Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has opened a spa, designed by French interior architect Joseph Dirand, at its historic South Florida retreat, The Surf Club. Located within the 77-bedroom resort, the 15,000 sq ft (1,400sq m) spa is Dirand's first in the United States.

The spa houses eight treatment rooms – including two treatment cabanas – a steamroom, sauna and a mixed traditional hammam, as well as a relaxation room and tea lounge.

According to Dirand, the design of the spa pays tribute to the legendary Surf Club, which dates back to the 1930s and is famous as a getaway for the rich and powerful – from Frank Sinatra to Winston Churchill.

“The sun and ocean were the greatest inspiration for design,” a spokesperson for Four Seasons said, describing the spa. “Dirand has introduced a contemporary feel with fresh, light-filled spaces that draw their mood from all that lies just outside the ocean-facing windows.

“The space gives a true sense of place by the shoreline with sun-bleached wood wall panelling, rattan-covered cabinetry, and white wooden shutters enclosing private areas. Meanwhile, white marble imported from Greece, touches of brass and the two Spa Cabanas nod to The Surf Club’s celebrated history.”

Led by spa director Cassandra Forrest, the spa will offer treatments based on natural ingredients, including an aloe and cucumber mask and a cooling watermelon skin infusion. European-trained experts have worked alongside aestheticians providing advanced skincare regimes and exclusive Surf Club facials and body treatments, as well as acupuncture, aromatherapy and neuromuscular massage. The spa also includes a special edition Gharieni MO1 table with marble base.

The opening of the spa is part of a wider redevelopment of the Surf Club, designed by architect Richard Meier and Dirand. Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club is situated in a private enclave minutes from Bal Harbour shops and Miami Beach. Don Genders of Design for Leisure provided consultation services for the spa.