The long-awaited opening of Rosewood Hotel's first resort in the continental U.S. happened in mid-May with the debut of Acqualina, a 97-room luxury condo hotel in Sunny Isles, FL, north of Miami.

The 52-story Mediterranean-styled property also has 188 private residences, all of which sold before the hotel opened. The resort is all about luxury. The smallest of its 54 rooms and 43 suites is 700 square feet, and all units have views of either the ocean or Intracoastal Waterway.

In addition to a 400-foot beach and three pools, the resort has the first U.S. spa from ESPA, a high-end spa operator based in the United Kingdom. Another highlight is a branch of Il Mulino, a New York City Italian eatery.

For all of its luxury, the resort is very family-oriented, offering a variety of kid, family and multi-generational recreation facilities and programs. Its marine biology-based children's program, AcquaMarine, focuses on the ocean and combines education, exercise and fun. Facets of the program range from reef snorkeling and kayaking to boating and fishing safety games and wave-making arts and crafts.

Veteran resort executive David Kurland is Acqualina's managing director. Before joining Rosewood, he was president and managing partner of The Water Club in San Juan, PR and before that managing director of the El San Juan Hotel, also in San Juan.