Four Seasons at the Surf Club
A Gatsbyesque, Prohibition-era hot spot originally created for old Hollywood royalty, mobsters and captains of industry, the Surf Club sat and rotted for many years until this swanky chain took it over. But this isn’t your typical, uninspiring, business account Four Seasons. It’s been given a glow-up by architectural icon Richard Meier, Miami-based sustainable architects Kobi Karp, and Parisian god of minimalism and design, Joseph Dirand. They’ve blended the old with the new in the form of two brand new, ultra-modern 12-story residential towers a la Meier; and the 77-room historic hotel. For the latter think: tropical, seaside hideaway with coral stone steps and palms, a place that would make a perfect romantic backdrop for a film starring Bogie and Bacall. We’re talking beachfront gardens; oceanfront spa with hammam, serenity lawn and adults-only pool (in addition to two heated outdoor pools); and a spectacular 900-foot stretch of serene beach. The hotels has 40 beach cabanas that are nice enough to live in, along with three eateries, including a Michelin-starred one from star chef Thomas Keller (his first Floriday foray). The sound of clinking glasses beckons you through the palms and into the fabulous champagne bar (more palms here, too), which boasts the largest selection of bubbly in the city.
Rooms, alas, are less dramatic than the public areas, with nondescript if cushy Four Seasons décor. Kids are aplenty here, too, thanks to the fabulous Four Seasons’ fully supervised kids’ club. While Bal Harbour is just a few minutes to the north and South Beach to the south, the surrounding area of Surfside is a sleepy, not that interesting residential area, but when you’re within the walls of the Surf Club, none of that really matters.
A Gatsbyesque, Prohibition-era hot spot originally created for old Hollywood royalty, mobsters and captains of industry, the Surf Club sat and rotted for many years until this swanky chain took it over. But this isn’t your typical, uninspiring, business account Four Seasons. It’s been given a glow-up by architectural icon Richard Meier, Miami-based sustainable architects Kobi Karp, and Parisian god of minimalism and design, Joseph Dirand. They’ve blended the old with the new in the form of two brand new, ultra-modern 12-story residential towers a la Meier; and the 77-room historic hotel. For the latter think: tropical, seaside hideaway with coral stone steps and palms, a place that would make a perfect romantic backdrop for a film starring Bogie and Bacall. We’re talking beachfront gardens; oceanfront spa with hammam, serenity lawn and adults-only pool (in addition to two heated outdoor pools); and a spectacular 900-foot stretch of serene beach. The hotels has 40 beach cabanas that are nice enough to live in, along with three eateries, including a Michelin-starred one from star chef Thomas Keller (his first Floriday foray). The sound of clinking glasses beckons you through the palms and into the fabulous champagne bar (more palms here, too), which boasts the largest selection of bubbly in the city.
Rooms, alas, are less dramatic than the public areas, with nondescript if cushy Four Seasons décor. Kids are aplenty here, too, thanks to the fabulous Four Seasons’ fully supervised kids’ club. While Bal Harbour is just a few minutes to the north and South Beach to the south, the surrounding area of Surfside is a sleepy, not that interesting residential area, but when you’re within the walls of the Surf Club, none of that really matters.
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