Surfside’s historic Surf Club has been given a second life with the restoration of its original 1930s-era Mediterranean Revival clubhouse and the addition of a glittering 12-story glass tower by legendary architect Richard Meier and sublime interiors by Joseph Dirand.
Location 8/10
Spanning nine oceanfront acres a few blocks south of the luxurious Bal Harbour Shops, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club is a destination resort nestled into the quiet residential town of Surfside. While the immediate vicinity has more of a sleepy, small town vibe, Miami’s most exciting neighborhoods are accessible in about a 30-minute drive.
Design 9/10
The resort marries Old Florida glamour with modern luxury by restoring the original clubhouse built in 1930 by Russell Pancoast and adding an ultra-modern glass tower by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier. With interiors by award-winning French designer Joseph Dirand in a palette of creamy limestone and marble with mossy green upholstered chairs and brass accents, the original ballroom, with its dark wood vaulted ceiling, has been transformed into a Champagne bar. The common areas exude understated Old World elegance.
Amenities & Hospitality 9/10
The hotel boasts two rectangular swimming pools on ample grounds with cabanas and beach service. The intimate spa, exquisitely designed by Dirand, is outfitted in calacatta marble, Turkish tile and brass fixtures. It’s a destination for Biologique Recherche facials, warm oil massages and a steam in the peaceful marble hammam. There’s also a wellness center with serenity lawns for outdoor yoga.
Hospitality is attentive, professional and intuitive, as would be expected at the Four Seasons.
Rooms 9/10
Rooms, also designed by Dirand, are nothing short of sublime. With white accordion-textured plaster walls and diamond-patterned wainscot ceilings, they have a clean, jewel box-like effect, lined with sumptuous upholstery, from a nubby area rug to an architectural, built-in chaise lounge-sofa-desk combo in cream and sand tones. A plush white bed with a sea foam green bench is centered amidst luxurious green-veined marble, sun-bleached hardwood and brass finishes. Floor-to-ceiling windows and frameless glass balconies offer stunning views in ocean-facing rooms for the feeling of floating on the sea. Bathrooms are oversized in marble with a bath tub, separate rainfall shower and double sinks. In short, Four Seasons at The Surf Club may very well take the cake for the prettiest hotel rooms in all of Miami.
Food & Beverage 9/10
Both the Lido Restaurant, serving fine Italian fare, and The Champagne Bar are set inside The Surf Club’s original ballroom with an air of Great Gatsby opulence. Breakfast is served on the Lido Terrace with everything from coconut chia pudding to eggs.
Chef Thomas Keller of Napa Valley’s iconic French Laundry helms The Surf Club Restaurant set inside the historic club. With a focus on contemporary Continental cuisine, it’s a traditional fine dining experience with menu highlights including hand-cut steak tartare, Ossetra caviar and Maine lobster thermidor.
Value 8/10
Rates from approximately $599 in low season and $899 in high; Book
The Bottom Line
In sleepy, somewhat off-the-beaten-path Surfside, The Four Seasons at The Surf Club is a destination unto itself where Old Florida glamour melds brilliantly with ultra-modern architecture.
Contact
9011 Collins Avenue, Surfside, FL 33154; 800 819 5053; Fourseasons.com/surfside
