An Atlantic-facing room, afternoons at Esencia Wellness Spa, and dinner downstairs. Angie Myers checks in for a Miami Beach weekend with very little on the agenda.
I spend enough time organizing projects and travel that a weekend without much to organize has its own appeal. For this staycation, my priorities were simple: an ocean view, time at the spa, and a good dinner within walking distance of my room.
Nobu Hotel Miami Beach covered all three.
The hotel’s Japanese-inspired interiors offered a change of pace from my usual routine. But the biggest attraction was how little planning the stay required. With the beach, spa, pools, and Nobu restaurant on the property, I could settle in rather than spend the weekend deciding where to go next.
Waking Up to the Ocean
My oceanfront room was one of my favorite parts of the stay. Waking up to the Atlantic gave me a reason to linger before getting on with the day—which, for once, wasn’t particularly urgent.
Warm natural tones and Japanese-inspired details kept the room understated. With that much blue outside the window, the interior didn’t need to compete for attention.
A Spa Worth Planning a Trip Around
If there's one reason I would return to Nobu Hotel Miami Beach again and again, it's the spa.
Esencia Wellness occupies a 22,000-square-foot spa and fitness facility shared with Eden Roc, the resort property that houses Nobu Hotel Miami Beach. Its offerings include massages, facials, body treatments, and Nobu signature therapies.
What stood out to me were the facilities themselves: the sauna, steam room, whirlpool, cold plunge, and spaces to sit quietly between them. Having time to enjoy those areas made the spa a substantial part of the stay, rather than another appointment to fit into it.
Check current access arrangements when booking, particularly if you’re visiting for the day rather than staying overnight.
Nobu Restaurant, Right Downstairs
Having Nobu Miami on the property makes the evening pleasantly straightforward. After an afternoon at the spa, dinner requires getting dressed and heading downstairs.
The internationally celebrated restaurant by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa is known for its Japanese-Peruvian-inspired cuisine, including signature dishes such as Black Cod Miso, Yellowtail Sashimi, and Rock Shrimp Tempura.
A restaurant reservation is still worth arranging ahead. Staying upstairs saves the journey across town; it doesn’t automatically secure a table.
For other meals, Ocean Social offers oceanfront dining, while Café Inez provides coffee and casual refreshments. Poolside service fills in the hours when changing out of a swimsuit feels unnecessarily ambitious.
A Mid-Beach Base
The Collins Avenue location puts Nobu in Mid-Beach, north of South Beach’s busiest stretches. Restaurants, shopping, and nightlife remain within reach when you want them.
For this trip, I was more interested in what was right outside. Guests have beach access and four pools across the property, including a Nobu-exclusive adults-only pool.
That suited the weekend I wanted: enough options to keep things interesting, without needing an itinerary.
What I appreciated most was having so few decisions to make. The oceanfront room, spa, and dining gave the weekend enough variety without turning it into another schedule.
I’d return for that combination. And next time, I’d be just as comfortable leaving most of the itinerary blank.
Discover more at Nobu Hotel Miami Beach.
Photos by Angie Myers & Jasmine Tosh.