Kiwi Curated
Where City Meets Beach
by Monika MarkovinovicFries or salad, cats or dogs, Ryan Gosling or Ryan Reynolds—it’s hard picking and choosing. When planning getaways, it’s always a toss up between beach or city, but some destinations let you have it all. Offering the best of both worlds, these are the very best urban beaches around the world.
Where City Meets Beach
Hollywood may have the Walk of Fame, but Los Angeles’ most notorious stars are its beaches. While Venice has the cool factor, and Malibu is a little quieter, it’s Santa Monica that brings the heat. With the world-famous pier and plenty of cafes and juice bars, Santa Monica is 3.5 miles of soft, sandy beach. The best of California’s beach vibes can be found at Hotel Casa del Mar, home to Mediterranean-inspired villas, a picture-perfect oceanside pool and plenty of views of the beach.
VIEW HOTELWhere City Meets Beach
Which way to the beach? For guests at Faena Hotel Miami Beach, there’s a clear sign—an enormous 24-karat-gold mammoth, which is the perfect entrance for Miami Beach, wouldn’t you agree? A wonderland of exuberant color and endless sunshine, this Art Deco retreat brings the Caribbean heat to its exclusive beach. Signature candy-striped umbrellas are perfectly placed along 100,000 square feet of pristine sugar-white sand and dedicated Beach Butlers are at your service. Sunbathe now, hit Collins Avenue later.
VIEW HOTELWhere City Meets Beach
Mexico has more than 5,800 miles of coastline, with Cancun owning some of the best. Sitting on 250 meters of private beachfront and featuring a private beach club, SLS Cancun is the place to enjoy turquoise waters in the city. While the tropical retreat may have a Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course and 16 cinemas, the Bungalow Beach Club, dressed with chic daybeds and refreshing cocktails makes it hard to leave the sands for anything else.
VIEW HOTELWhere City Meets Beach
A beach so iconic it’s in the name. Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana is perfectly situated on that world-famous beach. Capturing the essence of 1950s glamour, guests are invited to take in the Marvelous City’s most dazzling beach (equipped with beautiful people and sizzling heat) right from this urban oasis. While the Mediterranean may inspire its beach club Tropik, it’s all Brazilian vibes within thanks to live performances, nightly DJ sets and endless views of the Atlantic. If one beach wasn’t enough, there’s another—the property is steps away from Ipanema Beach, which many consider Rio’s crown jewel.
VIEW HOTELWhere City Meets Beach
A famous bridge. A famous opera house. A famous zoo. Sydney has it all. But perhaps most famous of them all is Bondi Beach, where world-class surfers dazzle crowds and Sydneysiders swim in the Icebergs ocean pool year-round. Laid-back cafes line the street and the Coogee Coastal Walk provides endless views of sweeping golden sands and Pacific waters. The place to be near all the famous sights is Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney, where all 563 guest rooms and suites offer breathtaking, panoramic views of the sun, sea, sky and city. Plus, you’re just a ferry ride away from Sydney’s other world-class beach, Manly.
VIEW HOTELWhere City Meets Beach
Picture yourself strolling through a museum taking in the works of Pablo Picasso one moment and then diving into the Mediterranean Sea the next. That dream is a reality in Barcelona. One of the city’s oldest and best-loved beaches, Barceloneta Beach is packed with cold cervezas and tapas joints. If looking for the best place to watch the super yachts float by, it’s Hotel Arts Barcelona. Supremely positioned and towering 44 floors above the sea, this urban retreat features a rooftop spa, two outdoor pools and skyline views of all of Barcelona’s iconic buildings, including the Sagrada Familia.
VIEW HOTELWhere City Meets Beach
Imagine a place where mountains soar above and the waters are full of sea lions and orcas. It may not seem real, but it is. Vancouver is really a beach city. Thanks to the Seawall, the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path at 28 km, you can hit all the city’s best urban beaches in a day. This includes Sunset Beach, where massive tree logs sitting in the sand play the role of beach chair. Just five minutes away from the Seawall is OPUS Vancouver, a boutique lifestyle hotel with vibrant color palettes and a neighborhood pizzeria serving up 36-hour-fermented sourdough pizza—ideal for post-beach eats.
VIEW HOTELWhere City Meets Beach
With its gentle curve of white sand and clear water, Busan’s Haeundae Beach has tourists and locals alike flocking to its shores. Lucky for those staying at the serene SIGNIEL Busan, every room has a balcony with views of the endless blue. But if nature is more your thing, you can always scope out the beach from the property’s infinity pool. Fill bellies at Chaoran, where a Michelin-star chef prepares dim sum and cocktails in the evening, before heading back down to Haeundae where fireworks, music and the glistening sunset make for a perfect evening.
VIEW HOTELWhere City Meets Beach
With over 300 days of sunshine a year, life’s a beach in Tel Aviv. Famed for its Mediterranean shores, take it all in from The David Kempinski Tel Aviv. Perched in the center of the world-renowned Tel Aviv Promenade, this minimalist oasis is the place to be and be seen, boasting sumptuous rooms and suites, a whiskey and cigar bar, a swimming pool and a luxurious spa. And located just across the street from the hotel is beloved Jerusalem Beach. These shores have gained recognition as the “matkot beach,” matkot being an Israeli-invented game played with two ping-pong-like wooden paddles and a little ball. Either join in for a heated match, relax under the sun or cool off in the sea.
VIEW HOTELWhere City Meets Beach
Dubai is home to a lot of show-stopping spectacles: the Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall and plenty of glorious beaches. Recently named the world’s best coastal city, the skyscraper emirate is the ultimate combination of city and beach. In the city, you’ll find world-class hideaways like SLS Dubai, home to two magnificent infinity pools situated atop the 75-story tower offering an incomparable 360-degree aspect of Dubai. The pools aren’t only some of the highest in the city, but globally. And on the other hand, you’ll find perfectly manicured beaches like Kite Beach, an open stretch of soft white sand near the Downtown District.
VIEW HOTELHollywood may have the Walk of Fame, but Los Angeles’ most notorious stars are its beaches. While Venice has the cool factor, and Malibu is a little quieter, it’s Santa Monica that brings the heat. With the world-famous pier and plenty of cafes and juice bars, Santa Monica is 3.5 miles of soft, sandy beach. The best of California’s beach vibes can be found at Hotel Casa del Mar, home to Mediterranean-inspired villas, a picture-perfect oceanside pool and plenty of views of the beach.
VIEW HOTELWhich way to the beach? For guests at Faena Hotel Miami Beach, there’s a clear sign—an enormous 24-karat-gold mammoth, which is the perfect entrance for Miami Beach, wouldn’t you agree? A wonderland of exuberant color and endless sunshine, this Art Deco retreat brings the Caribbean heat to its exclusive beach. Signature candy-striped umbrellas are perfectly placed along 100,000 square feet of pristine sugar-white sand and dedicated Beach Butlers are at your service. Sunbathe now, hit Collins Avenue later.
VIEW HOTELMexico has more than 5,800 miles of coastline, with Cancun owning some of the best. Sitting on 250 meters of private beachfront and featuring a private beach club, SLS Cancun is the place to enjoy turquoise waters in the city. While the tropical retreat may have a Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course and 16 cinemas, the Bungalow Beach Club, dressed with chic daybeds and refreshing cocktails makes it hard to leave the sands for anything else.
VIEW HOTELA beach so iconic it’s in the name. Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana is perfectly situated on that world-famous beach. Capturing the essence of 1950s glamour, guests are invited to take in the Marvelous City’s most dazzling beach (equipped with beautiful people and sizzling heat) right from this urban oasis. While the Mediterranean may inspire its beach club Tropik, it’s all Brazilian vibes within thanks to live performances, nightly DJ sets and endless views of the Atlantic. If one beach wasn’t enough, there’s another—the property is steps away from Ipanema Beach, which many consider Rio’s crown jewel.
VIEW HOTELA famous bridge. A famous opera house. A famous zoo. Sydney has it all. But perhaps most famous of them all is Bondi Beach, where world-class surfers dazzle crowds and Sydneysiders swim in the Icebergs ocean pool year-round. Laid-back cafes line the street and the Coogee Coastal Walk provides endless views of sweeping golden sands and Pacific waters. The place to be near all the famous sights is Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney, where all 563 guest rooms and suites offer breathtaking, panoramic views of the sun, sea, sky and city. Plus, you’re just a ferry ride away from Sydney’s other world-class beach, Manly.
VIEW HOTELPicture yourself strolling through a museum taking in the works of Pablo Picasso one moment and then diving into the Mediterranean Sea the next. That dream is a reality in Barcelona. One of the city’s oldest and best-loved beaches, Barceloneta Beach is packed with cold cervezas and tapas joints. If looking for the best place to watch the super yachts float by, it’s Hotel Arts Barcelona. Supremely positioned and towering 44 floors above the sea, this urban retreat features a rooftop spa, two outdoor pools and skyline views of all of Barcelona’s iconic buildings, including the Sagrada Familia.
VIEW HOTELImagine a place where mountains soar above and the waters are full of sea lions and orcas. It may not seem real, but it is. Vancouver is really a beach city. Thanks to the Seawall, the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path at 28 km, you can hit all the city’s best urban beaches in a day. This includes Sunset Beach, where massive tree logs sitting in the sand play the role of beach chair. Just five minutes away from the Seawall is OPUS Vancouver, a boutique lifestyle hotel with vibrant color palettes and a neighborhood pizzeria serving up 36-hour-fermented sourdough pizza—ideal for post-beach eats.
VIEW HOTELWith its gentle curve of white sand and clear water, Busan’s Haeundae Beach has tourists and locals alike flocking to its shores. Lucky for those staying at the serene SIGNIEL Busan, every room has a balcony with views of the endless blue. But if nature is more your thing, you can always scope out the beach from the property’s infinity pool. Fill bellies at Chaoran, where a Michelin-star chef prepares dim sum and cocktails in the evening, before heading back down to Haeundae where fireworks, music and the glistening sunset make for a perfect evening.
VIEW HOTELWith over 300 days of sunshine a year, life’s a beach in Tel Aviv. Famed for its Mediterranean shores, take it all in from The David Kempinski Tel Aviv. Perched in the center of the world-renowned Tel Aviv Promenade, this minimalist oasis is the place to be and be seen, boasting sumptuous rooms and suites, a whiskey and cigar bar, a swimming pool and a luxurious spa. And located just across the street from the hotel is beloved Jerusalem Beach. These shores have gained recognition as the “matkot beach,” matkot being an Israeli-invented game played with two ping-pong-like wooden paddles and a little ball. Either join in for a heated match, relax under the sun or cool off in the sea.
VIEW HOTELDubai is home to a lot of show-stopping spectacles: the Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall and plenty of glorious beaches. Recently named the world’s best coastal city, the skyscraper emirate is the ultimate combination of city and beach. In the city, you’ll find world-class hideaways like SLS Dubai, home to two magnificent infinity pools situated atop the 75-story tower offering an incomparable 360-degree aspect of Dubai. The pools aren’t only some of the highest in the city, but globally. And on the other hand, you’ll find perfectly manicured beaches like Kite Beach, an open stretch of soft white sand near the Downtown District.
VIEW HOTEL