04 Nov South Florida’s Best Luxury Hotels Ranked: Forbes Stars, MICHELIN Keys and AAA Five Diamonds
South Florida’s Best Luxury Hotels Ranked: Forbes Stars, MICHELIN Keys and AAA Five Diamonds (2026)
On our count of the three big hotel ratings, South Florida’s two most decorated hotels are the Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club in Surfside and The Setai in Miami Beach: each is a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel, holds Two MICHELIN Keys and is on AAA’s Five Diamond list. Below is the full ranking for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, what each rating means, where the raters disagree, and which hotels have opened, reopened or closed, as of November 3, 2026.
Ratings change every year. Each rating below was checked on the rater’s own website or release on the date shown. The ranking is our own tally of three public ratings, not a rating by any of these organizations. Hotels are named as subjects of this article, not as partners. Confirm details with the hotel before you book.
The Three Ratings in One Minute
- Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) began as the Mobil Travel Guide in 1958, according to its own site, and rates hotels Five-Star, Four-Star or Recommended. FTG says its inspectors are anonymous, so they have “the same experience as a typical guest,” and that hotel stays “span a minimum of two nights,” and that “No one can buy a rating under any circumstance.” The 2026 Star Awards were announced in February 2026, and FTG says the 2027 awards “will be announced on February 10.”
- The MICHELIN Guide gives hotels One, Two or Three Keys. In Michelin’s words, One Key is “A very special stay,” Two Keys “An exceptional stay” and Three Keys “An extraordinary stay.” Michelin says its inspectors “travel anonymously and independently.” The current selection was released on September 18, 2026.
- AAA Diamond designations run from Approved to Five Diamond, which AAA describes as “A luxury experience with superior services and amenities.” AAA says its inspectors make “annual, unannounced inspections of every Diamond hotel.” Its 2026 Five Diamond list is “based on Diamond designations received during 2025 inspections,” and AAA says its inspectors cover hotels across “North America, the Caribbean, and Costa Rica,” not the whole world.
For how each system works, who pays and what the ratings leave out, see our hotel ratings explained guide.
At a Glance: South Florida’s Top-Rated Hotels
| Hotel | Where | Forbes Travel Guide | MICHELIN Keys (Sept 2026) | AAA Five Diamond (2026 list) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club | Surfside | Five-Star (2026) | Two Keys | Yes |
| The Setai, Miami Beach | Miami Beach | Five-Star (2026) | Two Keys | Yes |
| Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach | Palm Beach | Five-Star (2026) | One Key | Yes |
| Acqualina Resort & Residences | Sunny Isles Beach | Five-Star (2026) | None | Yes |
| Faena Hotel Miami Beach | Miami Beach | Five-Star (2026) | Two Keys | No |
| The Boca Raton (Yacht Club, Beach Club, Tower) | Boca Raton | Yacht Club and Beach Club Five-Star; Tower Four-Star (2026) | One Key (Tower) | No |
| The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort | Bal Harbour | Five-Star (2026) | None | No |
| The Breakers | Palm Beach | Four-Star (2026) | Two Keys | No |
| The Vineta Hotel | Palm Beach | Not listed | Two Keys (new) | No |
| Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale | Recommended (2026); spa Five-Star | None | Yes |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale | Four-Star (2026) | None | Yes |
Sources: each hotel’s Forbes Travel Guide page, Michelin’s US Key list of September 18, 2026 and AAA’s 2026 Five Diamond Hotels list, all checked November 3, 2026. “(2026)” means the FTG page shows a dated 2026 badge; where no year is shown, the rating is the one on the hotel’s FTG page.
The Ranking
We ranked hotels by how many of the three top-level honors they hold that apply in South Florida: FTG Five-Star, Two MICHELIN Keys (no hotel in the region has Three) and AAA Five Diamond. Ties are listed together. Two Fort Lauderdale hotels, the Four Seasons and The Ritz-Carlton, also hold one of the three honors (AAA Five Diamond); they are covered under Where the Raters Disagree.
1. Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, Surfside
The Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club shows a “2026 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star” badge on its FTG page, holds Two MICHELIN Keys and is on AAA’s 2026 Five Diamond list, where AAA dates its current run of Five Diamonds to 2022. Its spa is also FTG Five-Star. Four Seasons says the building opened on New Year’s Eve 1930 as The Surf Club, a social club.
1. The Setai, Miami Beach
The Setai on Collins Avenue matches the Surf Club on all three lists: “2026 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star” on its FTG page, Two MICHELIN Keys and AAA Five Diamond, held since 2024 according to AAA’s list. Its spa is rated Four-Star by FTG.
3. Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach
The Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach is FTG Five-Star for 2026 and has held AAA Five Diamond since 2009, according to AAA’s list. Michelin gives it One Key. The resort calls itself “Palm Beach’s only Five-Star, Five-Diamond luxury resort.” Its spa is FTG Five-Star.
3. Acqualina Resort & Residences, Sunny Isles Beach
Acqualina is FTG Five-Star for 2026 and has also held AAA Five Diamond since 2009. It holds no MICHELIN Key. FTG rates the Acqualina Spa Five-Star.
3. Faena Hotel Miami Beach
Faena Hotel Miami Beach shows a “2026 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star” badge and holds Two MICHELIN Keys, with 179 rooms according to its Michelin page. It is not on AAA’s Five Diamond list.
6. The Boca Raton
The Boca Raton is several hotels on one property, and the ratings differ by building. FTG named Yacht Club at The Boca Raton a “first-time Five-Star winner” in its 2026 Star Awards, and Beach Club at The Boca Raton is also Five-Star. In a March 2026 story, FTG called The Boca Raton “the only resort outside of Asia with a quadruple Five-Star distinction”: the two hotels, Spa Palmera and the Flybridge restaurant. Michelin gives One Key to a different building, Tower at The Boca Raton, which FTG rates Four-Star. When you book, ask which building your room is in. Our Boca Raton resort and club guide covers the resort in detail.
6. The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort shows a “2026 Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star” badge, and FTG rates its spa Five-Star. It holds no MICHELIN Key and is not on AAA’s Five Diamond list.
6. The Breakers, Palm Beach
The Breakers was “upgraded from One to Two Keys in 2026,” Michelin says, and it is rated Four-Star on its FTG page. Michelin lists 534 rooms.
6. The Vineta Hotel, Palm Beach
The Vineta Hotel, run by Oetker Hotels, reopened on March 2, 2026 after a renovation, AFAR reported, with 41 rooms and rates “From $1,900” a night at the time. Michelin added it with Two Keys in September 2026, describing “this Two-Key, 1926 Mediterranean Revival building.” It is not rated by FTG and is not on AAA’s Five Diamond list.
Where the Raters Disagree
The three systems often reach different answers about the same hotel. They inspect on different schedules and judge different things.
- Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale. The Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale has been AAA Five Diamond since 2023, according to AAA’s list, and its spa is FTG Five-Star, yet the hotel itself shows a “2026 Forbes Travel Guide Recommended” badge. It holds no MICHELIN Key; in fact, no Broward County hotel is on Michelin’s September 2026 Key list.
- The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale. AAA announced The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale as a new Five Diamond hotel on December 29, 2025. FTG rates it Four-Star for 2026, and it has no Key.
- Michelin’s smaller favorites. Michelin gives One Key to several boutique hotels the other two raters do not rank at the top, including The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach (new in 2026; Michelin calls it “Another Palm Beach landmark, but make it pink”) and The Moore in the Design District.
Also Rated: One Key or Four-Star
One MICHELIN Key (September 2026), besides those named above: in Miami, Mayfair House Hotel & Garden and Mr. C Miami – Coconut Grove; in Miami Beach, 1 Hotel South Beach, Betsy – South Beach and Hotel Greystone; in Palm Beach, Palm House and The White Elephant Palm Beach.
FTG Four-Star, besides those named above: the Four Seasons Hotel Miami in Brickell (“2026 Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star”), The Miami Beach EDITION, and The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami, which reopened on December 9, 2025 after a $100 million renovation, Hotel-Online reported, and earned AAA Four Diamonds in September 2026.
Spas and restaurants are rated separately. Besides the spas named above, FTG’s 2026 Five-Star spas in the region include Spa Palmera at The Boca Raton. Its Five-Star restaurants include Flybridge at The Boca Raton and NAOE in Miami, which AAA also lists as a Five Diamond restaurant.
Opened, Reopened and Closed
- Delano Miami Beach has reopened. Lodging magazine reported in June 2026 that the Delano “reopened its doors in South Beach.” FTG lists it as “Soon to be Rated,” and the hotel’s site says its spa is “Opening January 2027.”
- Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale reopened in July 2025 after “nearly seven years of redevelopment following Hurricane Irma,” Local10 reported. FTG also lists it as “Soon to be Rated.”
- The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami is closed for renovation. The hotel says it “plans to welcome you again starting February 2027.” Its FTG page still shows a 2026 Four-Star badge.
- The Shore Club Resort and Residences, Auberge Collection in Miami Beach is not open; Auberge says it “will debut in 2027.”
- Mandarin Oriental, Miami on Brickell Key is gone. The Associated Press reported that the 23-story hotel was imploded on April 12, 2026.
Florida’s only Three-Key hotel is outside South Florida: Little Palm Island Resort & Spa in the Florida Keys, according to Michelin’s US list.
How to Use These Ratings When You Book
- Check the year. FTG badges carry the year, and the 2027 Star Awards are due February 10, 2027. Michelin’s current Keys were released on September 18, 2026. AAA’s 2026 list reflects 2025 inspections.
- Check the building. At multi-hotel resorts such as The Boca Raton, the rating belongs to one hotel, not the whole property.
- Check what is closed. Renovations can close pools, spas or restaurants, and ratings can lag a reopening or a closure.
- Read the rating’s type. FTG stars, MICHELIN Keys and AAA Diamonds all come from anonymous or unannounced inspections. Collections such as Relais & Châteaux are memberships, not ratings.
Questions to Ask Before You Book
- Which building or wing is my room in, and is that the part of the resort that holds the rating?
- Is the hotel’s badge from this year, and has it been inspected since its latest renovation or reopening?
- Is any pool, spa, restaurant or beach area closed for work during my dates?
- Do I need separate reservations for the rated spa or restaurant, and are they open to hotel guests only?
- What does the nightly rate include: resort fee, beach or pool cabana, parking, breakfast?
- Is the rate lower booking direct, through a travel advisor or through a rater’s booking service, and what perks come with each?
- What are the minimum-stay and cancellation rules in peak season and during events such as Art Basel?
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The Bottom Line
As of November 2026, the Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club and The Setai are the only South Florida hotels on our count that hold all three top honors available here. Four Seasons Palm Beach, Acqualina and Faena each hold two. No South Florida hotel has Three MICHELIN Keys, and no Broward hotel has a Key at all. Ratings move every year, so check the badge’s year and the building before you book, and expect changes when FTG announces its 2027 awards, which it says will come on February 10, 2027.
More From Everything Luxury
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- The Boca Raton resort: what has reopened and how club membership works
- Palm Beach season guide
- New Year’s Eve in Miami and South Florida
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Sources (42) · all checked November 3, 2026
- Forbes Travel Guide, about (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, media center (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, 2026 Star Award winners story (Feb 10, 2026): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, The Boca Raton quadruple Five-Star story (Mar 4, 2026): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Miami destination page (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Palm Beach destination page (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Fort Lauderdale destination page (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, The Setai, Miami Beach (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Faena Hotel Miami Beach (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Acqualina Resort and Residences on the Beach (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Yacht Club at The Boca Raton (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Beach Club at The Boca Raton (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Tower at The Boca Raton (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, The Breakers Palm Beach (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, Four Seasons Hotel Miami (undated): source
- Forbes Travel Guide, The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami (undated): source
- MICHELIN Guide, all the Key hotels in the United States (Sept 18, 2026): source
- MICHELIN Guide, 65 new Key hotels in the US (Sept 18, 2026): source
- Michelin, 2026 MICHELIN Key selection release (Sept 18, 2026): source
- MICHELIN Guide, Faena Hotel Miami Beach (undated): source
- MICHELIN Guide, The Breakers Palm Beach (undated): source
- AAA, Diamond designation definitions (undated): source
- AAA, Five Diamond Hotels 2026 list (PDF, undated): source
- AAA, Five Diamond Restaurants 2026 list (PDF, undated): source
- AAA Newsroom, four hotels earn Five Diamonds (Dec 29, 2025): source
- AAA Newsroom, hotels in Las Vegas, Miami and St. Lucia receive Four Diamonds (Sept 28, 2026): source
- Four Seasons, The Surf Club hotel history (undated): source
- Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, home page (undated): source
- AFAR, The Vineta reopens in Palm Beach (Mar 23, 2026): source
- Hotel-Online, The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne reopens (Dec 9, 2025): source
- Lodging, Delano Miami Beach reopening (Jun 10, 2026): source
- Delano Miami Beach, home page (undated): source
- Local10, Pier 66 reopens (Jul 4, 2025): source
- The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami, hotel overview (undated): source
- Auberge Resorts Collection, Shore Club (undated): source
- Associated Press via KSL, Mandarin Oriental Miami implosion (Apr 12, 2026): source
- Relais & Châteaux, about (undated): source
Last updated November 3, 2026. Facts come from the sources listed above, checked on that date, and may change. Not legal, financial, tax or investment advice. Full disclaimer
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