City Guide

Choosing a hotel on South Beach is similar to deciding whether you'd rather pay $1.50 for french fries at Denny's or $8.50 for the same fries -- but let's call them pomme frites -- in a pricey haute cuisinerie. It's all about atmosphere. The rooms of some hotels may look ultrachic, but they can be as comfortable as sleeping on a concrete slab. Once you decide how much atmosphere you want, the choice will be easier. Fortunately, for every chichi hotel in South Beach -- and there are many -- there are just as many moderately priced, more casual options.

Prices mentioned here are rack rates -- that is, the price you would be quoted if you walked up to the front desk and inquired about rates. The actual price you will end up paying will usually be less than this -- especially if a travel agent makes the reservations for you. Many hotels on South Beach have stopped quoting seasonal and off-season rates and have, instead, chosen to go with a low-to-high rate representing the hotel's complete pricing range. It pays to try to negotiate the price of a room. In some of the trendier hotels, however, negotiating is highly unfashionable and not well regarded. In other words, your attempt at negotiation will either be met with a blank stare or a snippy refusal. It never hurts to try, though.

If status is important to you, as it is to many South Beach visitors, then you will be quite pleased with the number of haute hotels in the area, which are as popular as nightclubs and restaurants are on South Beach. But the times may be a-changin': Not so long ago, Courtyard by Marriott (tel. 800/321-2211 or 305/604-8887) debuted a 90-room, moderately priced hotel on a seedy stretch of Washington Avenue, smack in the middle of clubland, a horror to many a South Beach trendoid.

Note: Art Deco hotels, while pleasing to the eye, may be a bit run-down inside. Par for the course on South Beach, where appearances are, at times, deceiving.

Miami Beach: Surfside, Bal Harbour & Sunny Isles

The area just north of South Beach, known as Miami Beach, encompasses Surfside, Bal Harbour, and Sunny Isles. Unrestricted by zoning codes throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and especially the 1970s, area developers went crazy, building ever-bigger and more brazen structures, especially north of 41st Street, which is now known as Condo Canyon. Consequently, there's now a glut of medium-quality condos, with a few scattered holdouts of older hotels and motels casting shadows over the beach by afternoon.

The western section of the neighborhood used to be inundated with Brooklyn's elderly Jewish population during the season. Though the area still maintains a religious preference, visiting tourists from Argentina to Germany, replete with Speedos and thong bikinis, are clearly taking over.

Miami Beach, as described here, runs from 24th Street to 192nd Street, a long strip that varies slightly from end to end. Staying in the southern section, from 24th to 42nd streets, can be a good deal -- it's still close to the South Beach scene, but the rates are more affordable. The North Beach area begins at 63rd Street and extends north to the city limit at 87th Terrace and west to Biscayne Bay (at Bay Drive West). Bal Harbour and Bay Harbor are at the center of Miami Beach and retain their exclusivity and character. The neighborhoods north and south of here, like Surfside and Sunny Isles, have nice beaches and some shops, but are a little worn around the edges.

Key Biscayne

Locals call it the Key, and, technically, Key Biscayne is the northernmost island in the Florida Keys even though it is located in Miami. A relatively unknown area until an impeached Richard Nixon bought a home here in the '70s, Key Biscayne, at 1 1/4 square miles, is an affluent but hardly lively residential and recreational island known for its pricey homes, excellent beaches, and actor Andy Garcia, who makes his home here. The island is far enough from the mainland to make it feel semiprivate, yet close enough to downtown for guests to take advantage of everything Miami has to offer.

Downtown

If you've ever read Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities, you may understand what downtown Miami is all about. If not, it's this simple: Take a wrong turn and you could find yourself in some serious trouble. Desolate and dangerous at night, downtown is trying to change its image, but it's a long, tedious process. Recently, however, part of the area has experienced a renaissance in terms of nightlife, with several popular dance clubs and bars opening up in the environs of NE 11th Street off Biscayne Boulevard. Most downtown hotels cater primarily to business travelers and pre- and postcruise passengers. Although business hotels are expensive, quality and service are of a high standard. Look for discounts and packages for the weekend, when offices are closed and rooms often go empty. If you're the kind of person who digs an urban setting, you may enjoy downtown, but if you're looking for shiny, happy Miami, you're in the wrong place (for now). As posh, pricey lofts keep going up in the area faster than the nation's deficit, this area is about to experience the renaissance it has been waiting for. Keep your eyes peeled on this area. You read it here first: Like orange being the new black, Downtown Miami is the new South Beach.

Coral Gables

Translated appropriately as "City Beautiful," the Gables, as it's affectionately known, was one of Miami's original planned communities and is still among the city's prettiest, pedestrian-friendly, albeit preservation-obsessed, neighborhoods. Pristine with a European flair, Coral Gables is best known for its wide array of excellent upscale restaurants of various ethnicities, as well as a hotly contested (the quiet city didn't want to welcome new traffic) mega-shopping complex featuring upscale stores such as Nordstrom.

If you're looking for luxury, Coral Gables has a number of wonderful hotels, but if you're on a tight budget, you may be better off elsewhere. Two popular and well-priced chain hotels in the area are a Holiday Inn (tel. 800/HOLIDAY or 305/667-5611) at 1350 S. Dixie Hwy., with rates between $89 and $189, and a Terrace Inn (tel. 305/665-7501) at 1430 S. Dixie Hwy., with rates ranging from $59 to $89. Both are located directly across the street from the University of Miami and are popular with families and friends of students.

Coconut Grove

This waterfront village hugs the shores of Biscayne Bay, just south of U.S. 1 and about 10 minutes from the beaches. Once a haven for hippies, head shops, and arty bohemian characters, the Grove succumbed to the inevitable temptations of commercialism and has become a Gap nation, featuring a host of fun, themed restaurants, bars, a megaplex, and lots of stores. Outside of the main shopping area, however, you will find the beautiful remnants of old Miami in the form of flora, fauna, and, of course, water.

Also see the last paragraph of the Sonesta Beach Resort Key Biscayne listing for a review of the new Sonesta Hotel & Suites Coconut Grove.

West Miami/Airport Area

As Miami continues to grow at a rapid pace, expansion has begun westward, where land is plentiful. Several resorts have taken advantage of the space to build world-class tennis and golf courses. While there's no sea to swim in, a plethora of facilities makes up for the lack of an ocean view.

Bargain Chains -- If you must stay near the airport, consider any of the dozens of moderately priced chain hotels. You'll find one of the cheapest and most recommendable options at either of the Days Inn locations at 7250 NW 11th St. or 4767 NW 36th St. (tel. 800/329-7466 for both or 305/888-3661 or 305/261-4230, respectively), each about 2 miles from the airport. The larger property on 36th Street offers slightly cheaper rates with singles starting as low as $49. The 11th Street locale may charge more for weekends, but prices usually start at $70. Prices include free transportation from the airport.

A more luxurious option is the Wyndham Miami Airport, at 3900 NW 21st St. (tel. 305/871-3800), with rates from $100 to $225.

City Guide

Miami FL Tourism: Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods

Miami Travel & Vacation Deals

Miami Travel Deals