The Miami Guide (+ Bonus Palm Beach Escape)
miami beach house
Miami is a city of contrasts: an immigrant gateway turned cultural hub, where art, design, food, and nightlife collide. It’s also one of the U.S.’s most glamorous playgrounds, especially during Art Basel. Whether you’re here to party, shop, or just soak up the sun, here’s my curated guide to Miami, and a Palm Beach bonus for those craving a quieter escape.
Miami: A Peek at My Absolute Favorites
Whether you’re visiting for the first time or you’ve been a dozen times for sun, art, and nightlife, Miami always delivers. This is my love letter to the city that raised me on stone crabs, sunset dinners, and late nights that somehow flow into brunch.
The Bass Museum
Start in mid-beach at this modern art museum. Compact enough for an afternoon but always inspiring, with rotating exhibitions that bring big names and fresh perspectives.
Joe’s Stone Crab
An institution since 1913. Order the stone crabs (obviously), creamed spinach, and key lime pie. No trip feels complete without it.
Zak The Baker
This Wynwood bakery is an anchor for mornings in Miami. Grab a coffee and a chocolate babka, then wander the murals nearby.
Design District
Luxury shopping meets art installations. Don’t miss the Dior Café rooftop or the ICA Miami. Even if you’re not buying, it’s the best place to browse and people-watch.
The Miami Beach EDITION
My favorite stay for the ultimate Miami mix: sleek rooms, beachfront access, ice skating and bowling downstairs, and Jean-Georges dining. Book through me for Fora perks: resort credit, daily breakfast, and upgrades.
Mandolin Aegean Bistro
A 1930s house turned Greek/Turkish restaurant with a garden patio that feels transported from the Aegean. Order the meze platter and a glass of rosé.
Kiki on the River
Boho-chic day parties on the Miami River. Perfect when you want the club vibe but with sunshine and mezze.
Amara at Paraiso
One of the best sunset views in the city, paired with Latin American flavors. Order a caipirinha and watch the sky change colors over Biscayne Bay.
Wynwood Walls & Rubell Museum
Two ways to experience Miami’s art scene: Wynwood for bold street murals and Rubell for the largest private contemporary art collection in the country.
Club Space
An after-hours institution where DJs play until sunrise. If you want the full Miami nightlife experience, this is it.
Where to stay, and what each neighborhood gets you
Miami is not one place, and the neighborhood you pick decides the trip more than the hotel does.
South Beach if it is your first visit and you want to walk to the water, the Art Deco district and the restaurants. It is also the loudest and the most expensive per square foot, and the blocks closest to Ocean Drive are the ones I would avoid.
Mid-Beach if you want the beach without the noise. It is a short drive from South Beach, the hotels are calmer and generally better value, and the Bass is right there.
The Design District and the Upper East Side if you are here for the art, the shopping and the food rather than the sand. You will need a car or a ride for the beach, but the restaurants are where the city is most interesting right now.
Brickell if you are here for work or want a city stay with skyline views and easy walking to dinner. It is not a beach trip.
Coconut Grove if you are traveling with family or want the old, green, low-rise Miami. Tree canopy, sailing, and none of the scene.
Key Biscayne if the point is the beach and nothing else. It is a bridge away from everything, which is either the appeal or the problem.
When to come, and when I would not
December through April is the season, and it is the season for a reason. Dry, warm, low humidity, everything open. It is also when the rates are highest, and the first week of December belongs entirely to Art Basel, which is worth planning around in one direction or the other. If you are not coming for the fair, come before or after it.
May and November are the value months and are still genuinely good.
June through October is hot and humid in a way that changes how you can spend a day, and it overlaps with hurricane season, which in practice means occasional disruption rather than constant drama. Rates drop a lot. If you are flexible and insured, it is not a bad trade.
Getting around
You need a car or you need to be comfortable with rides, and you should assume the causeways between the mainland and the beaches will be slow at the times you most want to cross them. Plan dinner on the side of the water you are sleeping on unless the restaurant is the point.
The train to West Palm Beach makes the Palm Beach part of this trip easy without a car, and it is a far more pleasant hour than driving I-95.
What I would skip
Ocean Drive, for anything other than a walk to look at the buildings. Any club where someone hands you a flyer. Bayside Marketplace. And I would skip driving to the Keys as a day trip, because it is three hours each way and you will have seen a parking lot and a bridge.
How we book Miami
This is the city I grew up in, so the bookings we do here tend to be about which side of the hotel your room is on, which pool is the quiet one, and getting the reservation at Joe’s without the two hour wait. On a preferred property you are also looking at breakfast, a resort or dining credit, and an upgrade when one is free, at the same rate you would pay direct.
Get in touch and tell me the dates, or start with my Substack guides if you would rather plan it yourself.
Deep Dive into Miami: Tune in on Substack
Want my full Miami guide with hotel picks, Art Basel tips, and seasonal itineraries? Subscribe on Substack to discover it all, plus a bonus Palm Beach escape for when you need a breather from the scene.
Miami: Sun, Culture & Late Nights
Miami has been a constant in my life, equal parts energy, art, and escape. From stone crabs and sunsets to Art Basel and all-night dancing, the city never stops reinventing itself. Whether it’s your first trip or your fifth, there’s always something new to discover.
Ready to plan your Miami adventure?
Let me help you design a stay that’s vibrant, stylish, and full of unforgettable moments.
Reach out to start planning
With love, Michelle
