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Fontainebleau Miami Beach
Miami · USA
Beach Resorts in Miami
Photo: Official website · fontainebleau.com
A defining Miami Beach resort whose curved modernist architecture and entertainment-led hospitality helped establish the city's glamorous oceanfront image. Its continuing relevance rests on the combination of architectural heritage, nightlife and large-scale resort infrastructure.
The Story
Origin
Developed by Ben Novack and opened in 1954, Fontainebleau was designed by Morris Lapidus as a new kind of spectacular oceanfront resort. A major renovation and expansion completed in 2008 brought the property into a new phase.
Philosophy
The resort makes social visibility and entertainment central to luxury, with public spaces designed as places to see, gather and participate.
Why Important
It is one of the foundational properties of Miami Beach hospitality. Its architecture and entertainment history make it an essential reference for understanding how the destination developed its particular combination of glamour, leisure and spectacle.
Differentiation
Fontainebleau combines genuine mid-century architectural significance with an active role in contemporary Miami nightlife and resort culture.
Food Philosophy
A portfolio of restaurants serves different occasions and audiences, making dining part of the resort's broader entertainment ecosystem rather than a single culinary statement.
Guest Experience
Guests move between the beach, extensive pool areas, restaurants, Lapis Spa and nightlife, including LIV. The atmosphere is energetic and socially oriented rather than secluded.
Design Philosophy
Lapidus challenged austere modernism with curves, theatrical circulation and decorative exuberance. Later interventions retain the property's association with spectacle while accommodating a much larger contemporary resort programme.
Design & Architecture
Lighting
Statement chandeliers and decorative illumination reinforce the resort's glamorous public spaces.
Furniture
Contemporary lounge seating supports social gathering across the resort's large public areas.
Materials
Marble, glass, polished metals and richly upholstered finishes feature across the public interiors.
Architecture
Morris Lapidus's sweeping curved hotel block is a landmark of Miami Beach's oceanfront. Subsequent additions expanded the original property into a multi-building resort.
Design Language
Theatrical mid-century resort modernism, supplemented by contemporary luxury interiors.
Interior Design
The public spaces preserve the spirit of Lapidus's showmanship, particularly through dramatic circulation, decorative flourishes and the celebrated Stairway to Nowhere.
Graphic Identity
The bow-tie motif, closely associated with Lapidus and visible in the lobby floor, is a recognizable element of the property's visual vocabulary.
Gallery · 10 photos
Watch · Reviews & Tours
Hotel Review| Fontainebleau Miami Beach
Review · ThePanzoAdventures · 5y ago
Fontainebleau Miami Beach Junior Ocean View Suite Tour | What You NEED to See Before You Book
Review · Gemma and Sam · 3w ago
