Florida is one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, so it’s unsurprising that the Sunshine State is teeming with a wealth of options if you’re looking for somewhere luxurious to stay, somewhere exquisite to drink or somewhere dazzling to party the night away. With all those options on offer, today we take a look at the Sunshine State’s top 4 luxurious spots; spots that will help to make sure that your holiday is just as glamorous as you want it to be.
1. Sandpiper Bay. The Club Med resort of Sandpiper Bay, located 2 hours north of Miami on the east coast of Florida, is the perfect luxury holiday setting for the active family.
Stretching along the St. Lucie River, amid lush gardens that contain palm trees, laurel trees and bougainvillea, as well as a verdant area of vegetation and its fair share of wildlife, the recently refurbished resort of Sandpiper Bay is endowed with its own 120 yard stretch of private beach; the perfect place to relax and sleep off your jet lag. While one of the resort’s elegant Club rooms, complete with its own lounge area, dressing room and furnished terrace, is the perfect place to rest your head at the end of a long day, it is Sandpiper Bay’s vast array of activities that sets it apart from its peers.
Guests fortunate enough to be taking one of Club Med’s luxury holidays can choose to spend their days working on their forehand in the resort’s tennis academy, getting in shape in the fitness academy, perfecting their swing in Sandpiper Bay’s golf academy or learning to windsurf and wakeboard; the opportunities for leisure activities are positively endless.
And if all that wasn’t enough, there’s even the opportunity for you and your partner to explore the high-end boutiques and fine dining options of downtown Miami in a limousine, while your kids have the time of their lives at Sandpiper Bay’s flying trapeze academy or chill out with their new friends in the Junior Lounge, a bar specifically for those aged from 11 to 17.
2. The Fazio Golf Course, PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
The PGA National Resort & Spa is the ideal place for a day of relaxation with your partner, whether you’re both golfers or not. Named as one of the USA’s top 7 golf courses to play in 2013, by Forbes, the Fazio is a must-play for any ardent golfer.
The recently renovated Fazio course is an exciting reimagining of the PGA National’s world-famous original course, The Haig, which opened in 1980. The new 18-hole course retains much of its original charm, and par-72 routing, but there have been all manner of modern additions, including a 70 per cent increase in total green surface area, which has contrived to make the course more enjoyable for the casual golfer, while increasingly challenging for the more accomplished players among you.
And if your other half isn’t much of a golfer, there’s always the PGA National’s full-service spa and salon, where they can choose from over 100 indulgent treatments, to while away the hours as you work your way around one of Florida’s most visually stunning courses.
3. Zuma Japanese Restaurant, Miami. Situated in downtown Miami, Zuma is, quite simply, one of the hottest tickets in town. With a brand that is already established in London, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Dubai and Bangkok, Zuma brings chef Rainer Becker’s unique take on Japanese cuisine to Florida.
While the environment may seem informal, don’t be fooled – Zuma serves up distinctly high-end, sophisticated fare, as well as having a fantastic reputation for the quality of its service. Becker’s food philosophy is one based around creating dishes that are modern takes on traditional Japanese dishes, with just a sprinkling of playfulness.
Grilled eggplant, shrimp tempura, vegan rice dishes and lobster are just some of the dishes that keep customers coming back for more. And for dessert, the banana cake truly is something to savour.
4. LIV at the Fountainebleau, Miami Beach. If you’re looking for an exclusive place to party with your partner or a group of friends, look no further than LIV at the Fontainebleau, Miami Beach. It’s one of the most luxurious establishments that you’ll find in the United States, bringing in reported gross revenues of between $35-45 million, annually, and has set the benchmark for clubs in Miami.
LIV prides itself on its ability to effortlessly blend the laid-back feel of an exclusive lounge-bar, with the high-octane energy of a nightclub. Chock full with celebrities and VIPs on a nightly basis, the open-plan, lavish decor of the 18,000 square foot club is peppered with VIP tables, private skyboxes and 3 stunning bars.
While the ambience of LIV alone is enough to perpetually draw in Miami’s beautiful people, it is regular DJ sets from the likes of Lil’ Jon, Calvin Harris and Paul Oakenfold that have helped establish LIV’s preeminent reputation as a hip clubbing paradise.
The luxury vibe
Florida is full of charming clubs, fine dining restaurants and luxury resorts. If you’re planning on taking a holiday this year and you’re in search of luxury, a trip to Florida is the perfect opportunity to scratch beneath the surface and discover a little more about why the Sunshine State’s reputation is so revered by the more discerning holidaymaker.
This post was sponsored, but as a born and raised Florida girl, I can honestly stand behind all these choices as totally fab.
