I will admit I was unsure if I could pull the whole trip off between myself and Eric- South Beach is glamorized as the IT place to be if you’re in the area, but its notorious for its high-roller prices. We totally made it work, and we had an awesome time! Here’s some tips that really helped me out during my weekend on South Beach:
1. Research, research, research! Did I emphasize the research enough? Ask anyone and everyone that you know that has been to the city that you’re planning on going to. In my case it was Miami, and I knew a lot of people who either had lived there or had travelled there before. You will get all the tricks on where to stay, where to eat, and more importantly where to hang out. I did my entire trip based on what other people suggested and my own Internet research- I didn’t do anything last-minute and it ended up saving me tons of cash!
2. I did check out Orbitz, Hotwire, Hotels.com, etc. You know where I found the best deal? On the hotel’s own website. Though it was tempting to stay directly on the beach, I stayed on Collins Ave (which is still an amazing location and will save you quite a bit of money). The hotel was located between 9th and 10th Street and called The Blue Moon. It was super cute, and most importantly it was super clean! Did I mention that the online special for the room was a little over $100 a night? That was their ‘Winter Special’ (even though it was April) on the website- usually rooms go for around $150 and up. Valet parking was about $25 a day but highly recommended because for the same amount I would have been parking in a garage or lot and I would have had to get the car myself. Breakfast was included with the room- they even had Belgian waffles that you made yourself! The room was a little on the small side, but it had a huge bed with luxurious sheets and an awesome shower- all things that you want when you’ve been walking all over South Beach in stilettos or working on your tan. There were other perks that came with the room- including skip-the-line passes for clubs such as Mansion, Louis, etc.
3. Food in Miami is amazing! If you love ethnic flair like I do (or just love to eat), then Miami is your mecca. We popped in to little places along the way while we strolled around, but by far the best place we went to was Puerta Sagua, located on Collins and 7th. The prices were great- most everything was under $12. It was all home-style Cuban and Latino cooking. There were plenty of locals and tourists alike- we were grabbing a bite to eat before we hit the clubs, so it was pretty busy since eating dinner in Miami tends to happen around 9p or later. I had the ropa vieja (one of my favorite dishes) with yellow rice and plantains- some of the best I’ve ever had! Starla got the pollo asado, and Eric and Mike got something different. We all ended up taking bites off of everyone’s plates, and it was all delicious! After I had my Cuban coffee, I ready for a night on the town!
4. Miami is famous for its nightlife! Everyone kept telling me about Mango’s… Apparently it’s a Miami institution- my dad had even been there back in the day! I tip I heard from a coworker was to show up early- like around 7p before you grab dinner. You’ll not only beat the lines, but more importantly, we all got in for free! Cover ranges from $5 to $20, depending on how busy the club is, time of night, etc. We walking right to the door, grabbed out wristbands, and walked out. About 3 blocks down we grabbed dinner at Puerta Sagua and came back around 11p when the club was busier. Since we were already there earlier, we skipped the line and hit the dance floor! There’s 3 clubs in Mango’s, so you won’t get bored! One of the best things about Mango’s is the dancers! They had some amazing guys doing the dance for ‘Thriller’ and ‘Billie Jean’, and some flamenco dancers that put Dancing with the Stars to shame! When I was resting my feet in my 5 ½ inch heels, I could just watch the entertainment on the bar. It was sad that we were only there for 1 night, but since we could only hit 1 club we definitely got Miami in a nutshell here.
I hope that you find this informative and helpful! Cheers!!
