The best boutique hotels in Miami

The Setai holds a Forbes Five-Star rating since 2014 and MICHELIN Two Keys, on an oceanfront address in South Beach. Rooms split between 87 Art Deco units, 50 Ocean Suites, and a single Penthouse with its own pool.

Good to know: The Spa by Valmont's treatment rooms look straight out over the ocean, and three restaurants, Jaya, Ocean Grill, and Japon, sit on site.

Skip it if you want a bigger named spa: Carillon Miami Wellness Resort's runs 70,000 square feet.

The Betsy Hotel carries a MICHELIN Key and packs 130 individually furnished rooms, with hardwood floors and marble bathrooms, into its Ocean Drive address. LT Steak & Seafood, its steakhouse, sits right off the lobby.

Good to know: The hotel's own spa covers the wellness side of the stay, and dogs are allowed for guests traveling with one.

Skip it if you want a larger resort spa: Carillon's runs 70,000 square feet against this one.

Mr. C Miami - Coconut Grove allows up to two dogs per reservation, up to 25 pounds each, for a $200 non-refundable fee plus $25 a night in cleaning, waived for service and emotional-support animals. Rooms come with balconies over Biscayne Bay.

Good to know: Bellini, the hotel's rooftop Italian restaurant, adds bay and skyline views to dinner without leaving the building.

Skip it if your dog is over 25 pounds: Hotel AKA Brickell and W South Beach both allow larger dogs.

W South Beach's guest rooms come with ocean views and oversized balconies. AWAY Spa, a 9,540-square-foot wellness facility on the fourth floor, was renovated in 2020.

Good to know: The Restaurant at W South Beach serves classic American fare on site, and dogs up to 50 pounds are welcome for a fee.

Skip it if you would rather pay a flat one-time pet fee: Mr. C Miami - Coconut Grove charges that way instead.

The Spa at Carillon Miami covers 70,000 square feet, among the largest on the Eastern Seaboard, with a Thermal Hydrotherapy Circuit including a Finnish sauna and a Crystal Steam Room.

Good to know: The resort is set up as 93 one- and two-bedroom apartments of 720 to 1,200 square feet, in the North Beach area.

Skip it if you want a standard hotel room instead of an apartment layout, or a South Beach address like The Setai.

The Biltmore Hotel opened in 1926 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986, with 273 rooms on landscaped grounds in Coral Gables. Its pool covers about 23,000 square feet, among the largest hotel pools in the US.

Good to know: The Biltmore Spa runs massage and facial treatments on site, in a hotel that is larger and more traditional than the boutique norm here.

Skip it if you want a smaller room count: The Betsy Hotel runs 130 rooms against the Biltmore's 273.

Hotel AKA Brickell is a nine-story hotel overlooking Biscayne Bay in Miami's business district, with Leaf Spa and a rooftop pool with Sky Bar on site. ADRIFT Mare serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes and cocktails in-house.

Good to know: The AKA brand runs on the upscale extended-stay side, which suits a longer work trip. Dogs are allowed for a $150 fee per room.

Skip it if you want a beach cluster address instead of Brickell: EAST Miami sits 0.4 miles away in a straight line.

EAST Miami belongs to Swire Hotels' independent EAST lifestyle brand, set inside Brickell City Centre. A spa, pool, restaurant, bar, and fitness room are listed on site, with EV charging.

Good to know: Hotel AKA Brickell sits 0.4 miles away in a straight line, so the two make a natural pair to compare within Brickell.

Skip it if you want a named, documented spa on record: this one is listed but not detailed further.

The Standard Spa, Miami Beach sits in the Belle Isle area, with a spa, pool, restaurant, bar, and fitness room listed on site, plus an LGBTQ+ friendly label.

Good to know: Belle Isle sits within 1.3 to 1.4 miles, in a straight line, of The Betsy Hotel, The Setai, and W South Beach.

Skip it if you want a spa backed by named treatments: this listing does not go beyond 'spa' on the facilities sheet.

Trump National Doral Miami sits in Doral, well outside the cluster most of this list belongs to: the nearest hotel here, The Biltmore Hotel, is still 6.3 miles away in a straight line. It carries the highest guest rating on this page, 9.4/10 from 660+ reviews.

Good to know: There is no pool listed here, unlike most other hotels on this page, though a spa, restaurant, bar, fitness room, and EV charging are.

Skip it if you want to stay near Miami Beach or Brickell: every other hotel on this list sits closer to that cluster.