Miami Hotels

Miami’s pristine Biscayne Bay and glistening Beachfront provide the perfect setting for the beach party lifestyle of Miami. Miami is the place to see, and be seen. Celebrities favour Miami Beach as the ultimate vacation destination, and why not when the city has some of the most amazing beachside luxury hotels and resorts in the US?

Relive the days of Miami Vice by strutting your stuff around the Art Deco District, and thank your lucky stars the old days of drug trafficking and prostitution are no longer Miami’s vice. These days it’s just an obsession with their basketball team, the Miami Heat, non-stop nightlife, beach bumming and too much coconut oil.

MIAMI’S TOP 10

MIAMI LOCAL

Miami is a popular setting for popular TV shows. But the real thing is so much better…

Art Deco District

All the buildings in South Beach’s aArt Deco District, are practically untouched from Miami’s glory days back in the roaring 1920s. Miami’s light-pink, orange and blue-pastel buildings make up the best collection of Art Deco architecture in the world. You can’t miss the Park Central Hotel or The Imperial on Ocean Drive, which are perfect example of the flamboyant Art Deco style. Watching the sun set just as Ocean Drive’s neon lights flicker on at twilight is a fantastic sight. Palm tree-lined promenades with bustling sidewalk cafés, restaurant and bars make this one of Miami’s most popular districts.

Little Havana
Home to Miami’s vibrant Cuban community, both Plaza de la Cubanidad and the Freedom Tower stand as spirited memorials to the Caribbean migrants, many of whom risked everything to make it from Cuba to Florida. The neighbourhood is alive with the strong wafts of Cuban coffee in the morning and Cuban cigars in the afternoon.

The streets are almost as colourful as the personalities you’ll find here. Go to the famous Domino Park on ‘Calle Ocho’ (8^th Street) to watch the locals play dominoes and get rowdy over the day’s politics (according to them, there’s nothing a strong cup of coffee can’t fix). Quaint art galleries and restaurants showcasing Cuban culture and food make coming to Little Havana feel like a holiday within a holiday.

Downtown Miami

This is the overarching commercial hub of Miami. There’s a whole lotta shopping to be done here. The famed Miami Jewelry Districtmight take your fancy, but for a bit more shopping variety, the Bayside Marketplace is where you’ll find some real treasures (with a much more agreeable price tag). Relax on the green at Lummus Park, which sits between the beach and café-lined promenade. It’s a great place to rest or dust off the sand before you hit Downtown Miami’s lively restaurant and bar scene.

Upper East Side

Miami’s Upper East Sideis the result of gradual gentrification through commercial development. You can almost taste the community’s excitement, as the dreams of wealth and prosperity are reassured with every new skyscraper that is erected. Upper East Side has some great views across to Key Biscayne, and on Biscayne Boulevard the Miami Modern (MiMO) District features some impressive modernist architecture. At the end of the road, an Organic Farmer’s Market is held every Saturday between 9am and 2pm. Stock up on some healthy supplies here, before having a picnic at Morningside Park and watching the sun set over Miami Bay.

Miami Beach
The beautiful people of Miami turn this seemingly endless stretch of white sand and azure sea into the ultimate sun lover’s playground. South Beach, or SoBe, is Miami’s most popular, thanks to the carefree spirit of the beachgoers (aka topless sunbakers).

Sunny Isles Beach is a 2.5-mile (4km) stretch of beachy heaven that practically begs you to laze around all day. But if you’re feeling more adventurous, you can rent a kayak or jet ski and hit the waves. The beachfront plays host to crowds of wannabe socialites and celebrities lining up outside fashionable restaurants and nightclubs, so don’t be surprised in your inbuilt phoney detector keeps going off.

MIAMI EAT & DRINK

Miami’s Latin and Caribbean cuisine sure knows how to bring the heat. Steakhouses remain true to both American and Latino flavours, and it’s recommended you sample as much quality steak and seafood as your body can handle. The fast-food chains and typical US diners don’t stand a chance next to these delectable recommendations:

MIAMI EVENTS

Miami Art Deco Weekend in January celebrates Art Deco with the ‘Light Up the Drive’ parade along Ocean Drive and the Arf Deco dog promenade (bad doggy pun apparently intended!).

The Original Miami Beach Antique Show has an interesting range of collectable goods, including historical artworks dating back to the 17^th Century and unique glassware. In early February, keen exhibitors and collectors are only too happy to show off their goods – much like the girls on South Beach.

The Miami International Boat Show is billed as ‘the greatest boat show in the world’. Well, they would say that, wouldn’t they? Anyway, during mid-February, Miami Bay plays host to speedboats, sailboats, yachts, fishing boats and hordes of boating enthusiasts.

If boats aren’t your bag, mid-February also sees the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. This outdoor arts fest is the perfect place to buy a quality souvenir in the form of watercolours, digital art or jewellery.

The Miami International Film Festival at the Tower Theatre dedicates the first week in March to screening 100 films from over 40 countries. The festival particularly prides itself on showcasing the best Spanish-speaking films.

Miami’s Calle Ocho Festival (Eighth Street Festival) is a raucous Carnaval-inspired street parade that’s said to be the biggest in the world. Every March, Little Havana’s streets erupt with Latino, reggae and salsa sounds and flavours. As Bob Marley would say, ‘Ya man!’

Urban Beach Week is Miami’s ultimate hip-hop beach party bonanza. South Beach’s Art Deco District hosts parties, fashion parades, and celebrity-sponsored promos. The event takes place on Memorial Day, in May.

The Goombay Festival is a vibrant celebration of Miami’s Caribbean population. Feel ‘da riddim’ of the Junkanoo dancers and the Royal Bahamas Police Band as they parade the streets of Coconut Grove in early June. And while you’re there, sample some delicious Caribbean food.

The Miami International Wine Fair is one of the largest wine festivals in the US. Sample some of the 1,500 wines on offer from around the world. Takes place in mid-October at the Miami Beach Convention Centre.

White Party Week in Miami is a weeklong fundraiser for HIV/Aids in support of Miami’s gay community. Wild (but safe) pool parties are held in clubs, and the Vizcaya Museum and Garden goes off! The White Party takes place in late-November.

WHAT TO MISS

• Liberty City has the largest African-American community in Miami, and racial tensions are sadly still rife here. Drive-by shootings are a common occurrence, as is gang-related crime.
• Overtown is a poverty-stricken ghetto that even the locals steer clear of. Its high crime rate doesn’t exactly entice visitors – and considering there aren’t many worthy attractions here, it’s best you give it a miss.
• Don’t let Opa Locka’s catchy name draw you in, because there’s a good chance you might not get out. OK, slight exaggeration, but it is a decidedly dodgy area that’s not worth leaving the beach for.

WHEN TO GO

Miami knows how to bring the heat, in more ways than one. Thanks to its proximity to the equator, it’s bikini and boardshorts weather pretty much all year round.

• Summer is from June to September, when temperatures average 32ºC (90ºF).
• The winter average is a reasonable 23ºC (75ºF), although it drops markedly at night.
• Expect rain and thunderstorms between June and November.

GETTING AROUND

South Beach Local Bus Service is geared toward visitors, so it’s easy to use and the bus stops are easy to spot. The buses are air-conditioned, clean, safe and cheap. The Metrobus service will take you around Miami Beach, Downtown and everywhere else.

The Miami Metrorail, known simply as the ‘Metro’, is another cheap and fast way to explore Miami. There are a number of Metrorail stations in Downtown Miami that can get you to the historic towns of Coconut Grove and Vizcaya.

It might sound obvious, but the best way to get around is on foot. All the main districts are connected by sweeping esplanades and pedestrian malls, and walking means you won’t miss out on the hidden art galleries, shopping malls and café arcades.

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