Couples Weekend in Miami – Things To Do

“Party in the city where the heat is on

All night, on the beach till the break of dawn

Welcome to Miami”

-Will Smith

Things to do in Miami!

This might be a slightly longer blog post than some of our others but that’s because we absolutely love Miami! We’ve been here a few times now. Again, this is another spot you can go for a couples getaway or for a guys/girls trip. We will stick to the couples trip in this post…for now. So if you’re heading down to Miami for a quick warm getaway, check out our tips for things to do in Miami and favorite places below!

Getting Here:

From our experience, its been cheaper to fly into Fort Lauderdale airport and Uber down to South Beach (SoBe). Don’t know if that applies to everyone from around the country but check it out. We’ve saved anywhere from $100 to $200 per ticket by flying to Fort Lauderdale. The Uber/Lyft is only about a 45 minute drive from Fort Lauderdale Airport to South Beach and costs between $30-40 for a ride. We never rented a car but will consider it next time we’re down there.

Staying Here:

What you need to know first:
Do your research on the hotel you want to stay at. Pay attention to the reviews and ratings. We say this because many of the hotels are dated, especially on or around Ocean Ave. If you see some hotels way more expensive than others but are really close to each other it’s probably because one has been renovated and the other hasn’t. Also, and we hate to creep anyone out but there are cockroaches in the alleys, especially between Ocean Ave. And Collins Ave. We were told by our hotel to keep our windows closed to make sure they don’t fly up into our room. Luckily we haven’t had any problems! That said…

Best Places to Stay:

Hilton Bentley
Marriott Stanton
These two are right next to each other on Ocean Ave and oceanfront. They are clean and modern and have excellent rooms. Everything you’d expect from a Hilton or Marriott. However, they’re not the cheapest option in Miami Beach. You’ll get the best prices here in the summer time. Our favorite thing about these two is that they are right next to Nikki Beach. More on that later.  

Best Budget Place to Stay:

Metropole
We like this place because its in a great location on Collins Ave (only a block away from Ocean Ave) and it’s a nice clean and contemporary hotel with cool rooms. The room we stayed in was a 1 bed/1 bath with a little kitchen area and living area. Felt like we can live in this little apartment. Also partial ocean views!

Top Restaurants Recommendations:

Natty’s Favorite Vegan Restaurants:

• Plant Theory 
  • Look for the pink umbrellas outside of the restaurant. They also have outdoor seating between the next building, which makes for a cozier spot. Nachos are a must according to Natty and Dan likes the “pulled pork” burger, which is actually jackfruit. Both are delicious.
• Lilikoi Organic Living
  • They have a great selection here and option of indoor or outdoor seating (covered). The nachos are great here too according to Natty lol.
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Dan’s Favorite Restaurants (Non-Vegan):

• Naked Taco
  • Ok so we BOTH love this place. First place we go to after checking into our hotel. Tacos and a pitcher of margarita. DONE. The tacos are bomb and the margaritas are delicious.

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Big Pink

• Great diner for breakfast or brunch with reasonable prices. They also have outdoor seating available. This place fills up on Saturday’s and Sunday’s.

* BONUS: La Playa Market

• After Big Pink, head north on Collins Ave and you’ll see La Playa Market on your right. Go in for some authentic and delicious cortaditos (Cuban espresso). Photo opportunity along the way!
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Honorable Mention:

• Lincoln Road Mall
  • Such a cool spot to go to in the evening. Go for a walk, shopping, eating, and/or drinking. You can do it all here. Several blocks of pedestrian only shops and restaurants. It’ll be hard to pick a spot to park it but you won’t be disappointed regardless.

Best Photo Locations:

• Ocean Drive
  • When you think Miami, you instantly think Ocean Drive. Street full of restaurants, bars, and hotels. A party is always going on here.
  • The Gianni Versace Mansion is on the corner of Ocean and 11th. The place has stunning architecture, perfect for a Instagram post. There is also a restaurant here serving lunch and dinner. We ran out of time to visit this place, but it is on our list to go back and visit.
• South Pointe Park Pier
  • At the southern most tip of Miami Beach, this is an awesome spot to catch the sun setting behind the downtown Miami skyline. Also a cool park where you can easily set up a camera and snap some shots.
• South Pointe Beach
  • This is an obvious one but take a stroll along the beach early in the morning and get some shots on the cool lifeguard stands. All of them are different style and colors so you can pick out which one you like best. Also, some of the softest sand in Miami Beach is at South Pointe Beach!
• BONUS: Wynwood
  • If you’re up for a little drive outside of Miami Beach, Wynwood won’t disappoint you. This art district is filled with graffiti murals on just about every building. Walk around and stumble upon stunning artwork or take a tour. There are also some shops and restaurants around if you need a break.
• BONUS: Crandon Park Beach
  • This is on Key Biscayne so it is a drive outside of Miami Beach but we think it’s worth it! So cool to be on the beach with so many palm trees around. Something Miami Beach doesn’t really have. You can take some cool pictures and videos here.

Nightlife/Daylife

Miami is a big party city, especially Miami Beach. There’s a place to party day and night, or literally 24/7 (see below). Its almost impossible to check out every spot in Miami Beach because there’s so many but we can try lol! So here are our highly recommended party spots to party at:

Places to Party by Day

• Nikki Beach
  • Hands down this is a must when you go down to Miami Beach. World Famous Mojitos! ‘Nuff said lol. Go here for Sunday brunch – we’re not kidding. This is an absolute party going on here with live musicians playing along to the DJ’s track. Also live dancers dressed up in the most amazing costumes. Cabanas and daybeds available here and it’s a celebration every time they bring a bottle out to someone. We found that its more poppin’ here during the summer months.

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The Clevelander

• OK, so full disclosure we haven’t been here, but we’ve been close enough to feel the energy. This place is on our Miami bucket list, I don’t know why we haven’t gone here for a drink. Every time we walk by this place is bumpin’! Music full blast, pool, and dancers. Definitely a party vibe, come here for a good time.

Places to Party at Night

• Sugar
  • Probably the coolest rooftop bar we’ve been to. Although it’s located in downtown Miami, its worth the drive. The views from here are simply amazing and they have top notch cocktails here. Also they have a lot of plants around here to make the setting more intimate. More of a cocktail and chill spot than a dance club.
• Wet Deck Lounge
  • 50 floors up! You’ll def get awesome city views from here while dancing the night away to the great music. They have an outdoor bar by the pool so don’t get too turnt up and fall in lol! They play a mix of EDM and hip-hop here for a great vibe. Again you’ll have to Uber/Lyft here since this place is in downtown Miami.

All Day (But Mostly Night)

• E11even
  • This place is another world lol and this world is open 24/7. Big performers and DJs perform here so check the website for when a headliner is coming through. They have acrobatic performances in the center of the club with girls hanging from the ceiling. I believe its called “Corde Lisse” lol. But its truly incredible. The whole club just stops and watches the cirque du soleil like performance. ALSO, they have a rooftop bar in case you’re not into whats going on inside. We’ve done both and loved both so its your choice.

There ya have it, that’s Miami for you in a weekend. Plenty to do here in a weekend. You might need a vacation after this vacation! Let us know if you have any questions or comments, post them here.

Check out some of our other posts to help you plan your next trip.

Cheers,

Dan