Where to stay in Miami in December?
 

Hello

We will be in Miami on 8 and 9 December and plan to stay in either South Beach or Coconut Grove. Which area would you recommend?

By way of background, we're in our early thirties, live in London (UK) and are stopping in Miami en route from the Caribbean. We're not really into clubbing but do like nice restaurants and sightseeing.

Our budget is $100-$175 a night but, from a quick look on Tripadvisor, most of the hotels seemed to be quite a lot more!

Also, how much are taxis? (eg from airport to South Beach/airport to Coconut Grove).

Any advice or suggestions would be gratefully received!

Thanks

South Beach caters to the Gay community, Coconut Grove is the artsy- upscale crowd. Both places are very easily accessible to each other. You can stay anywhere in Miami, not necessarily Coconut Grove or So.Beach, Miami in general and get all over very easily and cheaply. There's a tri-rail system (train) that goes to all and every location down there, including the Statium, Miami Center for the preforming Arts, Playhouse, Viscaya, Zoo, Cuban quarters, beach, etc. I can't imagine paying for a cab. The tri-rail stations are right by I95 main interstate,even connectable from the airport. Sometimes a bus connecting with the tri-rail fare is necessary but it's incredibly easy and all stations are patroled with officials for information & directions. You can go as far as Palm Beach & back in a breeze,and any town in between, safe, clean highly recommended. I'm going to Europe on Tuesday and I leave my car at the W.P.B. station, hop on the tri-rail to Miami Airport, free parking, for 21 days. Done it many times, never a problem.

That is Art Basel weekend, and anything you find in South Beach at that price point will probably be the bottom of the barrel, if you can find anything at all. The exhibits are centered at Miami Beach, so it will be the most crowded area, although it will overflow to Miami proper. It might be something you would like to check out.

Coconut Grove might be a more affordable option that weekend, maybe Coral Gables. See if you find any hotels and then ask about them here. All bets are off that weekend in terms of normal prices and occupancy. Maybe Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood?

I have to disagree - South Beach caters to an international clientele, and Coconut Grove hasn't been particularly artsy for at least 2 decades. And our public transportation is woefully inadequate.

Thanks for your replies. We've never heard of Art Basel but have just googled it and it sounds great. Do you know how we can buy tickets?

From what you say, we will probably avoid staying in Miami Beach. We may look into downtown Miami - any thoughts? As we arrive at 3pm on 8th, we really only have 1.5 days so don't want to be too far from the 'action' by staying in FL or Hollywood!

Bit confused as to whether public transport is an option given the two responses above :)

Thanks again

I agree with amcc that a room on your budget will be impossible to find on South Beach that weekend. I suggest North Beach area up to Bal Harbour or Omni Area on the mainland. Both areas are roughly 4 miles from South Beach and are easily accessible by bus or taxi.
If you're adventurous, I would try Priceline and bid for 3 STAR OR MORE ONLY. Study bidding strategies on Biddingfortravel.com and you might end up with a great deal.
Art Basel is a real special time to be in South Beach. The art, energy, and parties are world class. Many of the events are free, just get the flyers and newspaper during that weekend. I suggest looking around and seeing where people are congregating, probably on Collins Ave between 14th and 17th Streets. Don't be afraid to walk in any of the hotels. Definitely check out the scenes at the Delano and Sagamore.

I agree with aarc: Coconut Grove is your best bet. South Beach is international, true though it is a gay community, international or national,not that there's anything wrong with that. The public transportation is excellent. Busses connect from the Tri-rail with the same fare, all are guarded by security, very friendly & accomadating, especially to tourist for directions & inquires.There's absolutely no danger and it's set up for travelers with luggage racks, well announced station stops to take anyone anywhere. Most important, pay for the fare. Buy the ticket, wackenhut, the cops on the train check.Coconut Grove is lovely, many good restaurants, shopping real tropical sites,etc. call 1-800-tri-rail, or tri-rail.com for more info.

Art Basel is great. The actual exhibit space is at the Convention Center in Miami Beach and you can buy tickets at the door. Even if contemporary art isn't your thing, it's worth it. The satellite exhibits are fantastic too, many are free, some are officially affiliated with Art Basel, some not. Do as mentioned above and walk around to where the people are. I know that in the last couple of years a popular installation has been cargo containers on the beach, each hosted by a gallery.

Hi again

We're still looking into hotels for 8 and 9 December and are strongly considering staying in Downtown area - we have found a couple of hotels on Expedia within our price range ($100-$175, but preferably towards the lower end!) that have availability.

We appreciate there may not be much to do in that area but it seems to be the best option as a base for getting to South Beach, Little Havana and Coconut Grove (the areas we'd like to visit) as well as being fairly close to the airport.

Any thoughts?!

Which hotels are you considering in downtown? Hotel listings for downtown cover a very large area. There are 3 main areas : Omni (North), Central Business District (CBD -downtown proper), and Brickell (South). Most of the hotels are easily accessible to public transportation. Just hop on the free metromover it connects to busses (to South Beach)and metrorail train (to Coconut Grove) The hotels in your price range are in CBD . For the most part they are serviceable places, nothing fancy, few amenities, and cater mainly to cruise passengers. Bay views are spectacular!

One important note is to AVOID THE CONTINENTAL BAYSIDE. A truly miserable hotel that will guarantee you will have an awful time. Its old, musty, dirty. I have friends that naively booked there and they had to leave after one night. Remember you get what you pay for.

Taxi fares in the US are so much more reasonable than in London. Of course, our cabbies don't have to pass the Knowledge and we don't have 4 pound/gallon gas.

There's also Supershuttle, a cheaper shared van door to door service, which I'm guessing is probably around $20.

http://www.supershuttle.com/

Thanks for your replies and transport tips. The hotel I think we'll go for is on Brickell Avenue.

What does CBD stand for?!

Also, we've booked a table at Wish restaurant for our last night but can anyone recommend a restaurant for our first night? (max. $80 for a meal for 2).

Try Tantra. Outstanding and just super cool.

Public transportation in Miami is a joke at best. Tri Rail has to share the railways with the other trains and will sometimes have to wait for an hour for another train to pass.

Don't even think about bus or tri rail at night.

I just checked hotwire and they have some hotels for decent rates in Coral Gables and Coconut Grove.

Also, try Key Biscayne. You may find a cool mom and pop hotel for a good rate.

Art Basel is fantastic and most of the good stuff is free.

South Beach can be very expensive.

That said, you really need to think about renting a car. Public transportation in Miami sucks.

Art Basel is fantastic and has events not only on the Beach but also in the Design District which is North of Downtown Miami and west of Miami Beach.
I agree with everyone on Public transportation - taxis are the way to go or you could rent a car - driving is easy and there are many large parking lots on Miami Beach.
For a hotel also try all of Miami Beach, Sunny Isles, Surfside, and Aventura.
South Beach caters to everyone - especially tourists - there is something for everyone babies on up.

I've stayed at Winterhaven in South Beach. If it still has any rooms, I would grab one. Miami Beach is nearby and would be my next choice. Check www.hotwire.com and pick something in your price range that's at least 3 stars.