Location On the banks of the Miami river and over the bridge from the financial district is Marriott’s new crown jewel. The ‘JW’ signature is reserved for select properties in key cities and resorts; the ‘Marquis’ designation indicates the highest levels of comfort. And on floors 38-40 of the JW Marriott Marquis, the first to carry both imprimaturs, you’ll find the Beaux Arts. This new hotel-within-a-hotel is 15 minutes from the airport, the same distance from the convention centre and a world away from what was until recently a seedy waterfront area at its feet.

Style Once you’ve been elevated away from the cavernous lobby on the ground floor to your own check-in lounge on the 39th, you’re bathed in upscale Zen. With access to all the Marriott amenities, Beaux Arts guests have the best of both worlds: lower level floors of cosmopolitan buzz and a relaxed eyrie in which to luxuriate. Don’t be surprised to bump into sports stars; downstairs is the only NBA-approved basketball court outside the professional circuit. From the hi-tech bowling alley and golf simulators to the spa rooms and the restaurant, run by French celebrity chef Daniel Boulud, everything is top-of-the line. The private cinema even shows films in 3D.

Guestrooms The 44 guestrooms and suites are so kitted out in deluxe accoutrements – the Bang & Olufsen in-room entertainment systems, the illy red espresso machines, the customised iPads – that these rooms now show up in showreels for many of these brands. The touch-control drapery and TV screen in the bathroom mirror may smack of indulgence, but the two-way accessible closets and sliding mini-bar drawers are genius.

Can I work here? Free high-speed Wi-fiis always welcome, as is an in-room phone system whose mobile handset can be carried anywhere in the hotel. Conference and business reception needs are more than taken care of here: this Marriott offers more than 7,000m2 of flexible space, including the largest ballroom in downtown Miami. In fact, the street-level bar area has already become an after-hours fixture for the local business community.