MIAMI — Two South Florida hotels are among the best hotels in the world, according to a popular travel website.
Travel + Leisure just released its 100 Best Hotels in the World list, and hotels in Miami Beach and on Little Torch Key in the Florida Keys made the cut, as well as one hotel in Palm Beach.
At No. 81 on the list, Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, designed to mimic a Japanese beach house, was praised for its luxuries. Travel + Leisure writes: “The list of world-class amenities at this David Rockwell-designed beachfront hotel is impressively long: exceptional epicurean delights, a beautiful 22,000-square-foot spa, three pools, a private marina, and luxurious penthouse-level villas.”
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa on Little Torch Key was No. 94 on the list. The adults-only resort, on a private island in the Florida Keys, “is accessible only by boat or seaplane. The 30 water-view bungalows have no TVs, encouraging tropical revelry of a more laid-back nature (think kayaking and snorkeling).”
The resort also made Condé Nast Traveler’s 2021 Hot List for its “fresh take on tropical chic.”
The only other hotel in Florida to make the Best 100 list is the White Elephant Palm Beach (No. 19), a sister property to the original resort in Nantucket. Travel + Leisure writes that the team has “added youthful energy to the destination when it opened its 32 tropical-inspired rooms in November 2020. Its restaurant Lola 41 has since become a hot spot not just for its grilled catch of the day and fruit-forward cocktails but for the prime people-watching, too.”
All three hotels made Travel + Leisure’s list of the Best 15 Resorts in the Continental U.S., with White Elephant at No. 2; Nobu Hotel at No. 8 and Little Palm Island Resort & Spa at No. 11.
Also notable was Faena Hotel Miami Beach at No. 14. Faena was also named one of the Best Hotels in the U.S. in Condé Nast Travelers’ 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Travel + Leisure also named the 15 Best Resorts in Florida, which include Playa Largo Resort & Spa in Key Largo (No. 8); Pelican Grand Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale (No. 10); Sunset Key Cottages in Key West (No. 12) and Ocean Key Resort & Spa in Key West (tied for No. 14).
Nobu and Faena topped the list of the 15 Best Resorts in Greater Miami, followed by the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, The Setai and the Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club. Also on the list was the adults-only Standard Spa at No. 7, which was named one of the best hotels in the U.S. by Tripadvisor in May, and Acqualina Resort in Sunny Isles Beach at No. 9, which was named one of the best hotels in the country by U.S. News & World Report in February.
To come up with the awards, Travel + Leisure asks readers to weigh in on their travel experiences and opinions on top hotels and resorts. Hotels are rated on facilities, location, service, food and overall value.
———
Hotel information
Nobu Hotel Miami Beach: 4525 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; miamibeach.nobuhotels.com or 305-704-7600
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa: 28500 Overseas Hwy., Little Torch Key; littlepalmisland.com or 305-684-8341
White Elephant Palm Beach: 280 Sunset Ave., Palm Beach; whiteelephantpalmbeach.com or 561-832-7050
———
