girls' trip

hi,

three of my girlfriends and i are planning our annual trip and miami is our destination this year. if we can get some advices on where to stay (close to the beach, shops, clubs, restaurants, safe areas) so we don%26#39;t have to drive everywhere and if the beginning of october is a good month to go since we afraid we%26#39;d be stucked there if a hurricane decides to visit.

thanks so much!

vylatte

girls' trip

Well , since you stated you dont want to walk ,, you might want to saty in the beach area ( Miami Beach , South Beach ) which is one of the few pedestrian friendly areas in Miami . So if ';hot spot'; proximity is a priority stay on the beach . There is pretty much loads of shopping stores and boutiques , clubs ( !) and bars. Miami is what taste buds are made for . There are delicous restaurants all over with all types of cuisines and fares on the beach and out of the beach . It%26#39;s pretty safe on and around the beach ( be a little careful in or around 71 - 80th sts tho) .You will have a great time !!

girls' trip

thank you for your info. that would help us so much in deciding where to stay. we are wondering if the beginning of october is a better time to visit since we%26#39;ve heard so much about hurricanes in florida.

thanks!

Hello Vylatte,

Great destination. Assuming you have nice weather, you and your friends may never want to do your annual trip anywhere else!

You definitely want to stay in South Beach, which is the most southern two miles or so of Miami Beach. Know that Miami Beach is a separate city than Miami. Although they are close in proximity, they are a world apart!

If you stay somewhere in South Beach (say north of 5th street and south of 20th street), you will meet all of your requirements that the beach is close (very close!), lots of shops, great clubs and restaurants and all in a safe area that you can walk to about everywhere. If you need to travel more than what your feet want to carry you, taxi cabs are everywhere and not very expensive.

October is still the hurricane season but such is life. There is not way to predict what early October will be like. We%26#39;ve been there in early October and had perfect weather. We also had a trip cancelled due to a hurricane. Know that you won%26#39;t be stuck in SoBe (short for South Beach) if a hurricane is approaching as they typically evacuate the place. However this is unlikely... but possible.

There are TONS of hotels in SoBe for your consideration depending upon your price range and what you are looking for. If you have tons of money and want some place with a great spa, check out Ritz-Carlton. If you still want to be on the beach but not so expensive, check out South Seas (someone just posted a great trip report in the Miami Beach Forum on this website that just stayed at South Seas). My wife and I visit SoBe often and a requirement is that it has to be directly on the beach. Hotels we%26#39;ve stayed at include Loews, Ritz-Carlton, National (which has been receiving poor reviews lately) and most often, the DoubleTree Surfcomber. We enjoy the Surfcomber as the rooms are clean, very cool art deco lobby and lobby bar, very nice and large pool with LOTS of lounge chairs and a nice courtyard, tiki pool bar, and a management that cares about the service you receive. As DoubleTree is one of the Hilton Family of Hotels, you can expect to receive a quality and reliable product.

Check out the Miami Beach forum rather than this one (Miami). You will find tons of great reviews and suggestions about restaurants, clubs, hotels, and so forth!

I know you and your party will have a great time!

Cheers!

P.S. Be sure and check out Mango%26#39;s Tropical Cafe. It%26#39;s perfect for a group of ladies!