Perfect Weekend in Miami Beach
Miami Beach is our Hamptons. It’s less than a three-hour flight from NYC, and with a lot of large upscale hotels, it can feel like Las Vegas by the sea, without the gambling. Many great chefs now have restaurants in Miami Beach. So if you’re looking for warmer weather or a quick beach getaway, Miami is perfect.
The Miami Beach Edition
Dream
We have stayed at many good hotels in Miami Beach, and new hotels are always popping up. It’s hard to pick a favorite as they all have their charms. We prefer the hotels on Collins Avenue because of their access to the boardwalk and beach. We also prefer a hotel where it’s easy to get a chair at the pool and/or at the beach. Based on our personal experience to date, here are our top five recommendations in order of preference:
W South Beach (Collins Avenue)
1 Hotel South Beach (Collins Avenue)
The Miami Beach Edition (Collins Avenue)
Four Seasons Champagne Bar
Dine
With new hotels popping up everywhere, so are new restaurants. Here are our current top choices for breakfast and dinner.
Breakfast/Brunch:
The Dutch at the W South Beach
Soho Beach House
Dinner:
The Surf Club Restaurant at the Four Seasons, Surfside
Champagne Bar at The Surf Club, Four Seasons, Surfside
Matador at the Miami Beach Edition
Bazaar, Jose Andres at the SLS South Beach
Prime 112, 112 Ocean Drive and Prime Italian across the street is very good too.
Casa Tua, 1700 James Avenue, ask for an outside table in the private garden.
Katsuya at the SLS South Beach
Ceconni’s in the Soho Beach House
Do
When we usually break to Miami it’s to get out of the cold and to be in the sun. So we spend most days by the pool or at the beach.
One of our other favorite activities is to run on the long wooden boardwalk sandwiched between the hotels on Collins Avenue on one side and the stunning white sand beach and turquoise water on the other. Miami also has a bike share program, if you prefer to cycle.
If you have shopping in mind, Lincoln Road is filled with high street shops and restaurants. Or for luxury shopping, head to the Design District (15-minute drive) or Bal Harbour (20-minute drive).
Also of note are some of the architectural highlights of the new and old hotels on Collins Avenue. In terms of the new, we are looking forward to exploring the new Faena Miami Beach Hotel and Casa Faena, both set within a huge area of new development known as the Faena District, running from 32nd Street to 36th Street on Collins.
As for the old, visit the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, next door to the Soho Beach House, and you may recognize aspects of the hotel exterior featured in the Miami Beach swimming pool sequence of the 1964 classic Bond movie Goldfinger. At the Miami Beach Edition, look for signage, swimming pool diving boards and other original features retained from the old Seville Hotel, as part of the historic preservation efforts in the area.