Acqualina Resort & Residences](https://www.acqualinaresort.com) in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, has been named the #1 Best Destination Resort in the United States in USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for 2026 — the sixth time the ultra-luxury property has claimed the top position. Winners were determined by popular vote from a shortlist of 20 nominees curated by a panel of travel experts working alongside USA Today's 10Best editors.
"Six times now, and each one still feels like the first," said Deborah Yager Fleming, CEO and Partner. "I am proud of General Manager Jeff Giasson and our entire team for the consistency and heart they bring to this property every single day."
Dining & Wellness Upgrades
The recognition arrives on the heels of a milestone 20th anniversary celebrated in May 2026, during which Acqualina rolled out a series of upgrades across dining, wellness, and accommodations. Most notable for hospitality operators is the full redesign of Il Mulino New York, the resort's oceanfront Italian restaurant. The reimagined space features sculptural banquettes, a dramatic new bar, and curated artwork, paired with a refreshed, seasonally driven menu — a playbook increasingly common among luxury resort F&B programs looking to deepen local and guest engagement through elevated dining experiences.
On the wellness side, Acqualina Spa introduced exclusive Seed to Skin Tuscany treatments through a deepened partnership with the Italian skincare brand, and added a cold plunge experience inside its 20,000-square-foot oceanfront facility. The spa now holds the Forbes Five-Star Award for the 14th consecutive year, alongside the hotel itself, while the property has maintained the AAA Five Diamond Award for 16 consecutive years — a dual streak that remains rare in the U.S. luxury hospitality market.
What It Means for Operators
For resort and hotel food-and-beverage directors, Acqualina's continued dominance illustrates how consistently investing in on-property dining and spa programming can anchor guest loyalty and drive award recognition. The resort's multi-outlet dining portfolio — spanning Il Mulino New York, the alfresco Costa Grill, Japanese concept Ke-uH, and Avra Miami — positions F&B as a central pillar of the guest experience rather than an ancillary amenity. That strategy aligns with broader hospitality industry trends showing that destination resorts with strong culinary identities outperform peers in repeat visitation and media visibility.
The property also introduced a One-Bedroom Oceanfront Villa Suite this anniversary year, offering nearly 2,800 square feet of indoor-outdoor living space with a fully equipped gourmet kitchen featuring Miele appliances — a residential-style feature increasingly sought by extended-stay and multi-generational travel groups. Current promotional packages, valid through late 2026, bundle dining credits, spa access, and children's programming to boost ancillary revenue across all departments.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
