SUN, SEA, SAND AND LOTS OF MIAMI CHARM
Having both been to the US numerous times, we really wanted to take our daughter and experience for the first time what Miami had to offer. I had previously visited Orlando but that was as far as I got within Florida before flying back up to New York. Honestly, we didn’t really know what to expect, having heard both pro’s and con’s of the Miami life which did make us wonder if we were making the right decision. In truth, we had nothing to worry about in the slightest.
Experience Miami Beach kindly offered to show us the sights, and delve into Miami’s amazing lifestyle, food delights, comfortable accommodations and super fun activities. Offering a unique app which can be downloaded both on Android and iStore, they help to plan your itinerary and maximise your stay. We only really knew about Miami through film and television shows which obviously doesn’t reflect the true nature of somewhere and we really wanted to find out for ourselves.
What we found were beautiful white sand beaches, incredibly comfortable art deco style hotels, delicious food and drink as well as plenty of culture and friendly locals.
Visit their Instagram here or download the app here.
Here are some of my favourite places we found through the app:
Accommodation
The Plymouth South Beach Hotel
This award winning luxury boutique hotel can be found in the heart of Miami Beach where you can experience design-centric living and a lovely intimate atmosphere as soon you walk through its doors. Having been built in 1940, this iconic building has hardly changed with many of its eye-catching features still in-tact, such as the white marble ovalesque lobby with stunning murals of Ramon Chatov, and it’s distinctive, angular tower which rises above the city sky line.
Check in was really easy, and our room was exceptionally comfortable with everything we could possibly need, including double bed, pool view, TV, mini-bar, free toiletries, baby cot, and storage. Other facilities on-site included the Blue Ribbon Sushi restaurant, The Season’s Cafe, swimming pool, a private beach, water sports, and gym.
Find out more here.
Food and Drink
Pura Vida
Looking for some yummy healthy and delicious food that is clean, simple and full of flavour? Then this will definitely be right up your street. It offers an array of options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in-between which will make you want to come back for me. We absolutely loved its style, friendly atmosphere, helpful staff and of course our food choices. Between us we had the Summer Chicken Bow, the Mango Salmon Bowl, the Kids Açai Bowl, and a Green Goddess Superfood Smoothie.
Not only did this leave us feeling full for the rest of the day, but we were so happy to get some fresh and nutritious goodness inside of us. For more information visit them here.
Cafe Americano
Heading to Ocean Drive and feeling a bit hungry? Don’t forget to drop by Cafe Americano, which offers up a great selection of dishes from succulent double cheese burgers, crispy calamari, salmon poke bowls and pizzas to plenty of pasta dishes. It’s your classic American favourites with a latin twist and a fantastic and vibrant atmosphere. Pull up a chair, order your favourite dish and drink and watch the world go by with a great view of palm trees, exotic cars and the hustle and bustle of Miami life.
We loved that the restaurant was child friendly and they were able to offer a high chair, colouring crayons, and children’s meals. Check them out here.
The Grove
This stylish and unique restaurant can be found in W South Beach hotel, where we had a lovely time enjoying their plentiful dishes and drinks. The staff were super friendly, with quick service and a great atmosphere. They offer a New-American menu which celebrates innovation and diversity that push the boundaries while honouring classic flavours. We visited for a spot of lunch and opted for the Wagyu Burger with seasoned fries and the salmon poke bowl, which had us salivating as soon as it arrived to our table.
Find out more information here.
Margot Bar & Bistro
This was one of the first places we visited in Miami, where we went to grab some dinner and we sure weren’t disappointed. As soon as you arrive your attention is instantly caught by vibrant neon lights and funky decor which really adds such a great vibe. The staff were so helpful and provided a big chair for our daughter along with some colouring crayons, but the restaurant itself really kept her attention and she was wowed by everything around her.
From the menu we chose a variety of dishes which took our fancy, including the green falafel, hand cut steak tartar, and creamy local burrata, along with some wild rice. We also treated ourselves to a rare drink and had some delicious cocktails – the Wannabe and Sweet Dreams. Find out more here.
Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill
Whether you’re staying at The Plymouth Hotel or not, be sure to stop by the Blue Ribbon Bar & Grill which is located inside the hotel and offers some iconic dishes packed with plenty of flavours and combined with Miami vibes. From sushi to sashimi, you will be able to something delicious on this menu and walk away feeling like you have had a great culinary experience.
The staff were brilliant and very accommodating, and combined with the lovely atmosphere, this made for a great date night. Find out more information here.
Activities
Miami Beach
You can’t visit Miami Beach without actually heading to the beach itself. This stunning white-sand beach offers plenty of activities, sun beds, relaxation and of course a dip in the ocean. What really stood out for us and made it a ‘must visit’ location were the quirky and vibrant life guard stations which are dotted along the coastline and in various shapes and colours. It was generally pretty clean and we had a great time finding different life guard stations and playing around the sand and ocean.
Brickell City Centre
Fancy a spot of shopping or somewhere that offers some protection from the wet weather elements? Then Brickell City Centre is a great place to visit and experience. With a huge range of stores such as Levis, H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, it also offers plenty of places to dine and entertainment. This was a great day out for us while it was raining outside and kept our daughter occupied with their various fish ponds. Find out more information here.
Miami Mountain
Located about 5 minutes walk from The Plymouth Hotel, you’ll be able to find the Miami Mountain which is pretty impossible to miss as it’s a towering colourful work of art by Ugo Rondinone. It really captures your eye with its day-glow colours and you’ll definitely want to get a photo with it.
South Pointe Park Pier
This green 17-acre park is the perfect place for a stroll, or to go for a run, cycling, rollerskating or any other type of activity that you love to do outdoors. It’s a beautiful scenic ocean front area with its striking 450 foot pier that extends out and across the Atlantic Ocean. It offers gorgeous panoramic views of the South Beach shoreline and it is at the most southern tip of Miami Beach. We loved exploring this area as it has plenty of walking trails, a cafe, mini water playground, jungle gym and lots of exotic wild life.
The Miami Beach sign
No visit is complete without having your photo taken at the iconic Miami Beach sign. While it can get fairly busy here, it is fairly quick to get a snap or you stood in front of the signage. If you want to avoid crowds and the intense Miami heat, head there early morning and you’ll have the place all to yourself.
Overall thoughts
After initial doubts made by third parties, we are so happy we chose to ignore them and went with our gut to head across the pond and explore what Miami has to offer. We had such a fantastic time and really enjoyed exploring everything it had to offer over a period of one week. The accommodation had everything we could possible need, we immensely enjoyed all the delicious food and with so much to see and do we were definitely short of things to keep us entertained.
Having the Experience Miami Beach app really helped to elevate our trip by helping us find restaurants, cafes, bars, art, events, activities and more which we would have never known about. If you are heading to Miami then I would highly recommend downloading the app and following them on Instagram to help you maximise your adventure.
***Thank you to Experience Miami Beach for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.
