full kitchens, and several large terraces.

I stayed in a one-bedroom executive suite in the Haulover Tower. It's difficult to describe the room without sounding like an inventory-tracking, brand-name-dropper. So ... that's exactly what I'll do:

In the living room:

• 52-inch LG plasma TVs
• Nakamichi SoundSpace 8 1/2 surround-sound speaker systems
• DVD players
• High-speed Wi-Fi
• High-grade leather furniture
• Paintings by Darren Waterston and Jay McCafferty

In the kitchens:

• Granite wet bars
• Sub-Zero fridge/freezers
• Wolf microwaves and stoves
• Frette napkins
• Illy Metodo Iperespresso machine
• Full sets of silverware and dishware and plenty of minibar snacks and drinks

In the bedrooms:

• 42-inch LG flatscreens
• Walk-in closets
• iHome iPod docks
• Madison Collection cotton robes
• Gorgeous beds with Sealy Posturepedic mattresses topped by Anichini luxury sheets and down etc ... brand feather beds and mattress pads.
• Outside the windows: Huge balconies with panoramic views of the ocean and entrance.

And then there's the bathrooms, without a doubt the best in South Florida. Whether you have a studio or a suite, you'll have access to the largest, grandest bathroom this side of the Everglades. Among the highlights:

• Free-standing tubs
• Walk-in showers with rainfall shower heads and 10-foot floor-to-ceiling windows
• Mechanically operated blinds
• Bidet
• Flat-screen TV embedded in the mirror
• Not all bathrooms overlook the ocean. Mine, for one, looked out on the driveway. If a view from the tub is a dealmaker for you, be sure to request one when you book your room. (They're available in both studios and suites.)

The gym

The outdoor pool is large, clean, and warm, though not as spectacular as the pools at the Acqualina, Setai, Delano, or Fontainebleau. Then again, the One Bal Harbour is a midsize hotel -- there are only 124 rooms -- so size isn't crucial.

At the pool:

• Sedate atmosphere: no music, no poolside bar, just couples lounging poolside and canoodling in the shallow water
• Private cabanas, available to rent with a Jacuzzi or without

At the fitness center:

• Top-notch StarTrac equipment: nine strength machines, a full set of free weights, and seven cardio machines, including several with TV screens built in.
• Personal trainers are available upon request, but there are no organized classes (yoga, Pilates, spin, etc.).

The spa

ONE Bal Harbour's spa features ocean views and a cabana. But prepare for some eyebrow-raising prices, even by luxury spa standards: hour-long manicures and pedicures run $180 each.

The inlet

The vibe at One Bal Harbour is more "romantic getaway" than "take the kids along" -- classy décor, relatively formal service, couples in cabanas. But there is a kids club and families like the large pool.

French toast for breakfast

Mister Collins, an upscale American restaurant, opened on the property in June 2011. The fancier dining option at the hotel, Mister Collins has indoor and outdoor seating and features dishes like crab cake salad and prime rib.

The View Bar is the (slightly) cheaper, lower-key option. Dinner is served outdoors under fluorescent pink lights, with a DJ spinning house beats on the side. The music isn't super-loud -- you can have a conversation without having to yell -- and it's tough to beat the romance of an al fresco meal on a nice South Florida night. But if you want a quieter, more intimate setting, your best bet is probably indoors at 1 Bleu. Breakfast at the View Bar is tasty but conventionally overpriced.

Also, only five minutes away by car (or 10 to 15 minutes by foot), the upmarket Bal Harbour Shops feature an additional eight restaurants.