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The St. Regis brand has long been my favorite and the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort has long been my favorite in the portfolio. This resort is elegant, service is excellent, elite members are treated like royalty, and it’s a welcome reprieve from the chaos of Miami just a few miles South. I have stayed at this hotel many times since it opened in January 2012 on both paid rates and award stays. Every visit has been special and left us longing to return.
Anthony’s Take: The St. Regis Bal Harbour offers everything I want in a beach resort. It’s elegant, has a beautiful beach and pools, offers top-notch service, and is generous with upgrades as well as an amazing breakfast. I will definitely return in the future and can’t wait to once again relax in one of the hotel’s incredible suites.
Booking
I booked a Deluxe, Guest room, 1 King, Ocean View on an “Award Redemption” rate. I redeemed 206,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points for the two-night stay and applied a Nightly Upgrade Award (this cleared a few days before arriving). The nightly cash rate was $1,294 plus taxes and fees (and a $70 daily Resort Fee). Marriott did away with award charts a few years ago, but redemptions can be had for between 82,000 and 122,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points.
Transportation to/from the Hotel
We rented a car and drove to and from Miami International Airport (MIA) after we landed from our last trip to Italy. The 16.7-mile ride took around 34 minutes and was about the same amount of time to get back to the airport.
Location
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort is on the beach and a quick walk to many stores and restaurants. I like that there is a CVS and Starbucks just a few blocks away. The very high-end Bal Harbour Shops are directly across the street if you’re looking for luxury goods.
Check-in
We arrived at the hotel around 4:00 PM and were promptly checked in. The check-in desks are in the lobby down the hall from the entrance (across from the concierge). There was plenty of staff on hand to quickly assist guests. We were offered a choice of 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points or the breakfast buffet daily at Atlantikós. Take the breakfast. It’s amazing and normally costs $45 per person (which is also a bargain for the quality). I cannot say enough good things about this choice. We were upgraded in advance to an Imperial Suite. We did not need late checkout and had keys a moment later along with bottles of water.
We heard other guests offered Champagne, but we were only offered water.
There is a daily Resort Fee. It’s $70 plus tax and includes the following:
- Daily 3 hr Bicycle Rental for 2 guests
- Daily (2) 1 hr Morning Group Fitness Class for 2 guests
- Daily Beach Loungers for 2 guests and 1 Umbrella
- Daily Morning Beverage Station for 2 guests. Includes Coffee, Tea, and Power Juices
- Daily Afternoon Pool Beverages for 2 guests. Includes Punch Beverages (alcohol and non-alcohol) and other beverages
- Daily Enhanced High-speed internet access
We were also given vouchers for two welcome drinks.
The lobby is expansive. You enter through a covered valet area with some seating and tropical plants.
A huge front room greets you with gorgeous flowers and modern art.
There are a few seats here and lots more spread across the main lobby and bejeweled hallways.
You really feel like you’re inside of a diamond when walking through the lobby.
The main lobby where the check-in and concierge desks is sizable with seating, a cafe, and jewelry story.
We have been in the hotel around Christmas and I thought this deer was only holiday decor. Its out all year.
The elevators are on the slower side and have a bit of a learning curve. You swipe your room key and are assigned a specific elevator. Many guests seemed confused by this process.
The elevator lobby and hallways feel as fresh and clean as they always have been.
Imperial Suite (2211)
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort has 213 rooms including 64 suites.
The suite opens with a small foyer with a console table. I love the fish wallpaper.
A welcome treat was waiting on this table.
A second treat arrived the next day.
A laundry room was to the right. I like that this is available even though we did not use it during our two-night stay.
A large bathroom was also nearby. It held a vanity with a single sink, toilet, and glassed-in shower. We really didn’t use this bathroom, but it’s nice to have a second full one if staying in the suite with more than two people.
The toilet was well spaced.
The glassed-in shower was spacious, but not used by us.
Sodashi and SACHAJUAN brand toiletries and a bar of soap were on a shelf in the shower. Another bar of soap was next to the sink.
The residential-style was around the corner. It offered plenty of appliances, amenities, and space.
A microwave and range were included.
A Nespresso coffeemaker, coffee pods, bottled water, and condiments were on the counter.
Dishes were on a shelf above the counter.
A wine fridge was found in the island. Silverware was found in a drawer. There was also a dishwasher (not pictured).
The kitchen also included a full-sized refrigerator. It had many drinks for sale and lots of open space for guest use.
A dining table for four was near the island.
Another buffet table was near the dining area. It held various alcoholic beverages and snacks for sale.
The living area was across from the kitchen. It included a couch, several tables and chairs, and a TV.
This was one of two TVs included in the suite.
One of the two balconies was off of the living area. It held two comfortable loungers.
The bedroom was also huge with a sitting area, dressing area, and second balcony. The king-sized bed was extremely comfortable.
Another seating area was to the left with a second couch and table.
A chair was near the closet.
A TV and dresser lined another wall.
The second balcony held two more lounge chairs as well as a table for two.
I loved the view from this balcony.
A large dressing area filled the space between the bedroom and bathroom. Slippers, a scale, a luggage rack, and robes were found here.
A safe was located across in a cabinet.
Another luggage rack, an iron, and an ironing board were also here.
A dressing table and chair were on the opposite wall.
The bathroom is massive and well designed. It offered a vanity with two sinks, a large bathtub, a shower room, and a separate room for the toilet.
I loved having two sinks and so much counter space.
There were many more toiletries on the counter.
The tub was deep (we did not use it).
More Sodashi brand soap and body wash was found on the side of the tub.
I love when the toilet is spaced in its own room.
The glassed-in shower was spacious with good water pressure and temperature.
More toiletries were in the shower. Many hotels have stopped providing bar soap. This hotel offered tons.
Breakfast
Breakfast is offered in Atlantikós. It’s located one level below the lobby and near the pool. This Mediterranean restaurant really makes you feel like you’re in Greece. The food is excellent with tons of choices and it’s great to see that some of the servers have been there since the hotel opened in 2012.
The buffet is held in a separate room with lots of hot and cold options as well as a made-to-order omelette station.
Scrambled Eggs
Eggs Benedict
Breakfast Potatoes
Bacon
Chicken and Pork Sausage
Croquettes
Frittata
French Toast, Waffles, and Pancakes
Made-to-order omelette station
Oatmeal and toppings
Muffins and cereal
Pita and Tzatziki
Yogurt
Vegetables and salads
Smoked salmon and toppings
Cream cheese and parfaits
Meats and cheeses
Fresh fruit
Gluten-free bread, pastries, and a toaster from guest use
Bagels and breads
Greek specialties
Lots of fresh pastries and baked goods
Croissants
Pastries
Various nuts and grains
Juice
Public Areas & Amenities
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort has a beautiful lobby that holds a cafe, a jewelry store, a gallery, a retail store, and a bar. Other amenities include several other restaurants, two pools (the main one is pictured above), the beach, bikes for guest use, another retail store, a fitness center, and a spa.
The resort pool had lots of open chairs.
An adults-only pool is located up a stairwell from the main pool.
Towels, suntan lotion, water, and after-sun care were available near both pools and the beach.
The beach has attendants to set up umbrellas and chairs.
More suntan lotion was found here.
The St. Regis Bar and Wine Vault is off of the lobby.
We used our vouchers for cocktails here.
The spa is across from Atlantikós. We’ve used the facilities during past stays. Treatments are pricey.
More flowers outside of the spa.
Seating outside of the spa.
A retail store is next to the spa and pool. There is another boutique on the lobby level.
Bikes are outside for guest use.
The fitness center was a good size with lots of equipment.
I loved all of the art tucked around the hotel.
The gallery is near the main entrance if you feel like purchasing some art.
Overall Impression: The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort remains my favorite hotel in Florida as well as my favorite St. Regis. There was nothing that I would change about this stay other than the hefty Resort Fee.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
