The best family-friendly hotels in Miami, from funky kids’ clubs to float concierges

A sprawling five-star luxury resort in posh Bal Harbour, the 227-room St Regis Bal Harbour offers unparalleled service and amenities, and with multiple oceanfront pools, sprawling facilities and spacious suites, there is plenty of space for families to enjoy time together. The St. Regis Children’s Club and ‘family tradition’ amenities cater specifically to families with young children. For parents there’s the Remède Spa (one of the best on the beach), with steam room, sauna and Vichy shower room.

A seaside retreat in Sunny Isles Beach – just 12 miles north of South Beach – the five-star Acqualina Resort & Spa on Miami Beach is all about luxury. The design is Mediterranean opulence with vaulted ceilings, golden chandeliers, copious marble, Spanish tile and limestone, but its the views of the glittering Atlantic Ocean by way of the elegant pool deck steal the show. Acqualina’s large guest rooms and suites cater to family holidays. Additionally, the AcquaMarine programme serves as a day camp for children and babysitting services can be arranged.

This luxury resort caters explicitly to families with large guest rooms, multiple dining venues with children’s menus and a sprawling poolscape with a float concierge. Babysitting services and a kids’ club are also available. It also has plenty of diversions for the adult traveller: Lure Fishbar is one of the best seafood restaurants in town, Exhale Spa offers a menu of fabulous treatments and Core Fusion classes, and there’s a very inviting lagoon-style pool. The hotel is positioned right in the hubbub of South Beach.

Created by visionary developer George Merrick, The Biltmore is a Miami icon with a rich history nearly as old as the city itself. Stunning with vaulted ceilings, travertine floors, marble columns, restored hand-painted frescos and lavish gardens and courtyards, this luxurious, stately hotel exudes Old Florida opulence. From golf and tennis camps to a culinary academy for cooking lessons, it is filled with activities catering to families. It’s also home to one of the largest swimming pools in Miami providing hours of fun for families of all ages.

The epitome of mid-century Miami glamour, this place is as famous for its storied past as it is for being one of the hottest Miami hotels. But while the Fontainebleau is certainly famous for its nightlife and fine dining scene, it’s also extremely family-friendly. There’s the FB Kids Camp, a dedicated family concierge and babysitting services, as well as a kids’ pool with a waterslide to keep the little ones entertained. The pool area is impressive, with a massive freeform pool and various other small pools, as well as luxurious cabanas in addition to standard lounge chairs.

For a luxurious and relaxed resort experience away from the South Beach scene, The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne offers an expansive retreat perfect for a family holiday. With its ample parks and water sports, such as kayaking and sailing, the location is ideal for those who want to explore Miami’s natural beauty. Families are further catered for with its Ritz Kids Program, sprawling oceanfront swimming pool, water sports and multiple dining venues with children’s menus. With six food and drink destinations in the resort, you’ll never run out of dining options.

1 Hotel is at the frontier of eco-luxury with a 900-metre ‘living wall’ composed of 11,000 varieties of local plants crawling up the façade. Rooms are some of the largest rooms in South Beach, and have been executed beautifully by design firm Meyer Davis to inspire Zen-like calm. The hotel’s emphasis on “day life,” as opposed to Miami’s famous nightlife, caters to family holidays with multiple oceanfront swimming pools and Seedlings Day Camp. Averaging about 200 square-metres, some of the largest rooms in South Beach are found here. It is also at the nexus of two Miami beaches.

A slice of Old Florida set in funky, seaside Coconut Grove. With a Gaudi-inspired façade, sculptural mahogany doors and a sun-filled interior courtyard, this landmark Miami hotel is a truly one-of-a-kind retreat. While there’s not much going by way of family programming, this all-suite hotel offers spacious rooms and a rooftop swimming pool in a relaxed neighbourhood with plenty of family-friendly and outdoor attractions. Spacious rooms are updated with tile stone floors and marble bathrooms featuring Roman spa baths, as well as Japanese soaking tubs on private balconies in most rooms.

The resort has a grand Old Florida aesthetic, with double doors opening up to an airy lobby featuring terracotta tiled floors, potted palms and overhead fans shaped like palm fronds. The ample hotel grounds, host of facilities, and spacious rooms and suites make it is an easy space to holiday with a family – and the large, lagoon-style swimming pool is likely to be popular with all ages. Room types offer a variety of views including ocean, city and garden, while top-floor suites also boast balconies. If you can swing it, an ocean view really adds to the tropical vibes and holiday mood.

The Gates is a historic mid-century motel in South Beach, located on Collins Canal. Ample common areas with billiards and a swimming pool, as well as comfortable rooms, keep families happy. Throughout, rooms are fresh, modern and clean without too much fuss, many of them with access to an outdoor walkway or private balcony. The airy lobby has a lot of style, with dramatic space-age Miami Modern lines. It is slightly removed from the boisterous side of the neighbourhood yet still within an easy walk to all the action.