We live here. We tan here. We tell the truth here.
bal-harbour.com is an independent guide to Bal Harbour, Florida — not the Village government, not a hotel group, not a content farm. Just locals with strong opinions about croissants and cabana spacing.
Who's behind this?
A small crew of Bal Harbour and Surfside locals who got tired of seeing our village described by listicles written from very far away. We walk the beach path most mornings, we know which valet line moves, and we've celebrated enough anniversaries on the mile to have opinions about every terrace on it.
We write as “we” because the guide is collective — every recommendation has at least two of us behind it, and the pickiest one writes the review.
Every restaurant on our list, we've paid for — at least twice. Every hotel review comes from nights we booked. No comped stays, no press rates, no 'collaborations.' If that ever changes, it'll say so in giant letters on the review.
Hotels can't buy a spot, a star, or a nicer adjective. The commission we earn is the same wherever you book — so the only thing that moves a hotel up our list is being better.
Every guide shows when it was last updated, and we sweep the big ones quarterly. If a place slips, it comes off the list — ask the two restaurants we've already removed.
How the site makes money
Three ways, all disclosed everywhere they appear. First: when you book a hotel through links on our hotel pages, the booking site pays us a commission — your price is identical either way. Second: some restaurant reservation links work the same way. Third: if you ask for a real-estate introduction and end up transacting, the agent pays us a referral fee — never you.
That's the whole model. No sponsored posts, no display-ad chum, no selling your email. It keeps the sunscreen stocked and the reviews honest.