Miami Beach hotel for kids
Nov 15th, 2011, 09:45 AM
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Miami Beach hotel for kids
My wife and I really want to get away to warmer climes this January -- probably for a long 3-5 day weekend. We are thinking about going to Miami and taking our 2 year old twins with us. (Crazy, I know, but please humor me.) We'd have some babysitting help with us too.
We have been to South Beach and love it, but we are open to other parts of Miami Beach or even other South Florida beaches. We realize the South Beach vibe may not be very conducive to kids (if I'm wrong, please tell me). We are looking for a nice hotel on or very near the beach that will be kids friendly. Budget is not too much of a concern.
Any recommendations or advice? Thanks in advance.
We have been to South Beach and love it, but we are open to other parts of Miami Beach or even other South Florida beaches. We realize the South Beach vibe may not be very conducive to kids (if I'm wrong, please tell me). We are looking for a nice hotel on or very near the beach that will be kids friendly. Budget is not too much of a concern.
Any recommendations or advice? Thanks in advance.
Nov 20th, 2011, 08:43 AM
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I think you have the wrong idea South Beach - it can be very kid friendly!! There are lots of places to walk such as Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive, which is nice with a stroller. There is a playground right on the beach around 5th and Ocean. Check out the Loews, Sagamore, or the Ritz.
The Miami Childrens Museum is about a 5 minutes drive from South Beach - 2 year old would LOVE it!
Further up the beach is the FontainBleau Resort - which is my personal fav - we live a 10 minutes drive away and have been taking staycations for 4 years (ever since the remodel.) Also in that area is the Eden Roc. No where to really walk as far as things to see - but it has a great set of pools (even a kids pool, with a slide and zero entry) and its right on the beach and boardwalk.
Further north is Surfside and Bal Harbour. Try Bal Harbor One. Gorgeous new hotel/condo, You can walk to Bal Harbor Shops and restaurants to check out Gucci, Prada, Channel, etc. or Haluover Marina and rent a boat. All kidding aside BH shops
has cute ponds with koi fish and turtles that I used to take my kids to see when they were little. Ive never stayed at BH One, but Ive eaten at Mister Collins twice - very laid back patio with beautiful views and there is a kids menu.
As you continue north you hit Sunny Isles...
Lots of hotels on the ocean....
Trump, Aqualina,....
After that you hit Broward county -
Which has a lot of hotels on the ocean - Let me know if you want me to continue with those.
The Miami Childrens Museum is about a 5 minutes drive from South Beach - 2 year old would LOVE it!
Further up the beach is the FontainBleau Resort - which is my personal fav - we live a 10 minutes drive away and have been taking staycations for 4 years (ever since the remodel.) Also in that area is the Eden Roc. No where to really walk as far as things to see - but it has a great set of pools (even a kids pool, with a slide and zero entry) and its right on the beach and boardwalk.
Further north is Surfside and Bal Harbour. Try Bal Harbor One. Gorgeous new hotel/condo, You can walk to Bal Harbor Shops and restaurants to check out Gucci, Prada, Channel, etc. or Haluover Marina and rent a boat. All kidding aside BH shops
has cute ponds with koi fish and turtles that I used to take my kids to see when they were little. Ive never stayed at BH One, but Ive eaten at Mister Collins twice - very laid back patio with beautiful views and there is a kids menu.
As you continue north you hit Sunny Isles...
Lots of hotels on the ocean....
Trump, Aqualina,....
After that you hit Broward county -
Which has a lot of hotels on the ocean - Let me know if you want me to continue with those.
Nov 20th, 2011, 10:48 AM
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We always took our kids to the Surfcomber.... on the beach in a great location...great pool... www.surfcomber.com
Nov 22nd, 2011, 01:44 PM
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Thank you for the responses, and the encouragement MBMom. I think I've nailed it down to the Loews and the Sagamore. A different vibe at each, I suppose: Sagamore is a little better deal and more intimate. Loews the bigger feel to everything and maybe more kids stuff to do.
Anything else I should be considering? Thanks so much!
Anything else I should be considering? Thanks so much!
Nov 22nd, 2011, 08:40 PM
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We leave tomorrow for four nights at the Loew's, jp36. I'll let you know how it goes---even though my "kids" are early twenties and a 77 year old mom 
The pool area looks fantastic and our dd raves about the poolside restaurant. She lives in SoBe just a few blocks away and Loews is the favorite hotel for girls' weekends and bachelorette parties in her set. She says she are sees lots of families there. We have a super picky eater with us on this trip, and I am vegan, so we'll see how Thanksgiving dinner turns out.
The pool area looks fantastic and our dd raves about the poolside restaurant. She lives in SoBe just a few blocks away and Loews is the favorite hotel for girls' weekends and bachelorette parties in her set. She says she are sees lots of families there. We have a super picky eater with us on this trip, and I am vegan, so we'll see how Thanksgiving dinner turns out.
Nov 23rd, 2011, 04:34 AM
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Kswl2-
Check out http://gogomiamibeach.com/ for lunch. Also for lunch close by is http://juiceandjava.com/Juice_and_Java/Welcome.html
I'm veggie - but not vegan - so I eat fish, eggs, and dairy. Im trying to think where else to send you.....
Oh!!Books and Books Cafe on Lincoln has a small vegan menu!!! ve had the tofu stir fry and its YUM!!
http://southflorida.menupages.com/re...oks-books/menu
Check out http://gogomiamibeach.com/ for lunch. Also for lunch close by is http://juiceandjava.com/Juice_and_Java/Welcome.html
I'm veggie - but not vegan - so I eat fish, eggs, and dairy. Im trying to think where else to send you.....
Oh!!Books and Books Cafe on Lincoln has a small vegan menu!!! ve had the tofu stir fry and its YUM!!
http://southflorida.menupages.com/re...oks-books/menu
Nov 23rd, 2011, 04:43 AM
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j36
Thinking more about the 2 year olds on South Beach....
Jungle island is a 5 minute drive from south beach. they have all the parrots from parrot jungle and a sweet barn and petting area. when mine was little we used to drive to the old location and he loved bottle feeding the baby pigs!
On Lincoln there is a Shake Shack (like in NY) that kids love!
South Point Park
http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/parksand....aspx?id=57993
Front Porch Cafe - great for breakfast
http://frontporchoceandrive.com/
or Big Pink - huge kids menu!
http://www.mylesrestaurantgroup.com/
January is high season so there are always festivals and fairs going on - be on the lookout. Some are fantastic! Now that I think of it Art Deco weekend is in January....
http://www.mdpl.org/events/about-adw...-weekend-2012/
One last thing - super cool...
The NWS WALLCAST™ concerts allow you to experience select events throughout the season at Miami Beach SoundScape through a striking use of visual and audio technology on a soaring, 7,000-square-foot projection wall.
Bring a blanket, share a picnic dinner and enjoy the sights and sounds of the New World Symphony with friends and family!
Each WALLCAST™ concert is free to the public and does not require a ticket.
http://www.nws.edu/wallcasts.aspx
Thinking more about the 2 year olds on South Beach....
Jungle island is a 5 minute drive from south beach. they have all the parrots from parrot jungle and a sweet barn and petting area. when mine was little we used to drive to the old location and he loved bottle feeding the baby pigs!
On Lincoln there is a Shake Shack (like in NY) that kids love!
South Point Park
http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/parksand....aspx?id=57993
Front Porch Cafe - great for breakfast
http://frontporchoceandrive.com/
or Big Pink - huge kids menu!
http://www.mylesrestaurantgroup.com/
January is high season so there are always festivals and fairs going on - be on the lookout. Some are fantastic! Now that I think of it Art Deco weekend is in January....
http://www.mdpl.org/events/about-adw...-weekend-2012/
One last thing - super cool...
The NWS WALLCAST™ concerts allow you to experience select events throughout the season at Miami Beach SoundScape through a striking use of visual and audio technology on a soaring, 7,000-square-foot projection wall.
Bring a blanket, share a picnic dinner and enjoy the sights and sounds of the New World Symphony with friends and family!
Each WALLCAST™ concert is free to the public and does not require a ticket.
http://www.nws.edu/wallcasts.aspx
Nov 26th, 2011, 08:26 AM
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Checking in for Jp36, I would say that the Loew's pool is at least half families, most of those have toddlers. I didn't see many kids in the main restaurant, but the one by the pool (Nautilus) was full of young children, also the nearby Front Porch restaurant, which the kind poster from Miami suggested. I don't know if you are taking a nanny or a granny or have family in the area who will babysit, but if you're traveling with one our rooms configuration at Loews would probably suit you as well. We have a premium king suite with a balcony and an adjoining room with two beds (no balcony on that one). The living room in the suite is spacious and wonderful, the furniture is comfy and the balcony is quite large--- big enough for a regular sized table/ four chairs and two lounges and room for your kids to play. We are a family party of five, including my mom, so needed this combination for everyone to feel comfortable.
Moamibeachmomma, thanks again for the Front Porch rec, it was great for a breakfast and a lunch! I had heirloom tomato slices yesterday that are as good as homegrown. Unfortunately there was no wallcast
Moamibeachmomma, thanks again for the Front Porch rec, it was great for a breakfast and a lunch! I had heirloom tomato slices yesterday that are as good as homegrown. Unfortunately there was no wallcast
Nov 26th, 2011, 08:29 AM
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Oops, sorry.......
no wall cast event this whole Thanksgiving weekend, and nothing at the Adrienne Arscht Center or the Fillimore, or any of the smaller theater venues. I was disappointed not to be able to plan anything more than a boat tour, but so far all anybody wants to do is lay around all day and go out at night, anyway
no wall cast event this whole Thanksgiving weekend, and nothing at the Adrienne Arscht Center or the Fillimore, or any of the smaller theater venues. I was disappointed not to be able to plan anything more than a boat tour, but so far all anybody wants to do is lay around all day and go out at night, anyway
Nov 30th, 2011, 07:58 AM
#13
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We've decided to go with the Sagamore. While, I feel like the Loews would've been more of a sure thing with the kids, we got a little better deal at the Sagamore, and it's size and style are more of what I personally like from a South Beach hotel -- and we'll just see how it goes with the kids.
Thanks again for all the help and advice (including other activities)! Will report back.
Thanks again for all the help and advice (including other activities)! Will report back.
Jan 17th, 2012, 12:31 PM
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The Sagamore was great! Thanks to all for the help and recommendations!!! It was exactly what we'd hoped for. The hotel was chic, intimate, quiet, and truly kid friendly.
For our two year olds, the pool was perfect. It is fairly small and heated (cooler weekend when we were there), and it has a very shallow wading area. The beach was of course great too (as with all South Beach), and the hotel had the sand castle pit all ready with lots of beach toys.
I think the word is out that it is kid friendly because there were more than a few families there with kids, in a hotel whose stylish appearance does not scream family friendly. It seemed to me that the non-family guests were not bothered by the kids. A nice mix of lots of folks all having a good time. Plus, all the kids seemed to be on good behavior knowing they were in a nice hotel, where you can't just scream and play marco polo in the pool at will.
Finally, I will say that when our kids are older maybe being in a bigger pool with more activities would be more fun for them. But that may be a lot of years off. For now, we are already talking about going back to the Sagamore next year.
PS. As for non-beach activities: we had a ball at Jungle Island, played on the playground off of Ocean Drive, and ran around some at Lincoln Ave.
For our two year olds, the pool was perfect. It is fairly small and heated (cooler weekend when we were there), and it has a very shallow wading area. The beach was of course great too (as with all South Beach), and the hotel had the sand castle pit all ready with lots of beach toys.
I think the word is out that it is kid friendly because there were more than a few families there with kids, in a hotel whose stylish appearance does not scream family friendly. It seemed to me that the non-family guests were not bothered by the kids. A nice mix of lots of folks all having a good time. Plus, all the kids seemed to be on good behavior knowing they were in a nice hotel, where you can't just scream and play marco polo in the pool at will.
Finally, I will say that when our kids are older maybe being in a bigger pool with more activities would be more fun for them. But that may be a lot of years off. For now, we are already talking about going back to the Sagamore next year.
PS. As for non-beach activities: we had a ball at Jungle Island, played on the playground off of Ocean Drive, and ran around some at Lincoln Ave.
