Stay at The Tides, The Shore Club, The Delano or the Ritz-Carlton for swank.

People watching: the pool bar or lobby at The Delano, Wet Willies, The News Cafe, rooftop pool at The Hotel (best mojitos in town), or any porch bar/restaurant on Ocean Drive.

A car is more of a liability than an asset in South Beach.

Cab fare is a set rate from MIA. With tip, I always give the driver $30.

Wish at The Hotel was excellent last time I ate there but my favorite is still The Forge.

Favorite bar/lounge/nightclub: Sky Bar at The Shore Club.

Favorite people watching: Pool bar at The Delano.

Best Mojito: rooftop pool (stunning cool) at The Hotel. Also this is the best view of South Beach and the ocean.

I think Nikki Beach and places like Crobar are over rated. Mynt is being closed/renovated but should be reopened by the time you are there.

Prive and Mansion are fun clubs. Love JimmyZ's at The Forge.

Had a horrible experience at Tantra and B.E.D. is a little worn.

Rumi is worth the trip.

Joe's Stone Crabs is overpriced and you can get the same thing for less money and less attitude at Monty's.

And there you have GoTravels South Beach tips.

Go's given you great advice. I would add the new Victor (a high-end Hyatt) as a hotel possibility, if it's open by then. Sounds like the apotheosis of South Beach hotels (a whole Scene on-site, including a lobby DJ spinning live as you check in). And the National is a lovely hotel that's been in several videos, so I'd look into there also.

Wish is my favorite restaurant, of course. And the Freak Show on Lincoln Road Mall is always fun, so you can head there for people-watching too.

Ola is not in Miami Beach, but Miami itself, so it's not particularly close-- but not particularly far away either. Still, with all the good options in South Beach, why bother?

And don't bother with a car. If you don't have time to tour the city (well, cities), it's not worth it.

Have fun!

Thanks to both of you!

checked out the mentioned hotels and after I fainted at the cost......WOW! We are not going to spend $600 on a hotel room for one night. But they all look amazing! So now I'm thinking maybe I'll try PL? They list Loews and the National under resort and
Royal Palm Crowne Plaza ,The Mercury South Beach, Marriott South Beach ,
The Palms South Beach, and
Hotel Clinton under 4 stars. Any thoughts on these?

You "love swank" but aren't willing to overpay for it??? They'll hate you in South Beach but I'd try Priceline..what have you got to lose?

Just my opinion mind you but the Mercury Resort, even though they are full suites with kitchens, oceanfront, and a pool, is in a lousy location. Ditto with the Marriott.

Loews, Royal Palm, and National are fantastic hotels and love all three.

One of the very best deals in South Beach is the Doubletree Surfcomber. It is much much nicer than your average Doubletree bordering on luxurious. It is right in the Lincoln Road mall area beside the Delano and a block or so from the Ritz-Carlton.

Not quite as lux but still nice, reasonable, and next door to the Surfcomber is The South Seas Resort which is another oceanfront (most hotels in South Beach are not oceanfront and of those that aren't most do not have pools) hotel with a nice pool. The Marseilles, also on that block is reasonable, oceanfront, and has a pool.

Another thought, rj loves the Cordoza on Ocean Drive.

The hotels on Ocean Drive, from 5th Street and above are not oceanfront. There aren't buildings in front of them but you have to cross the street and go through Lummus Park (not too wide) to get to the beach.

The oceanfront hotels on Collins Drive are oceanfront but they are a long hike to the beach because the beach is so wide.

In comparison, even though the hotels on Ocean Drive aren't technically oceanfront, they are no further away from the ocean than the oceanfront hotels. In order to get your big toe wet, I would say the distance to the ocean is the same.

Topman: Message: You "love swank" but aren't willing to overpay for it??? They'll hate you in South Beach but I'd try Priceline..what have you got to lose?

I'm not willing to pay the same price in South Beach that i paid for an over water bungalow in French Polynesia! Damn straight!

Go you are an expert for sure!! Will check out more of your advice, thank you!

stormy for the heck of it, I check out rates for Feb 12-13th at the Surfcomber and the South Seas. Surfcomber best available $249 and South Seas had a range from $149-$229. South Seas includes breakfast buffet which you can also eat at the sister resort The Avelon.

The Doubletree Surfcomber is nicer but the South Seas is a better deal.

Did you check prices for the Royal Palm Crowne Plaza?

Royal Palm Crowne Plaza- yes, I have a reservation for a king with an oceanfront view that I can cancel if I find a better deal elsewhere. Looks good though!!

Just in case this helps anyone else I also just found that we can take a taxi from the Crown Plaza to Ft. L for about $60. This is great considering we won't have to rent a car, park and return it.

Besides the great reccomendations for food and cocktails is there any "don't miss" thing we should plan on doing in South Beach? We really want to play in the sun. Is the beach the best way to go? Is there a certain area that is the nicest?

Thanks!

Stormy, the beach area in front of the Royal Palm Crown Plaza is the nicest area of South Beach. Walk over to the pool bar at the new Ritz-Carlton. Take good sun block, the beach is topless

Oh my husband will LOVE that!!! Thank you!!

Go eat and have a drink at BartonG. I do believe they have a website. It is very South Beach. Tres Chic! My favorite hotels are the Ritz Carlton, the Delano, and the National Hotel.

Must have a cuban sandwich while in Miami, anything in South Beach that is authentic and yummy?

Two of my faves:

-- Puerto Sagua, Collins around 7th (I think). Cuban diner, no atmosphere, KILLER food. Get an iced café con leche and order your sandwich cubano, it's all good.

-- La Sandwichérie, Collins at 14th (behind the Amoco). Great sandwiches, and I don't see why they wouldn't have Cuban ham sandwiches among their offerings. It's basically a take-out window on an alley, around the corner from a tattoo parlor. Sounds seedy, but the sandwiches are seriously good.

Go will have other good suggestions, but I've been to these and can recommend them. There's another Cuban place farther north on Collins, across from the Delano (if I'm not mistaken), but its name escapes me. It was good a few years ago, but who knows now...?

wow rjw... you seem to know all the secrets in SB. I'll remember that for my next trip down.......

I remembered the place across from the Delano! El Viajante Segundo. Can't remember if it was open last time I was over in South Beach.

Paul: These places aren't that secret, actually. Both are listed in the Zagat Guide for Miami. But I do say, most visitors will pass by Puerto Sagua and La Sandwichérie-- just not attractive enough. They'll miss some good eating.

NOTE: They DO speak English at Puerto Sagua. I guess. I've only ever dealt with the staff in Spanish there (and my Puerto Rican accent is just like the Cuban accent, so we all understand each other), but they're invariably friendly and helpful.

excellent! thank you so much!!

We are staying at the Crown Plaza, is one vs another most convientently located?

The Royal Palm Crowne Plaza is conveniently located to everything.

Davids II is great Cuban on the corner of Lincoln Road Mall and Meridian.

Found this article looking for the address for David's II. Very good and it backs up a lot of the South Beach advice rjw and I give.

http://www.diversionmag.com/showpage3.asp?filename=DIV200310055.htm

From the Royal Palm, El Viajante Segundo (if it's open) will be a couple of blocks north. La Sandwichérie will be a couple of blocks south (cross the street, walk down to the Amoco station, turn right and it's just on the alley). Puerto Sagua is maybe eight blocks down, also on the west side of the street (the hotel's on the east side). David's, a Cuban joint other posters love (I don't know it), is on Collins, somewhere between 9th and 11th streets as I recall.