Can anyone who knows downtown Miami help with this? I have a meeting at the Hilton on Biscayne in January. I am sure the Hilton is fine, but I would like to stay someplace nicer or more interesting if there is anywhere within walking distance of the Hilton. Have looked on maps and tried looking it up and either there is not much, or I am not finding it. As an example, when the same meeting was held at the Hyatt in downtown Atlanta I found a Ritz Carlton a few blocks away for almost the same price and had a much nicer trip than my colleagues who stayed at the Hyatt! Have been able to do this in some of the cities, but not having much luck finding a better option in Miami. Don't mind spending more than the conference rate, but probably not Mandarin Oriental style prices .

Any advice on this? A related question is does anyone know if there is a bus on Biscayne? It looks like there are some nicer hotels about a mile down the street from the hotel. It is pretty far to be practical, but would consider it. Thanks!

The Hilton is just steps away from a free Metromover elevated tram station which gets you all over downtown. There are many more upscale hotels as well as dining and entertainment options in the Brickell area of downtown, it would be a about 10 minute ride. The Hilton is at the Adrienne Arsht Center Sation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metromover

http://www.fourseasons.com/miami/
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...marquis-miami/
http://www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.c...-goo_vmi_brand
http://www.epichotel.com/

http://www.marybrickellvillage.com/

I recommend the JW Marriott Marquis (recently opened, so its brand spanking new). The EPIC hotel just across the street from the JW is also nice and has a hopping bar at night. Both these hotels are in a better location of downtown...you could also try the Intercontinenatal next to Bayside. Plenty of people love this hotel cause its in a great location, but i find the JW/Epic to be more modern and chic.

Agree with above poster- free PeopleMover takes you all around downtown so this will allow you expand your options.

Thanks to you both. I don't know Miami well enough to know how the public transit works but terrific suggestions. The Hilton does not look too exciting and I always like being at a different hotel than the bulk of the meeting -goers!

iI have read there is a new very good Hampton Inn in SW 12 th.
I live in Miami and the reality is that Miami is not a walkable city. the core of downtown is not a place to walk after office hours or week ends. Public transportation is not like in NY, there is an all driving culture here. I love to walk , where do I walk ?mostly in South Beach or along the beach near Ball Harbor where I live or inside malls. Also downtown Coral Gables is a walk able area.
In summary to enjoy your after working hours your best bet would be to stay in South Beach and use public transportation to your hotel. To find out how to do it there is a Dade County site that will tell you how to it. good luck.

I mean that in my opinion your besst bet is to stay in a South Beach hotel and to use Public Transportion or drive to the HIlton Hotel where you are going to work, for public tranportation in Miami go to http://www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/transit/

South Beach is a much more active scene in the evenings than downtown Miami - which pretty much becomes a ghost town after 6pm. If you can stay in South Beach, there is no end of quaint and charming places, many dating from the 1940s Art Deco culture, to choose from.

I agree that South Beach would be an excellent option, with more hotel options available ranging in quality/price, and its wealth of dining and entertainment options concentrated in a small walkable area.... and there is no denying the allure of having the Beach at your doorstep. It's easily accessible with a short bus ride across the causeway, and virtually every bus headed to Downtown Miami makes a stop at the transit hub by the Hilton. Plenty of buses are available, but it's best to check with your concierge about routes and schedules.

With respect to other posters, Downtown Miami is in fact quite walkable, especially around Bayside and Mary Brickell Village which are lively at night. The recent condo boom brought dozens of luxury highrises into the area, making Miami's skyline the 3rd largest in the nation after NYC and Chicago. They are almost all filled with residents now, and another wave of construction has begun. The now considerable downtown population has ushered the openings of many restaurants, bars, and other amenities. The increase in pedestrian traffic has made it much safer. It's not Midtown Manhattan, but its certainly not a ghost town particularly on its eastern side. A new Downtown is emerging, and imho its unfair to perpetuate outdated misconceptions from a cocoon of comfort and familiarity. If you haven't been lately then you don't know it.

Fair enough, SoBchBud. I have not, indeed, been there for a while.

The Viceroy, The Epic, any of the Marriotts, Four Seasons. Don't walk around downtown or use the people mover at night.

I agree with the suggestion of looking into staying in South Beach. I think you’ll find it a more interesting stay than in downtown Miami. Ocean Drive is one of the best places to stay and I’ve always chosen the Congress Hotel for its location. http://www.congresshotelsouthbeach.com/

There is a ton of smaller quaint hotels to choose from. You can have your pick.
Bus services in Miami are not the greatest but if you do check with the Dade County web site I mentioned before you will ok, specially knowing the timetables .
Once in South Beach you can walk almost everywhere.

Thanks all. I have an extra night after the meeting so may split the nights and spend the last night in SoBe. These meetings start REALLY early (like 7 am and I will be with a 3 hour time change from the east coast, so getting anywhere farther than a few blocks is a challenge). One problem I am already seeing is that it is January, and MLK weekend, so most of the nicer hotels are really expensive.