Coconut Grove Area or Sunny Isle

My sister and I have reservations at a hotel in this area in the Coconut Grove Area? Is it easy to get to South Beach via public transportation to visit for the day. I called hotel and they said I would be better off renting a car...but cost of Rental and parking is going to add up.and I have been told traffice is bad..

Would I be better off staying in the Sunny Isle area...use the buss

service? any suggestions would be helpful..Hotel suggestions in the medium rate range under $125.00 is ok

We do have time if I need to change my hotel reservations to a hotel where we can use public transportation. Thank you

Coconut Grove Area or Sunny Isle

Lady%26gt;

Are you comfortable driving in the States? A rental car might not be too expensive depending upon how long you visit and how far you want to drive. After the taxi from the airport and a few trips around town, sometimes a rental car can save you $$$.

When is your visit? I ask because right now it rains for a while every day. Waiting for a bus in the rain will not be great for your vacation. Sunny Isles and Coconut Grove are only accessible via bus. The light rail and people mover do not travel to the Beach nor into Coconut Grove directly.

In my opinion, you can get all around Coconut Grove on foot easily. It is a small town / village-feeling area. But there is no beach so if you want to swim or lounge in the sun, make sure your hotel has a pool. The closest beach is Key Biscayne. If you want a hotel on the beach, you can look for a hotel out there as well.

Coconut Grove has little shops and bars and cafes, a large mall complex with movies and bars... I would think it would be fun for a long weekend. Nearby, there is a Science Museum and the beautiful Vizcaya Villa and Gardens to tour. Out on Key Biscayne, you can go to Seaquarium and swim with dolphins and see the ';Free Willy'; whale show. At the Dinner Key Marina, you can hang out at Monty%26#39;s tiki bar or Scotty%26#39;s landing for outdoor bayside dining.

As to Sunny Isles, it is a completely different kind of city. The taxi from MIA round trip is almost $100. A car would be a plus. There are a lot of brand new grand scale resorts just opened and a LOT of construction going on. It is - in my view - a city of the future for tourists. The resorts are all high rises with huge pools, spas and will cater to a class of traveler who wants the hotel itself to be a destination.

That said, there have been a few recent reviews on this site from visitors who arrived at the new Sunny Isles Resorts and thought they were near South Beach. They are not. South Beach is generally 1st through 21st Street and Sunny Isles is in the 170s...

This means to get to the hot spots and clubs - you need to take a taxi or a bus or drive 150 streets. There are strip shopping centers across the street from the Sunny Isles Resorts, but they are not the same as the South Beach area. You can find Starbucks and Einstein%26#39;s Bagel chains and some local restaurants that are actually very good (Timo, Bissaleh, Rascal House Deli, etc). The Aventura Mall is not too far away by taxi or shuttle...

But generally speaking, spending the money to stay at the new luxe Sunny Isles Resorts is largely about relaxing at the resorts themselves.

I notice you only want to spend $125 a night and will add that to stay in Sunny Isles right now, you can probably best manage the Newport Resort. Read reviews on this site as it is an older property that has a great children%26#39;s program poolside... I do not know if there are other spots available for $125.

Click the link at left that says ';Miami Beach Hotels.'; The top 20 hotels on the Beach are listed with reviews and general pricing. You might consider a hotel south of 21st Street that is near your $125 budget and then you will not need a rental car at all. Check out the Impala, Villa Paradiso, Atlantica and the Clay. All are located in an area that is ideal for walking around and sightseeing on foot. A taxi from MIA is about $35 each way.

I hope this helps! Feel free to ask more questions as you get closer to a decision...

AG