Want to stay in a hotel at the Miami airport? 360-degree views and hot tubs are coming
Sure, there’s a bunch of hotels that ring the Miami airport. But what about at the airport?
For decades, there has been only one hotel at Miami International. That will change in the next few years.
Plans are in the works for a luxury Westin hotel to open at MIA in 2027.
Here’s what we know so far:
Location: The hotel will be connected through a pedestrian bridge to MIA’s North Terminal, Concourse D, the hub for American Airlines.
Well-being: “Wellness will be the foundation” of the new MIA Westin hotel, the developers told the Miami Herald in an email last week. They said the hotel is “drawing inspiration” from Marriott International’s wellnessfocused Westin brand and “the nature of healthy living in Miami.”
And just like other Westin hotels, the new MIA hotel will focus on Westin’s six pillars of well-being:
The hotel will have 450 rooms and is expected to offer a variety of amenities, according to county documents and developers. Room rates are to be determined.
A rooftop restaurant,
lounge and bar with an outdoor terrace offering a 360-degree view of downtown Miami, the coastline and the airport runways. Aviation aficionados can watch planes land and take off at MIA while eating and drinking. The hotel says it will offer a “curated dining” experience to promote healthy living and wellness and will also have a lobby bar, lounge and terrace.
An expansive outdoor “oasis lawn” pool deck
with swimming pools, hot tubs, event spaces, and sun-lounging chairs nestled in “grassy planted nooks” meant to give travelers a “jungle-like reprieve from stressful travel.”
Over 30,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space for business meetings, retreats and events.
“Day suites” with lounging space, room service and access to the lawn for people who want to stay in the hotel for a few hours.
Guestrooms that “emphasize mindfulness.”
Fitness studios that incorporate natural daylight. The hotel will also have a spa offering an “expansive” set of services.
Valet parking. Up to 200 parking spaces could be made exclusively available for the hotel, including for valet, according to the lease agreement, which the Miami Herald obtained through a public-records request. Parking spaces could be in the Dolphin and Flamingo garages, as well as at other nearby parking options.
Revenue: Miami-Dade County is expecting to get $240 million in revenue under the 50-year lease with FDR Miami Hotel, LLC, for the new airport hotel. The projected revenue is based on rent payments to the county by
FDR. However, the county says its revenue “may be substantially higher” after the hotel opens.
In 2023, the Miami-Dade County Commission, which oversees the airport, unanimously awarded FDR the contract to build and operate the hotel. FDR is a joint venture of Miamibased Fontainebleau Development LLC led by Jeffrey Soffer and The Related Companies, which is chaired by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and headquartered in New
York.
Other options: For travelers who want to stay near MIA, other options include popular hotel chains Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt. But until the Westin opens, the only hotel that connects directly to the airport is the Miami International Airport Hotel, which was built more than 60 years ago.
The MIA hotel is on the second floor of Concourse E by Door 11, accepts pets, has parking and offers day-use rooms.