PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

Located on an exclusive island just off Miami Beach, this hotel is a luxurious cross between Fantasy Island, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and Survivor. But you will not be roughing it on this island, which serves as a retreat for those with enough money to afford it, including the likes of Luciano Pavarotti and Oprah Winfrey (who sold her multimillion-dollar condo here in favor of a multi-, multimillion manse in Santa Barbara).

To get to the resort, visitors and residents take a private ferry, which shuttles guests to and from the mainland every 15 to 20 minutes. It can be somewhat of a hassle -- especially if you need to make a quick return to the island -- but it does run on a very regular schedule. Be forewarned that the ferry lets residents on first, so if there's no room after all the Rolls Royces and Ferraris roll on, you're outta luck and will have to wait for the next one. Don't worry if you are carless -- on this exclusive island, golf carts will get you anywhere you need to go.

As for location, you're only minutes from the airport, South Beach, Coral Gables, and Coconut Grove (not counting ferry time). Still, considering the pampering you'll receive in this former Vanderbilt mansion turned resort extraordinaire, you probably won't want to leave the seclusion of the island for the frenetic city. Rooms vary in size and shape, and cottages come with hot tubs. A world-class spa and club offer all the amenities you could imagine. And you definitely won't go hungry: The elegant Vanderbilt Club offers Continental cuisine; the Beach Club and Golfer's Grill serve basic but expensive sandwiches and salads; an Italian cafe prepares good pizza and pastas; and a gourmet general store sells everything else. On top of it all, enjoy mixing and mingling with some of the most offbeat millionaires in the world -- you know, the kind who tug their Gucci-clad pooches around in their Rolls Royce golf carts.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's South Florida including Miami and Keys, 5th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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