Category Archives: miami

cabana-ing, shopping, clubbing

cabana day at the delano

cmon...does it get any better than this?!!

CABANA-ING –

after a couple of days of hanging with the college kids, the sophisticated Delano was dreamy and a breath of fresh air. i booked a day cabana – which alone is worth every penny – but comes with many perks and privileges that only hotel guests enjoy. i had the best bloody mary ever upon arrival and almost every hour the staff bring by little treats for you such as frozen berries or better yet frozen rum slushies. DIVINE! we also indulged in half hour massages in a private cabana by the pool. between people watching, amazing ‘you are the most important person in the world’ service and constant laughter – this was the BEST DAY EVER! so good that we had to return that evening after freshening up to have cocktails poolside in the perfect evening air. shout outs go to sam, granville, soledad & mario who make us all feel like a million bucks.

SHOPPING –

as i have mentioned before, warm weather destinations are the BEST for swimsuit shopping. i had scoped out a new place to try – Bikini Beach near the Ritz Hotel – they were listed in the recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit addition so i had high hopes. sadly, this was a huge disappointment…don’t waste your precious beach/pool time! go straight to Runway Swimwear at 1625 collins ave. not only is the selection amazing – never has swimsuit shopping been so fun. the ladies that work there are able to size you up as to what will fit and look best.

TRIP TIP – another not to be missed shopping destination in Miami is So Good Jewelry at 532 lincoln road. pack your cute summery dresses but leave your costume jewelry at home ladies. go have some fun at So Good completing your outfit. remember in Miami where jewelry is concerned – more is more! So Good has a HUGE selection and it’s really inexpensive. i got the cutest bracelet on my february visit to Miami and then saw the very same bracelet while in Vegas for three times the price! i like to say “So Good is soooo good”!!

CLUBBING –

so as suspected…the club scene was a bit more hard-core than usual given Ultra. we managed to get on the list to the Florida Room one evening and popped into Louis Bar/Lounge late night one evening for one last dance. Ultra dj’s really weren’t our scene so we weren’t disappointed with the lack of club visits this trip. the hotel lobby and outdoor bar scene is so good – it’s hard to top! we enjoyed time at the W hotel & Shore Club but the top of our list and most of our time was spent at the various bars of the wonderful Delano. cannot say enough great things about this amazing hotel!!

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Late March – get ready Miami…here she comes – AGAIN!

on the docket:

staying – Gansevoort Miami Beach – a sweet suite booked through www.southbeachluxuryhotels.com

eating – sra. martinez, barton g, prime 112, mr. chow – all booked through opentable.com – will report back with thoughts.

surfing – AGAIN! because i want to learn – OK, OK

cabana-ing – AGAIN! because why wouldn’t you???

shopping – some usual haunts as well as in search of the oh-so-sexy sport illustrated bikinis just in the march issue.  have a lead on a good place – bikini beach on lincoln road – stay tuned.

clubbinglouis bar/lounge and set nightclub are on the agenda but this week could be tricky…ultra music festival…good or bad – i’ll letcha know!

tempting – deal i came across…ideeli miami VIP experience.  the boat cruise was the most appealing but i have to say these deals are a bit “luck of the draw”…would be fantastic to have leads on what to do any time you take a trip to a special destination.

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Early February – Miami Beach, FL

HELLO SUNSHINE!  they don’t call it the sunshine state for nothin’

when i think of Miami i think of the beach and blue-green ocean, art deco, lounge music absolutely EVERYWHERE, pool scenes abounding and an anything goes attitude!

it depends on your budget – do you want to stay somewhere swanky (there are PLENTY of choices) or spend your money other ways – if you have to pick and choose.  i choose a deal on accommodations but feel location is key!  become a member of jetsetter.com and travelzoo.com and watch for deals.  also, many of the individual hotel websites list their own deals and packages – so check those out too.  another good tip once you’ve booked your reservation – if you have any special requests, have the hotel note them.  i was in Miami to celebrate my birthday and the hotel we stayed in sent a bottle of champagne and birthday cake to our room – happy birthday to me!  also, use the concierge for anything you need…that’s why they are there.  the more i travel the more i realize – if you just ask you will probably get what you want or need – but remember to ask with a smile!!!

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get your groove on – SOBE style

besides the obvious – go to the beach, sit by the pool…musts for Miami are eating out in some of the wonderful fusion restaurants (ie – asia de cuba, which this visit, i scored a discount voucher for dinner for 2 on travelzoo.com), checking out some of the lounge scenes at the various collins ave. hotels and maybe hitting one of the famous clubs!  there is also excellent shopping.  i love swimsuit shopping in warm locales such as this – best choices around!  new find – runway swimwear on lincoln road.

TRIP TIP – it’s a good idea to book your dinner reservations ahead of your trip. Miami is a late night town but the dinner time slots you may be interested in (7-9ish) go very quickly.  you don’t want to be eating dinner at 5 0r 11…at least i don’t .  i want to be ready to grab a drink near a chill hotel pool and then off to dance a bit at one of the clubs.  opentable.com is a great resource for booking your reservations in advance.  another resource for discounts on food and activities for Miami is giltcity.com/miami

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cowabunga!!!

surfing lessons were at the top of my list this year as something new to try that’s authentically Miami.  we had an amazing and affordable lesson that was 2.5 hours long with Marcello of EZride surf school – ezridesurfschool.com. practically anyone can do this and it wasn’t overly exerting and SO MUCH FUN!

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