The Surf Club Four Seasons vs. Aman Miami Beach: Ultra-Luxe Beachfront Retreats Compared
Quick Summary
- Historic Surfside club vs new Aman tower
- Surf Club blends 1930s glamour with Four Seasons
- Aman Miami Beach offers zen-like privacy
- Both deliver branded Oceanfront resort living
Ultra-luxe beachfront addresses in rare company
For a very small circle of buyers, the Miami coastline is no longer about having a good apartment by the beach. It is about securing a place within a handful of branded enclaves where architecture, service and history align at a standard that feels closer to a private club than a conventional condominium. On that shortlist, The Surf Club Four Seasons Surfside in Surfside and Aman Miami Beach in the Faena District have emerged as two of the most watched names, each promising a different expression of ultra-lux living directly on the Oceanfront.
Both pair a five star hotel with a limited number of private residences, managed by globally respected hospitality brands. Both sit on irreplaceable ocean sites, minutes from world class shopping, dining and culture. Yet in character they diverge. Four Seasons leans into nearly a century of club heritage and European glamour. Aman, by contrast, brings a more meditative, contemporary resort language to Miami-beach, distilled from its portfolio of secluded retreats around the world.
For buyers comparing these two addresses, the decision is less about which is objectively better and more about which sensibility, neighborhood and service style aligns with how they actually live in Miami-beach.
Heritage, setting and neighborhood character
Opened as a private club on New Year's Eve 1930 by Harvey Firestone, the original Surf Club was a discreet playground for statesmen, industrialists and film stars escaping the northern winter. Its Mediterranean Revival clubhouse and cabanas hosted everything from black tie boxing dinners to languid seaside afternoons, creating a mythology that still colors the property today. When Fort Partners and Four Seasons reimagined the site, they preserved that original club at the heart of a new nine acre plan, keeping the familiar arrival sequence and oceanfront lawns that long time members remember.
The wider setting in Surfside remains intentionally low rise and residential. Tree lined streets, small parks and neighborhood cafes give the area a village feel that contrasts with the intensity of South Beach. Residents are a short drive from Bal Harbour Shops and top schools in nearby Bay Harbor Islands, yet daily life feels calm, secure and genuinely local. For families and end users, this balance of privacy and convenience is a major draw.
Aman Miami Beach begins from a different narrative. The project rises on the site of the 1940 Versailles Hotel, an Art Deco landmark on Collins Avenue that is being restored as an intimate Aman hotel. Next to it, Kengo Kuma's new residential tower introduces the Aman brand to the heart of the Faena District, a cultural corridor known for its theater, art installations and highly curated hospitality concepts. Here the surrounding energy is more overtly urban and international, with hotel lobbies, galleries and restaurants within a short walk.
Where Surfside feels like a quiet residential pocket slightly removed from the action, the Faena District positions Aman owners at the center of Miami-beach's most theatrical stretch of oceanfront. For some, that immediacy is part of the appeal; for others, it is precisely why they prefer the more secluded rhythm of Surfside.
Architecture, design and the residential experience
At The Surf Club, Pritzker Prize winning architect Richard Meier, working with Kobi Karp, inserted three slender glass towers behind and around the historic clubhouse. Their white and transparent facades echo Meier's signature language, reflecting sky and sea without overpowering the original structure. Inside, Paris based designer Joseph Dirand carries through a quietly glamorous palette of pale woods, fluted walls and marble that feels at once contemporary and respectful of the property's golden age roots.
Residences here are defined by expansive terraces, floor to ceiling glazing and long, lateral layouts that maximize Atlantic views. Many plans allow for seamless entertaining, with large combined living and dining spaces and direct elevator access. The visual connection to the ocean is constant, yet the architecture remains disciplined and pared back, leaving room for owners to layer in their own art and furnishings.
Aman Miami Beach reads very differently. Kengo Kuma's tower is sculpted as a series of scalloped, tiered forms that soften the building's profile and nod to the curves of the neighboring Deco architecture without copying it. Deep terraces, vertical fins and layered screens create a sense of depth and shadow that is rare on the Miami skyline. The volume is lifted on tall columns to maintain sightlines to the water and to create a gracious arrival sequence under the building, reinforcing the idea that landscape, view and structure should work in concert.
Inside, the mood is more overtly Zen. With only around twenty two private residences, many of them full floor or duplex, the scale is intimate. Preliminary design details describe finishes such as Japanese inspired screens that filter light, tactile stone and timber, and spa quality bathrooms with soaking tubs that recall traditional onsen culture. Kitchens are conceived as serene social spaces with carefully layered materials rather than statement showpieces. The intent is a home that feels like an urban resort suite extended to residential scale, rather than a conventional Miami condominium.
Together, the restored Versailles building and new tower create a dialogue between Deco and contemporary minimalism that will likely feel very different from anything else in the Faena corridor or the wider Exclusive-area.
Amenities, service and everyday lifestyle
One of the most compelling arguments for The Surf Club Four Seasons Surfside is the depth of its operational track record. The property has been open for several years, with Four Seasons staffing, systems and culture fully embedded. Residents benefit from a long stretch of serviced beach, multiple pools, a destination spa with hammam and a collection of restored cabanas that function as both nostalgic design pieces and highly practical private retreats during the day.
Dining is another differentiator. The Surf Club Restaurant by Thomas Keller has become a reference point in the city's culinary scene, complemented by more relaxed venues for poolside or beachside meals. For owners, this means that an impromptu dinner party, a celebratory tasting menu or a quiet nightcap can all happen within the same footprint, supported by hotel level room service, housekeeping and concierge teams. A private members club layer, accessible to owners and select members, adds a social dimension that is structured yet still discreet.
Aman Miami Beach, by design, will be more tightly focused and wellness driven. Residents will have a clear separation between dedicated residential amenities and the shared hotel program. Expect a residents only pool deck, gym and lounge spaces that are shielded from hotel traffic, alongside full access to an Aman spa, oceanfront pool and beach club. Food and beverage offerings are likely to prioritize a small number of high quality venues rather than a broad list of outlets, with an emphasis on Japanese and Mediterranean influenced concepts.
Service philosophy may be the sharpest contrast. Four Seasons brings a polished, anticipatory style that is comfortable hosting families, multigenerational gatherings and business entertaining. Aman tends to operate at an even more individualized level, with a high staff to resident ratio and a quieter, almost residential feel to its spaces. For buyers who already consider themselves part of the global Aman community, the pull of having an Aman home in Miami-beach will be less about specific room counts and more about continuity of experience with resorts they know from Europe, Asia or the Caribbean.
Matching each property to the right buyer
Viewed through a purely investment lens, both properties sit in a rarefied bracket, with limited supply, powerful brand partners and locations that are difficult to replicate. From a lifestyle perspective, however, the differences are meaningful. Four Seasons at The Surf Club tends to appeal to owners who want a fully resolved, operating asset today, where they can step directly into a known product with established resale and rental history.
Families who prioritize ease of use appreciate Surfside's calmer beach, child friendly programming and proximity to schools and international houses of worship. Snowbirds and global buyers who want a second or third home that feels effortless value the ability to lock and leave for months, confident that the Four Seasons team can maintain their residence, coordinate vendors and manage every detail in their absence.
Aman Miami Beach is likely to skew toward buyers who are comfortable with pre completion timelines and who place extraordinary value on privacy and wellness. With so few residences, the building will function more like an Aman villa compound stacked vertically than a traditional tower, which may resonate with owners used to standalone estates in other resort markets. The ability to start the day with sunrise yoga, move through spa rituals and then drop into the cultural intensity of the Faena District at night will be a powerful blend for a very specific profile of owner.
For clients looking to deepen their connection to the Aman brand, there is an additional layer of perceived value in being early to its Miami story, especially when viewed alongside other initiatives in Florida such as Aman Palm Beach Residences. Taken together, these projects point to a long term commitment to the region that may support both lifestyle and capital appreciation over time.
FAQs
How do prices at The Surf Club Four Seasons Surfside compare with Aman Miami Beach?
Both are positioned at the absolute top of the Miami market. Specific pricing shifts with release phases, view corridors and residence size, but buyers should expect each to trade at a premium to even other branded beachfront product given their limited scale and hotel partners.
Which location is better for full time living, Surfside or the Faena District?
Surfside offers a quieter, more residential environment with daily conveniences close at hand, which many full time residents prefer. The Faena District is more oriented to culture, nightlife and events. It suits buyers who thrive on being in the middle of the action and are comfortable retreating into a highly private building when they want calm.
How family friendly are these properties?
Four Seasons brings deep experience in welcoming families, with kids' programming, family pools and services such as babysitting readily available. Aman is not anti family, but its atmosphere and programming tend to prioritize tranquil, adult focused spaces. For buyers with young children, Surfside may feel more intuitive.
What are the advantages of buying into a branded residence versus an independent building?
Branded residences like these offer professional management, consistent service standards and global marketing reach that can benefit both rental performance and resale demand. They also provide access to hotel style amenities that would be very difficult to replicate in a standalone residential tower, especially at this level.
How can I evaluate which of these ultra luxury options is right for me?
Work with an advisor who understands both properties, their current and future inventory and the nuances of each neighborhood. For highly confidential, portfolio level guidance on The Surf Club Four Seasons Surfside, Aman Miami Beach and comparable product along the coast, connect with MILLION Luxury, which focuses exclusively on South Florida's most discerning beachfront and urban residences.
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Million Luxury
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