There are places you visit, and then there are places that shift something inside of you. The Carillon Hotel in Miami Beach is the latter. While there are many standout wellness retreats in Florida, this hotel delivers. Perched on the quieter, more refined stretch of Mid Beach in Miami Beach, it offers a kind of serenity that’s increasingly rare in Miami. Far from the clamor and late-night noise of South Beach, here you’re greeted by the gentle hush of waves, wide walkable beachside paths, and an atmosphere of calm that seems to settle in your bones before you even unpack.
I arrived needing a reset. Like many of us navigating busy lives, my tank was low. Stress had found its way into my shoulders, my digestion, my general sense of clarity. I came looking for a break. What I got was a full body upgrade.
From Golden Age Icon to Modern Wellness Temple
What’s extraordinary about the Carillon isn’t just what it offers now—it’s the layers of history it carries with grace. Opened in 1958, the original Carillon was one of Miami Beach’s iconic resorts, all glamour and glossy optimism. Think post-war America, Art Deco elegance, and an era where poolside cocktails and starlit dancing were the currency of joy. You can still feel that lineage.
The hotel’s original mosaic façade remains, nodding to its mid-century past. But step inside today, and you enter a future-facing wellness sanctuary, where longevity science meets emotional restoration, and high-tech healing lives in harmony with ancient practices.
The Sleep Well Circuit: Where Rest Is Reimagined
One of the first wellness experiences I tried was the Sleep Well circuit—a touchless, multi-step journey through sound, vibration, light, and deeply restorative stillness. As someone who is a sleep enthusiast, I was curious how to level up my game.
I started with VEMI therapy—a combination of vibroacoustic, electromagnetic, and infrared treatments that calmed me more deeply than any nap or meditation app ever has. Then came the salt float bath, where I slipped into warm magnesium-rich waters that made my muscles sigh with relief and my mind quiet completely.
By the time I moved through the BioCharger, Welnamis sound bed, and Somadome meditation pod, I wasn’t just relaxed—I felt like I had been reprogrammed at the cellular level. That night, I slept deeply. Not just more hours, but better ones—uninterrupted, unburdened, whole. The BioCharger was my favorite. It is hard to describe, but it seems akin to a large Tesla coil. My phone and electronics need to leave the room, and I was cautioned not to touch the device or anything electrical in the room. The effect was as advertised; I felt my body had been charged with new energy. Super trippy, and definitely something you want to check out here.Â
Detox & Weight Management: A High-Tech Reboot
The next day brought the Detoxification & Optimal Weight Management Circuit. This lineup was equally touchless, yet invigorating in a completely different way. I started with Whole Body Cryotherapy, which sounds extreme (and is, in the best way). A few minutes in subzero temps left me buzzing with endorphins and alertness. I have done cryo in the past and am familiar with cold plunges, so I did this one on the pro level. It was the coldest cryo I have ever felt. It may have been that we were in Miami and the temperature extremes felt more prominent, who knows, but it worked. Luckily, the next stop was Halotherapy and Infrared Sauna, which was 20 minutes in a salt air-infused infrared sauna and immediately warmed me back up.
Then came Neo Light Therapy and another round in the BioCharger. Each treatment seemed to layer onto the next—cleansing, rebalancing, energizing. Even the Power Plate, which uses vibration to tone muscles and enhance flexibility, was surprisingly effective when coupled with the instruction my guide was giving me.
I didn’t feel like I was working out. I felt like I was being tuned up.
The next day, I went for a classic facial. I am not an expert at discerning good facials from subpar ones, but this one felt great. I can understand why someone would do them regularly. My skin was glowy, which I appreciated, but, maybe even more so, I appreciated the timelessness of skilled human touch.
Mid Beach: The Calm Between Extremes
As I mentioned at the top, location matters. One of the unsung luxuries of staying at the Carillon is that it’s situated in Mid Beach in Miami Beach, which—unlike the scene-heavy South Beach—feels more tranquil, more refined, and far less chaotic.
It’s the kind of place where mornings begin with an oh-so-pleasant early morning Atlantic Ocean swim. (Although the locals thought the 75-degree water was freezing, I thought it was incredible.) The hotel also offers oceanfront yoga, and there is plenty of quiet beach to stroll (no last night’s party spilling into daylight). You can breathe here. Think peaceful mornings, restorative afternoons, and no need to navigate a hangover crowd at brunch. It’s an environment that encourages you to slow down, take stock, and marvel at the wonders of what it means to be alive.
Elevated Dining & Genuinely Warm Service
Of course, all the wellness in the world wouldn’t mean much if the basics weren’t covered beautifully—and at the Carillon, they are. I found the food to be exceptional—nutrient-rich without being preachy, beautifully plated, full of flavor, and, for Miami Beach, a value. Whether it was a solid breakfast after my morning swim or a nourishing dinner at the end of a treatment-filled day, the cuisine walked that rare line between intentional and indulgent.
And the service? Outstanding. The staff were not only professional and attentive, they were also warm. Genuinely warm. The kind of people who remember your name, offer thoughtful suggestions, and make you feel like you’re not just visiting a hotel. You’re truly cared for here. This type of human connection matters, especially in a space so focused on healing.
Aging Optimistically: Reinvention Done Right
The Carillon is aging the way many of us hope to: with wisdom, elegance, and a refusal to accept decline as inevitable. It’s not about chasing youth—it’s about embracing vitality at every age.
There’s a certain poetry in its evolution. Once a hub for poolside glamour, it has become a center of integrative wellness, blending Eastern and Western modalities in a way that feels intelligent and personalized. It mirrors the lives of so many guests who’ve traded endless ambition for intentionality, urgency for presence.
In a world obsessed with productivity, the Carillon quietly teaches you that rest is productive, stillness is powerful, and healing is available, if you choose to make space for it.
A Final Note from a Fellow Traveler
If you’re…
- Burned out from overwork and overstimulation
- Craving better sleep, deeper energy, or a mental reset
- Curious about longevity science but tired of the hype
- Looking for real serenity, not just scenic selfies
- Need a break and want some classic pampering in the sun
…the Carillon is your place.
This isn’t a party hotel. It’s a wellness-forward, soul-aware, design-smart escape that gives you back to yourself. You come as you are—but you leave, as they say, as you’ve never been.
And honestly? That’s the best kind of souvenir.
