Explore Florida’s freshest stays this season: From art fairs to yacht affairs
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Florida hotel openings and renovations target art, culinary and yacht seasons.
- New Shelborne and renovated resorts in Miami and Fort Lauderdale highlight design.
- Four Seasons Naples Beach Club opens late 2025, offering beachfront luxury.
It’s a no-brainer: When temperatures start to plummet, travelers head to Florida. Fall and winter also happen to be when the state’s events calendar heats up with international art fairs, luxury yacht shows, and top-tier culinary festivals.
This season, a wave of standout hotel openings and high-design renovations is redefining where to stay. Whether you’re in town for the art, the food, the boats or simply the beach, these are the Florida properties worth booking now.
BEST BETS FOR MIAMI ART WEEK
The Shelborne By Proper
Retro glamour returns in full force at the newly transformed The Shelborne By Proper, a South Beach icon with a serious 1940s Art Deco pedigree. If you’re hunting for stylish digs and oceanfront bliss during Miami Art Week in December, this address puts you just a short stroll from the Miami Beach Convention Center — home of Art Basel Miami Beach, happening Dec. 5–7, 2025.
Following a $100 million renovation, the property has been reimagined as a retro-chic oasis. Think soaring ceilings, mid-century swagger at the dramatic Shelborne Bar, and a mint-green pool anchored by its original 1950s diving board — lovingly restored and still stealing the show. You’ll want to hang at the pool on one of the cushy loungers, and when you’ve had too much sun, retreat to the beachfront gardens where the breeze will encourage a delicious nap.
Start your day with a purple-tinged ube latte from The Café and a gratis fitness class, and wind down with a martini (served tableside, of course) at the glitzy lobby bar. Coming soon: Pauline, the hotel’s new signature restaurant, and Little Torch, an intimate cocktail bar, both set to open in fall 2025.
An artsy bonus: Guests also score a complimentary pass to The Bass, the nearby contemporary art museum.
Andaz Miami Beach, by Hyatt
The old-is-new-again hotel in the quieter Mid-Beach neighborhood, just minutes north of South Beach, is big on personality and pretty decor, offering a fresh take on hospitality. At Andaz Miami Beach, check-in doesn’t happen at a front desk here. Instead, a friendly staffer hands you a welcome cocktail and walks you through the process while you lounge on a couch — more living room than lobby.
You’ll want that extra time to take in the hotel’s gorgeous design details and beach views before heading to your room or suite in one of the three adjacent buildings. But the main reason you’re here? The dining and drinking options by the José Andrés Group — starting with the Mediterranean-inspired Aguasal and Bar Centro, where creative cocktails and decadent bites take center stage. And coming in 2026: the much-anticipated debut of The Bazaar by José Andrés.
When you’re not lounging under the hotel’s happy-hued beach umbrellas (which feel like an Aperol spritz in umbrella form) or floating in the pools, reserve time for pampering at Ondara Spa. This serene, design-forward space oozes relaxation — cozy up in one of the sculptural chairs and get ready for one of the best massages in town.
Andaz is also on Resort Pass, for those who simply want a daycation by the pools.
DROP ANCHOR FOR THE FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
Pier Sixty-Six, Fort Lauderdale
Depending on how long you’ve been vacationing in Fort Lauderdale, you may remember Pier Sixty-Six, a 1960s landmark hotel with a revolving top perched along the Intracoastal Waterway. Unlike iconic movie remakes that often disappoint, this reimagined classic is set to blow you away. And if you’re attending the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), the largest in-water boat show in the world, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2, Pier Sixty-Six puts you close to the marine action.
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The newly renovated resort wins guests over with design magazine-worthy good looks and standout amenities, including two pools (one with slides for kids) and a 13,000-square-foot spa. Dress up for a twirl around the 17th-floor Pier Top lounge, which slowly revolves to showcase 360-degree views of Fort Lauderdale. It’s the perfect drinking den for a fancy cocktail with friends, or a golden-hour date night. Sotogrande restaurant has quickly become a local favorite for weekend lunches or lively dinners, featuring shareable plates rooted in Spanish and Mediterranean flavors.
Spa lovers can easily spend an entire day at Zenova Spa & Wellness, rotating through water therapies and chilling in the Snow Room (a next-level cryotherapy experience). But ending the night in your generously sized room, complete with stunning water and city views, high-design furniture and plush carpeting, is just as indulgent.
STAY FOR WINE AND FOOD FESTIVALS IN PALM BEACH
Beach Club at The Boca Raton
One of Florida’s hottest hotel makeovers of the year: The $130 million transformation of the Beach Club at The Boca Raton. As one of the century-old resort’s five distinct accommodations, the Beach Club offers seaside serenity that’s worth seeking out in the doldrums of winter.
It attracts a mostly adult crowd — celebrating couples included — seeking seclusion, refined service, and easy access to the resort’s private beach. It’s also a great base for attending top culinary festivals like The Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival, Dec. 11-14, 2025, and the exclusive Artisans of Wine and Food, which is held on The Boca Raton property Jan. 15-18, 2026.
The Beach Club has shed its formerly dark aesthetic for a lighter, brighter vibe. The lobby’s living room, with sculptural chandeliers and circular couches, just might inspire a home makeover of your own. Amenities include three pools (be sure to step inside the cool sunscreen machine), and two standout restaurants — most notably Marisol, a Mediterranean-inspired indoor-outdoor space. Pro tip: order the dip sampler and the lightly fried eggplant chips.
Guests staying at the Beach Club have indulgent perks like a complimentary 15-minute ride on the adorable Sorbetto Fiat boat that tools around Lake Boca. And if you’re staying in a suite, expect butler service and elevated swag like a stylish sun hat and beach bag. Speaking of suites, they’re a wonder-world of natural woods and marble, mixed with soothing tropical hues and expansive outdoor spaces.
Of course, guests also have full access to the main resort’s many restaurants, bars, and Spa Palmera. They can shoot over to the main resort on the complimentary water taxi or be dropped off by shuttle.
CULTURE, CUISINE & COASTAL LUXURY IN NAPLES
If Naples, Florida, is your go-to winter getaway — and the Four Seasons brands’ posh service is your vacation style — the highly anticipated Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, opens in late October. As the first Four Seasons on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the resort makes its grand entrance just in time for the vibrant cultural season, including art exhibits and performances at Artis — Naples and the Naples Winter Wine Festival in January.
Naples Beach Club delivers everything you’d want in a Gulf Coast retreat: Front-row access to Naples’ picturesque sunsets and plenty of ways to enjoy the area’s calm Gulf waters. Post up at the aptly named Sunset Bar to catch the golden hour with a tropical cocktail in hand, and have dinner at the signature oceanview restaurant, The Merchant Room, by two-time James Beard Award-winning Chef Gavin Kaysen.
Unwind by one of two pools, retreat to a private cabana, or stroll along the expansive stretch of pristine beachfront. For an extra touch of exclusivity, guests can book private outings on the resort’s 34-foot Hinckley Picnic Boat — ideal for sunset cruises or a leisurely day on the water. An 18-hole golf course by golf architect Tom Fazio will open in 2026.
This story was originally published October 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM.
