How to Spend 24 Hours in Miami Beach
There’s something about escaping to a brighter, warmer destination if only for a few days, that can truly change your mood and make the final stretch of winter a little more bearable. If you are looking for just that boost, consider jetting down to the coastal hotspot known as Miami Beach.
Miami Beach is well known as a city of hedonism - the parties are non-stop, the people are beautiful, the cash flows freely and so does the alcohol. At first glance it can be ostentatious, overwhelming and theatrical - on second glance, you will fall in love. Miami Beach is a pulsing, vibrant city with oodles of culture, history, and art intersecting. The Cuban-Spanish influence and Art Deco history are evident as you meander down the boardwalk or around the pastel hotel-lined Collins Avenue.
What I loved most about Miami is its unapologetic and total commitment to pleasure, something I think we all deserve to indulge in occasionally. If indulging is on your to-do list, check out this guide featuring a few of Miami Beach’s most pleasure-inducing spots.
First off - where to check in. There is no shortage of luxury hotels in Miami Beach, but if you are looking for something that won’t break the bank albeit just as adorable, check out the trendy hostel Freehand Miami. The vibe is very bohemian, with a gorgeous pool and Instagram-worthy nooks all over. Looking for a more mid-range spot to slumber? Casa Faena, the sister hotel to the Faena (designed by director Baz Luhrmann and designer Catherine Martin), is a lovely Spaniard-inspired spot and located at the epicentre of Faena District.
Night one, take a walk down Collins Avenue to see all the buzzing neon and Art Deco history Miami Beach has to offer. If you get a chance, pop into the Delano - it is definitely one of the coolest lobbies you will ever see. Picture a Celine Dion music video meets boudoir photo shoot with crystal pianos and billowing white curtains setting the scene. In fact, Taylor Swift just shot ‘End Game’ at the Delano. If you’re feeling a bit peckish after your journey, grab a cerveza and a couple tacos at the open air taco pit, Taquiza, while soaking in the warm ocean air. For the record, the grilled corn is out-of-this-world delicious.
I don’t know about you, but one of my favourite things in the world is an old-school lobby bar. The romance and mystery, the weight of history and timelessness of sharing secrets over cocktails - if walls could talk, you’d want to hear what The Raleigh had to say. No other place has given me quite the same feeling of stepping back in time to a world of old-school glamour. In lieu of walls, ask your bartender their favourite story of the hotel as you grab a cocktail at the Raleigh’s famous Martini Bar.
Finally, wrap up your first (and final - 24 hours flies by!) night at the celebrity-favourite Fontainebleu. There’s no better place to get a taste of Miami’s famed nightlife than the hotel’s in-house club, Liv. There are always big DJs and major shows so check out who’s playing when you’re in town and be sure to grab a ticket in advance to make sure you get in! Cover is typically between $20 to $40 USD but can go as high as $100 for headliners. While it is expensive and does require an adherence to dress code (definitely something I typically avoid for nights out), it is part of the Miami experience and is worth it in my opinion if you are only staying for a short time.
In the morning, recover from your hopefully not-too-wicked hangover on the beach or by the pool. Soak up the sun, watch the hang-gliders, and let the salty air wash away the final dregs of the previous night. When you’ve gotten your fill of vitamin sea (get it?!), grab lunch at Pubbelly, a industrial sushi restaurant in a super trendy part of town. Please... whatever you do, order the Butter Crab Roll. I could probably eat 12 of them with zero regrets and an appetite for more. The French Onion Miso soup is an interesting twist on two classics, the Big Eye Tuna roll is delish, and the Ahi Tuna pizza is not to be missed. However, with that being said, I doubt you could go wrong with anything you order here.
Work off the sushi with a walk to South Beach’s Ocean Drive - simultaneously the tackiest of tourist streets and the liveliest of cultural reawakenings. It is Miami’s response to New York’s Times Square and New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. It is where you go for cocktails as big as your face, muscle heads getting their workout in along the beach and spring break vibes all year round. It is great fun, in other words. I wouldn’t spend too long here but a jumbo cocktail is never remiss, especially if you still need a little hair of the dog. In your remaining hours, wander down the main shopping street, Lincoln Road, and pop into the shops that catch your eye. My favourite is always Madewell.
Your last meal in Miami Beach should not anywhere but Yardbird. It may have been one of the best meals of my entire life without exaggeration (but please do not tell my Italian grandmother). Typically Southern food doesn’t do it for me but these folks know how to make a mean meal. The play by play of my order went something like this: a Bourbon peach sweet tea to whet the appetite, watermelon with grilled farmer’s cheese, fresh lemon and sea salt as a starter, smoky grilled short ribs with cauliflower mash and green apple slaw and a jalapeno skillet cornbread to end all cornbreads as a side/dessert. Thank goodness I was leaving the next day and did not have to put on a bathing suit cause let me tell ya folks, I had to be rolled out of that establishment.
On your way back to the mainland airport, my final suggestion is to at least take a drive, if not a walk, through the Wynwood Walls neighbourhood. There are some beautiful pieces of street art, funky stores, and interesting restaurants or breweries that make for a great photo op to remember your trip by.
If you end up spending a bit of time in Miami, I urge you to make the most of your brief stint living the life of leisure. Enjoy how life moves slower in the morning and faster at night on that small continental coastline. Take the time to seek out pleasurable pursuits - delicious food, strong cortados, fancy cocktails, warm ocean waves - there’s really no place to do it better.
