Splurge Hotels · PortMiami
Miami has the real thing. A Four Seasons ten minutes from the port, a Four Diamond hotel that looks out at it, and Five Diamond stays on the beach. None of them will drive you to the ship.
We looked for the nicest places to stay before a PortMiami cruise, not the most practical. That’s what our top 20 is for. Tap the night you’re after and the pick lights up.
Every pick holds an AAA Diamond rating from the 2026 lists, and we note Forbes Travel Guide’s rating where it has one. The trade-off is the same for all six: nobody publishes a cruise shuttle.
The only hotel in downtown Miami or Brickell rated both AAA Four Diamond and Forbes Four-Star, and it says the port is 10 minutes away. No shuttle — the concierge books the car.
Luxury with the port in view: AAA Four Diamond, an estimated six-minute drive, and the terminals visible from the pool deck. Valet is $58, and there's no shuttle.
The only Miami Beach hotel with both AAA Five Diamonds and Forbes Five Stars. Oceanfront, three pools, and no port distance or cruise help on its site.
Forbes Five-Star and AAA Four Diamond on the ocean, with two Forbes Four-Star restaurants and a theater. The fees come from a third party, so confirm them.
The easiest big-family splurge: oceanfront, pools with cabanas, suites up to two bedrooms and more than ten places to eat and drink. The costs stack up fast.
AAA Five Diamond, Forbes Five-Star, two Michelin Keys and a World's 50 Best listing. It's also the hardest pick to get to the ship from.
Hover or tap a hotel to light its column. Green is on offer, gold comes with a cost or a catch, grey isn’t there or isn’t stated.
| Feature | Four Seasons Miami | Kimpton EPIC | The Setai | Faena | Fontainebleau | The Surf Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA rating | Four Diamond | Four Diamond | Five Diamond | Four Diamond | Four Diamond | Five Diamond |
| Forbes Travel Guide | Four-Star | — | Five-Star | Five-Star | Recommended | Five-Star |
| On the beach | — | — | Oceanfront, private | Oceanfront | Oceanfront | Oceanfront, 9 acres |
| Restaurant | Edge, Bahía, NUNA | Zuma, Area 31 | Japón, Jaya, Ocean Grill | Los Fuegos, Pao | Hakkasan, Prime 54 and more | Lido (Forbes Four-Star) |
| Bar or drinks | Séptimo, on the roof | Spirits bar and cigar lounge | Jo's Bar | Saxony Bar | Several bars and LIV | The Champagne Bar |
| Spa | Equinox access | Privai Spa | Valmont Spa | Tierra Santa | Lapis Spa | Forbes Five-Star spa |
| Breakfast | Paid | Paid | Paid | Paid | Paid | Paid |
| Kitchen | Kitchens in the residences | — | — | — | — | Kitchens in residential suites |
| Resort fee | None stated | Not on IHG; $45.20 per a fee tracker | None, the hotel says | $74.10/night per a fee tracker | $59/day | None stated |
| Parking | $60/day | $58/day valet | $60 valet | $68 valet per a fee tracker | $58–$73 valet | Valet, price not stated |
| Shuttle to the port | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Distance to the port | 2.9 mi | 6-min drive | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Not one of these six publishes a cruise shuttle or a rate to leave your car while you sail. That’s the price of the nicer night.
From Brickell and downtown the ride is short: the Four Seasons says about 10 minutes, and EPIC about six. The Miami Beach picks publish no port distance at all, so book the car ahead and leave room for the causeway. Driving? PortMiami’s garages charge $25 a day for long-term parking at most terminals.
Want a nice night with some help on the ride? InterContinental Miami is AAA Four Diamond, its concierge helps book the car, and it ranks thirteenth in our top 20.
| Hotel | Why it isn’t in the six |
|---|---|
| InterContinental Miami | AAA Four Diamond on Bayfront Park, with a Stay & Cruise package. It's in our top 20 at No. 13, so it has a full review there. |
| JW Marriott Marquis Miami | AAA Four Diamond with Boulud Sud downstairs. It's No. 20 in our top 20. |
| Hotel Beaux Arts, Autograph Collection | AAA Four Diamond, 44 rooms on the 39th floor of the JW Marriott Marquis tower. Valet only and no shuttle, and no Forbes rating. |
| Brickell Arch, a Luxury Collection Hotel | The former hotel AKA Brickell, which earned AAA Four Diamond under that name. Forbes lists it as soon to be rated. New since April 2026, and we haven't checked it closely yet. |
| EAST Miami | Says it's 10 minutes from the cruise terminal, with four pools, but it isn't on AAA's or Forbes's lists and charges a $54 nightly destination fee. |
| Acqualina Resort and Residences on the Beach | AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five-Star, but it's in Sunny Isles Beach, even farther north than The Surf Club. |
On the mainland, Four Seasons Hotel Miami in Brickell. It's AAA Four Diamond and Forbes Four-Star, and the hotel says PortMiami is 2.9 miles and about 10 minutes away. Kimpton EPIC, also AAA Four Diamond, puts the port an estimated six-minute drive away, with the terminals in view from its pool deck. On Miami Beach, The Setai holds both AAA Five Diamonds and Forbes Five Stars.
AAA's 2026 Five Diamond list has three in the Miami area, all on the beach: The Setai in Miami Beach, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club in Surfside and Acqualina in Sunny Isles Beach. None is in downtown Miami or Brickell.
None of the six on our list publishes a cruise shuttle or a rate to leave your car while you sail. The Four Seasons concierge will book a car, and so will the InterContinental's, which is in our top 20. Plan a taxi or rideshare, or drive to the port's garage.
It closed on May 31, 2025, and the tower on Brickell Key was imploded on April 12, 2026. A new Mandarin Oriental is planned for 2030.
Not right now. It closed for a renovation, and the hotel's own site says it reopens in January 2027. Miami's tourism board says December 2026.
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