10 Best Oceanfront Hotels in Miami Beach

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Book by room category first. Oceanfront means the window faces the sand, and the room name tells you which one you are getting. Hotels on Ocean Drive sit across the road from the beach, with a park in between. Check the name before you check the price, because one hotel sells both kinds of room.

Miami Beach Oceanfront Hotels

How to Read an Oceanfront Room Name

Hotels sell several ocean categories, and only one puts the water straight ahead. Look for Oceanfront or Ocean Front in the name before you look at the photo.

• Oceanfront Is Its Own Category Hotels split their ocean rooms into categories. Ocean View and Partial Ocean View sit apart at some hotels, while others add an Oceanfront category on top.
• Spelling Splits the Search Some hotels write Oceanfront as one word and others write Ocean Front as two. A room search for only one spelling hides the other hotels’ rooms.

South Beach, Mid-Beach and the Beachwalk

South Beach and Mid-Beach meet at 23rd Street, and the Beachwalk runs through both.

• Lummus Park Lines Ocean Drive Ocean Drive runs from South Pointe Park up to 15th Street. Lummus Park lines its beach side between 5th and 14th Streets.
• The Beachwalk Runs About 9 Miles A paved path starts at South Pointe Park and runs to 87th Street. Through Lummus Park it winds between the sand and Ocean Drive.

Chairs, Cabanas and Public Sand

The sand along Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive is public, and hotels sell service on top of it.

• Hotels Set Up Chairs and Umbrellas Chairs, umbrellas and beach service appear on the official sites of The Setai, Miami Beach, The Miami Beach EDITION and Delano Miami Beach. Eden Roc Miami Beach rents cabanas separately.
• The City Licenses Beach Concessions The city authorizes the upland owner to run the beachfront concession, in-house or through a contractor. Concessions cover equipment rentals such as chairs and umbrellas, plus food and beverage service and water sports rentals.

Seaweed Season

Sargassum washes up on Miami Beach from March through October.

• June and July Bring the Most The city names June and July as the peak months. Crews rake the sand early in the morning, before most beachgoers arrive.
• Winter Falls Outside the Season December through February fall outside the March through October window. Amounts change from year to year, so treat the season dates as a guide.

Picking Your Dates

February is the most popular month in Greater Miami and Miami Beach, and March adds spring vacation season.

• February Costs the Most February is peak season on the visitors bureau’s calendar, with higher hotel and airfare prices. The same oceanfront category costs more in February than it does in September.
• July and August Run Cheapest August is the least crowded month, with the lowest hotel and airfare prices, and July is cheaper too. Both months fall inside seaweed season and hurricane season.
• April and May Drop Fast April and May are shoulder months, with prices falling in April and staying low in May. Seaweed season has already started by then.

Getting From the Airport to Collins Avenue

Miami International Airport sits on the mainland, so every ride crosses a causeway.

• Allow About 25 Minutes by Car The airport sits roughly 12 miles from Miami Beach, and app-based rides average about 24 minutes. Rush hour stretches the ride further.
• Pickups Sit on the Arrivals Level Designated taxi stands sit outside arrivals at each terminal, and app-based taxi pickups run from the arrivals level too. Follow the app’s directions to the exact curb when you land.

FAQs

1. Can you drink or smoke on the beach in Miami Beach?

No, alcohol and smoking are banned on Miami Beach’s city beaches all year, not only during spring break. Drinking in public is against city law on the street and the sand alike. Finish a drink at the hotel bar or pool before you walk down to the water, and take a cold bottle of water to the chair instead.

2. Does sea turtle season change anything at an oceanfront hotel?

Yes, nesting season runs from April 1 through October 31 in Miami Beach, and the city’s turtle ordinance covers lights visible from the beach, including interior lighting at hotels. The city asks owners and visitors to cover, shield or dim bright lights that face the sand. Keep chairs and umbrellas off the beach at night, because nesting turtles and hatchlings get trapped by them.

3. Are there lifeguards, and what do the beach flags mean?

Miami Beach Ocean Rescue staffs the colorful lifeguard towers along the sand during daytime hours. Check the flag on the nearest tower before you swim: green means low hazard, yellow means medium hazard, red means high hazard, and purple warns of dangerous marine life. Double red flags mean the water is closed to swimmers. Swim near a tower, and never swim alone.

4. How warm is the ocean in February?

Water temperatures sit in the low to mid 70s Fahrenheit in February. August is the warmest month, with water in the mid-80s, which makes summer the easy season for ocean swims. Several oceanfront hotels in Miami Beach heat their pools, which covers the cooler weeks for anyone who wants a warmer swim.

5. When is hurricane season in Miami Beach?

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and the peak comes in September. About 97 percent of Atlantic storms form inside those dates, though a storm occasionally forms outside them. For any stay from June through November, pick a rate with a cancellation window, and check the forecast the week before you fly.

6. Is there a free way to travel along Collins Avenue?

Collins Express, a free Miami Beach trolley route, runs up Collins Avenue from Lincoln Road to 88th Street. It stops near The Setai, Miami Beach at 21st and 22nd Streets and near Eden Roc Miami Beach at 44th Street. A ride from either hotel to Lincoln Road Mall needs no car.

7. Is Mid-Beach quieter than South Beach?

Mid-Beach draws lower foot traffic than South Beach, so yes, it is the quieter stretch. South Beach is the party end of the beach, where nightlife drives the crowds. Choose a hotel north of 23rd Street if sleep matters more than nightlife. Lincoln Road Mall stays a short drive away from Mid-Beach whenever you want an evening out.