Business trip to Miami
 

I have to go on a trip to Miami. My meeting in on Key Biscayne, but I was thinking about staying elsewhere.( I'm a cheapskate)

My question is this: What is Coral Gables like?

Is all of South Beach as crowded as it appears on tv/movies? I would love to see the place but it looks like a zoo, and it may make my commute difficult.

If this is for a sales meeting or convention, I would stay on Key Biscayne if you have early morning meetings and spend free time driving to Miami, Coral Gables or wherever. If it's just 1 meeting, then stay wherever you'd like.

No, not all of South Beach is as crowded as it appears, but the pededestrian area along the beach is. If you stay a block or 2 away from the beach, or at the southern end, it's less busy (and usually less expensive).

Coral Gables is not on the water. It's a combination of funky/arty and upscale. It has a downtown area and then the area around the Biltmore is more historic in feeling.

I will basically just sleep there, although I will have a little free time on the last day there.

My meetings will start around 8, but I thought I would eat on Key Biscayne in the AM to avoid any rush hour.

Key Biscayne only has two hotels, and they are pricey. I am trying to choose between South Beach and Coral Gables.

Look at staying in Coconut Grove.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...e_Florida.html

There are also some condos for rent on Key Biscayne if you're there for a week.

vrbo.com

Both Coral Gables and Coconut Grove would be nice places to come back to and walk around after work and find a place to eat, window shop. Coconut Grove maybe skews a bit younger, but it is still a nice place. However, both of them will have a heavy commute to Key Biscayne, Coral Gables worse than KB. South Beach is also a nice place to walk around in, and apart from getting off the island, it shouldn't be a bad commute to KB. The area nearest to KB without a bad commute at all is the Brickell district.

Don't foget that you will have to pay parking for both your meeting site and your hotel. Once you factor parking and inconvenience--I like being able to go back to my room during a meeting break--staying on Key Biscayne may be easier.