Turnberry Isle Miami Rating: 4.5 Pearls

Aventura, Miami, Florida

I needed help to navigate the hotel's 300 acres. Everyone from the college-age kids at the front desk to the grandfatherly concierge was unfailingly polite and willing to show me around. The restaurant staff is particularly attentive and chatty. As posh as the Turnberry is, the staff don't have any attitude at all. In fact, they still seem a little awed by their surroundings!

The Deluxe Golf View Room

My Golf View and Deluxe Golf View rooms in the Jasmine Wing were huge, with balconies large enough for a couple of chairs and a table, and a bathroom the size of a New York City studio apartment.

Both rooms have a safari feel, with floor-to-ceiling wooden shutters framing a view of one of the two golf courses. In the Golf View Room, the balcony started right after the shutters. The Deluxe Golf View Room, however, has a small study area with a pull-out couch before opening to the balcony.

The huge rooms had a neutral color palette, which the sunlight coming through the windows painted a faint gold. There's a desk with an Internet cable, a 36-inch flat-screen TV opposite the king-size bed and an iPod dock on the bedside table. With loads of closet space and a small counter with a mini-fridge and a coffee maker, I found it difficult to leave the room!

The enormous bathroom had two sinks, a separate makeup area, a Jacuzzi, a separate shower stall and a small flat-screen TV. Frankly, you might not be able to get yourself out of the bathroom, either.

View on a Larger Map

Aventura, a suburb of Miami, has little besides golf courses, condominiums and hotels. Given Miami's penchant for high-rises, it's a pity that the Turnberry's enormous and beautifully manicured grounds never feel like a complete retreat -- there are too many towers looming over the borders. The hotel is huge, with virtually everything on-site, so many guests rarely leave the resort. But there is a CVS right across from the entrance, and a five- to 10-minute walk will take you to the Aventura Mall. If you ever manage to find your way out of the maze, that is.

The golf course

There are well-lit 24/7 tennis courts right by the huge and newly designed lagoon pool. With an excellent but pricey bar and cabanas with flat-screen TVs, the lagoon is possibly the most luxurious pool setting I've seen in Miami. If the waterslide -- still in the works during my visit -- turns the lagoon into too much of a playground, there's a smaller 24-hour pool for adults.

The enormous Spa & Fitness Center puts the chichi Equinox fitness franchise to shame. Simply decorated, beautifully lit and filled with well-maintained, top-of-the-line equipment, it has a whole building to itself by the entrance to the compound.

The hotel has three restaurants. Bourbon Steak is the most popular and best designed but is also prohibitively expensive. The Laguna Grill and Cascata Grill are cheaper, but only relatively. Mac and cheese -- even with chorizo -- shouldn't cost $20!