Faena Hotel Miami Beach ★★★★★

A Gilded Mammoth Presides Over Mid-Beach

Faena occupies eight blocks of oceanfront on Collins Avenue, in the Mid-Beach district that hotelier Alan Faena and his partner Len Blavatnik built from the shell of the historic Saxony Hotel, where Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe once performed. Architect Rem Koolhaas drew the building's bones, while filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and designer Catherine Martin dressed the interiors in red, turquoise and gold, with Art Deco furniture, mosaic floors and murals by Argentine artist Juan Gatti. At the end of the lobby's red carpet, a gold-leafed woolly mammoth skeleton by Damien Hirst stands sentinel, the first sign that this hotel has no interest in restraint.

Why It Works

What makes Faena more than spectacle is how deliberately the theater serves the stay. The art is real and recurring: a solid-gold Hirst unicorn watches over diners at Pao, and it sits alongside a working spa, a private stretch of beach and a kitchen roster organized around named chefs rather than banquet menus. The hotel has repeatedly topped Condé Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice rankings for Best Hotel in the world, a result that speaks to the consistency of service behind the gold leaf as much as to the decor itself.

Why This Location

Faena sits at 3201 Collins Avenue in Mid-Beach, the calmer stretch of Miami Beach between South Beach's nightlife and the resort corridor further north. The address places guests on a private beach within the larger Faena District, a cluster of restaurants, a cultural forum and residences built around the hotel rather than beside it, while Lincoln Road's shops and the Bal Harbour boutiques are each a short drive away. It is a location built for travelers who want the beach and the design on their doorstep, and the rest of Miami Beach within easy reach rather than underfoot.

Fast Facts

• Price: Luxury (€€€€)

• Vibe: Maximalist, theatrical, art-filled

• Rooms: 179 rooms and suites, including oceanfront junior suites

• Best For: Design-driven travelers, couples marking an occasion, art collectors

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: Damien Hirst's gilded mammoth skeleton standing watch over the lobby's red carpet

• Dining: Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann, Pao by Paul Qui, El Secreto Omakase, Tree of Life sun bar

• Amenities: Tierra Santa Healing House spa, private beach club, heated pool, Faena Theater, pet-friendly rooms

• Attractions: Faena Forum arts center, Bal Harbour Shops, Lincoln Road Mall, Collins Avenue oceanfront

Rooms Built Like Stage Sets

The 179 rooms and suites carry the same maximalist hand as the public spaces, with gold accents, richly patterned textiles and, in the higher categories, wraparound views over the Atlantic. Premier Oceanfront Junior Suites give the most direct sightline to the water and the private beach below, while entry-level rooms still open onto the Faena District itself rather than a parking structure or a side street, a detail that matters more than square footage on a stay this design-forward.

A Table Built Around Named Chefs

Dining at Faena is organized chef by chef rather than outlet by outlet. Francis Mallmann's Los Fuegos grills everything over open flame in the Argentine asado tradition the chef is known for; Pao by Paul Qui applies the same ambition to Asian-inflected plates beneath Hirst's golden unicorn; El Secreto serves omakase in an intimate room built for it. Tree of Life, the pool and beach bar, and the Living Room and Saxony Bar handle the hours in between, from breakfast through the last round.

Before You Book

Faena leans toward couples and design-minded travelers rather than families seeking a quiet week, though children are welcome and babysitting can be arranged on request. Pets are accepted, a detail worth knowing on a beachfront property that is otherwise built for spectacle. Evenings often run late: the Faena Theater stages its resident cabaret production and a recurring jazz series, and live music from the lobby carries into the Living Room, so travelers who prioritize an early night should plan accordingly.