Four-star South Beach, Miami
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach
Morris Lapidus's DiLido Hotel of 1953, on the corner where Lincoln Road meets the beach, with a pool raised over the Atlantic and José Andrés running every kitchen.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Building
- The DiLido Hotel, Morris Lapidus, 1953
- Opened
- As a Ritz-Carlton, December 2003
- From the airport
- 12 miles from Miami International
The hotel
Lapidus on Lincoln Road.
Morris Lapidus designed the DiLido Hotel in 1953, at the corner of Lincoln Road and Collins Avenue, in the curving Miami Modern style he made his own. Lionstone and Flag Luxury restored it and opened it as The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach on 24 December 2003, almost fifty years after the first opening. The curves, sweeping lines and pastel accents of the exterior were kept, and the lobby bar was named after the architect.
Hurricane Irma flooded the building in 2017 and closed it. A long renovation followed: Meg Sharpe Interiors reworked the lobby, Lapidus Bar, pool and spa, and HBA redesigned the rooms, with custom millwork and better soundproofing. The hotel reopened at the start of 2020. In October 2023 José Andrés Group took over all its food and drink, and Zaytinya opened that November.
- Pool over the ocean The pool is raised above the Atlantic, with cabanas, a hot tub and service on the sand below.
- Lapidus Bar The lobby bar named after the architect, with a marble counter, a gold chandelier, cocktails and live music.
- The Ritz-Carlton Spa About 16,000 square feet of treatment rooms, steam rooms and saunas, refreshed in the latest renovation.
Rooms & suites
Rooms by HBA, suites over the Atlantic.
Rooms and suites have custom millwork that recalls the 1950s, marble bathrooms with soaking tubs and separate showers. Rooms facing the ocean are the ones to ask for.
- Rooms Guest rooms With 1950s crown mouldings and the soundproofing added in the renovation. Forbes Travel Guide picks the ocean-view rooms.
- More space Suites From about 74 square metres (800 square feet). The hotel also has a Club Level lounge.
- Signature suite The Ritz-Carlton Suite About 260 square metres (2,800 square feet), with views of the ocean and a balcony that wraps around it.
Dining
José Andrés from breakfast to the last drink.
Venues as listed by the hotel, all run by José Andrés Group since October 2023. Shown for information.
- Zaytinya Turkish, Greek and Lebanese mezze José Andrés with chef partner Aglaia Kremezi; open from breakfast
- DiLido Beach Club Ocean-to-table cooking and cocktails On the sand, with direct access to the beach
- Lapidus Bar Cocktails The lobby bar, with live music
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 4 pm, check-out by 11 am. The guest checking in must be at least 21.
- Children Welcome. Ritz Kids runs activities for ages five to eleven.
- Pets Dogs and cats up to 35 lb are accepted, two per room, for a fee.
- Transfers The hotel runs no airport shuttle. A car should be booked ahead.
Getting there
Flying to Miami.
Miami International is 12 miles away; allow 25 to 30 minutes by car, our estimate, longer at rush hour. Private jets land at Miami-Opa locka Executive, about 30 minutes from Miami Beach, or at Fort Lauderdale Executive further north.
- Nassau 45 min
- New York 2 h 40
- Aspen 4 h 05
- Los Angeles 5 h 15
- London 9 h 40 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- Does The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach have a MICHELIN Key?
- No. The MICHELIN Guide lists the hotel, without a Key.
- Who designed the building?
- Morris Lapidus, who built it as the DiLido Hotel in 1953. It opened as The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach in December 2003, and the Lapidus Bar in the lobby carries his name.
- Can we bring a dog?
- Yes. Dogs and cats up to 35 lb are accepted, two per room, for a fee per stay.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Miami?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Miami, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Miami
Other hotels worth the trip.
- Faena Hotel Miami Beach Red, gold and theatre on Collins Avenue, at the centre of the Faena District.
- Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club A revived 1930s beach club in Surfside, with a dining room holding one MICHELIN star.
- The Setai Miami Beach An Art Deco front on Collins Avenue and a tower behind it, right on the sand.
- Mayfair House Hotel & Garden A Coconut Grove hotel with one MICHELIN Key, a few streets from the bay.
- Mr. C Miami – Coconut Grove The Cipriani family's hotel, in the same leafy neighbourhood of the Grove.
- The Moore In the Design District, steps from its galleries, shops and starred restaurants.
- 1 Hotel South Beach On the sand at the northern end of South Beach, along Collins Avenue.
- Betsy - South Beach A small hotel on Ocean Drive, facing the beach across the road.
- Hotel Greystone An Art Deco building on Collins Avenue, one of three One-Key hotels in Miami Beach.
- Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach Forbes gives Five Stars to both the resort and its spa, which has a pool of its own; the suites have Italian kitchens and Atlantic balconies.
- The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort A 27-storey resort on nine oceanfront acres of Collins Avenue, where each suite comes with a butler.
Staying at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Miami, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.