SOUTH BEACH MIAMI— galentines weekend edition
What is better than galentines weekend in Miami?! Sun, sand and warm weather, you couldn’t ask for anything more! We booked a flight and packed our bags for a long weekend of fun.
We had a few tragedies on this trip such as me showing up to the airport with no ID or credit card, our hotel being cancelled the day before we left and our return flight home being cancelled so we had to rent a car and drive 12 hours to Nashville but never the less we had FUN.
First things first book an $18 Spirit flight to FLL. This is was my first time flying Spirit Airlines and it went just about how I was expecting an $18 flight to go.. the BARE minimum. Which at this point I was just so thankful to be on the flight at all considering I showed up with no ID. But in all honesty Spirit will get you to where you are going— unless there is snow storm and they cancel the flight, if you need a bag or carry on be sure to purchase this when you originally book the flight as the prices continue to increase and are highest if purchased at the airport.
Secondly, we originally booked Palihouse Miami Beach, an ADORABLE art deco boutique bay side hotel. The day before we left, we were informed the hotel was over booked and we didn’t have a reservation anymore— I wanted to add this was not the hotel but a 3rd party I had booked with, so I still HIGHLY recommend Palihouse. With 1 day before arrival on a holiday weekend we didn’t have a ton of options left so we narrowed out options down to a few places with availability.
We stayed at Pestana Miami South Beach, another art deco boutique hotel. It offered bikes and beach service but didn’t offer the charm and hospitality that Palihouse offers, IMO.
We touched down in FLL around 11pm and my friend picked us up and we headed for South Beach! This is about a 45 minute drive depending on time of day, traffic, etc.
We had a PACKED day starting early the next morning so once we got checked in we straight to bed!
Saturday
8:00am — Soul Cycle class to start our weekend! This was so fun. It was on a rooftop with incredible views in every direction. It was also a silent disco, which means you wear headphones provided by them. We had so MUCH fun! Did I mention it POURED rain most of the class?! RIP to my spray tan.
9:00am — grabbed coffee on the way back to our room from Panther Coffee! The perfect stop after an early morning.
10:45am — Brunch at Ceconni’s. Yall this is soooo much fun! Not only is this place a VIBE, they offer unlimited Aperol Spritz for $36. I mean talk about a deal. I won’t mention how many rounds we had, but we definitely got out money worth ;-) I also had the avocado toast which was very good! I would order again.
2:00pm— We went to Sagamore Hotel for a beach lounge and bagel balls — aka bagel bites these are the best!
4:47pm — my ID and credit card show up!!!!!! So thankful my dad was able to overnight it— shout out to Fedex! Literally as we’re running out the door to the Beach Club, this couldn’t have been better timing.
5:00pm — Nikki’s Beach Club for dinner/sunset. HIGHLY recommend Nikki’s Beach Club. This place is perfect for the day and night and did I mention a total VIBE? We went around 4:30pm so it would still be light outside but also so we could wear clothes. In the day most people wear bathing suits. I honestly think you’d be fine either way here. There is music, good food and drinks and beach access here. You cannot go to Miami and not stop in at a beach club!
10:00pm — hit the bed. We were dead from getting up so early/late night last night.
Sunday
8:30am — Grabbed doughnuts and bagels for breakfast in Wynwood.
Wynwood is known as the art district in Miami, there are tons of murals and art walls located here. It is easy to get lost in all things happening in Wynwood! It is a great place to stroll around for shops, food and all the sights.
The Salty Donut— as they say donuts, coffee, vibes. Adorable and SUPER YUMMY donut shop! They are taking orders at an outside window and the line was already wrapped down the street. These are craft donuts, not the typical donut run. They rotate their menu seasonally and once they are gone, they’re sold out for the day.
Bagel Club— I grabbed an everything bagel with plain cream cheese but you can make this as fun or basic as you’d like. I am ALWAYS down for a good bagel!! Worth a trip if you are too.
11:00am — Brunch at Planta. OMG this place is a MUST when in town with your girlfriends or any friends. Planta is a plant based restaurant but you won’t even know what you are missing, this place is sooo good. I highly recommend the Bang Bang Broccoli— the waiter told us this is the most popular item on the menu. I also had the crispy rice and Tourched and Pressed— which is an avocado, miso, truffle glaze sushi aka heaven in your mouth!!! They also offered unlimited rose for $25!
1:30pm — have to hit the beach in my valentines day bathing suit. The beaches are so pretty. When I thought of Miami I assumed typical east coast beaches which can be dark and not as caribbean feeling but man was I wrong. The water is so pretty! It is also hard to not find yourself caught up in the beach vibe! There is music, people, warm weather, just all around a great time!
4:30pm — Dior Café in the Miami design district. This is another area I recommend checking out for all the high end shopping. The cafe is located within the Dior store! There is also really fun art and design inspired art such as this Louis Vuitton Wall!
5:30pm — Apps and drinks at Casa Florida. This all pink and Instagram worthy place is an old Florida home converted into an adorable place for drinks and food! We had the Frozé and a charcuterie board and it was fabulous! Such a fun atmosphere to hangout and shoot an adorable IG photo! You can also reserve a table inside this fab restored bus!
8:00pm — finished the night at Palihouse for a drink at Greenbriar Swim and Social. This was a little sad to see what we were missing but omg I am so glad we went. This hotel is adorable and definitely lived up to the images/reviews I had read online. It actually came highly recommended by a FLL native. Even if you are not staying here it is a great place to grab a drink and soak in the pool vibes!
Monday
8:45am — Breakfast at Habitat in the 1hotel South Beach. Yall this hotel is beautiful. I would have loveddd to stay here. The food was organic and locally sourced too! Making this a great place to pop in and grab food on any morning. I wanted to get lost wandering through the hotel but sadly we had to head to the airport shortly after breakfast.
10:00am — head to the airport, little did we know we’d spend a few hours there just to be cancelled. They offered to fly us out on THURSDAY but I do have other responsibilities at home sooo we had to rent a car and drive home. This is our car after we drove 12+ hours and finally made it to Nashville in the beginning of a week long snow and ice storm!!!
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How to Get Around
South Beach from MIA— this is about a 20 minute drive to South Beach. This is the closest airport to fly into if you are planning on staying in Miami or South Beach.
South Beach from FLL— about a 45 minute drive to South Beach. Definitely do able if you are staying in South Beach. An uber cost around $50-80 depending on the time of day. This is something to consider if the flight is way cheaper than it may be worth the extra drive.
Renting a car vs. Ride share— uber/lyft — personally I prefer to use uber or lyft as overnight parking is very expensive and parking throughout the day can be hard to come by. Not to mention all the drinks in Miami, I prefer to not do the driving :)
Walking— While not everything is right next door you can get most places within 1 mile each way. We did some walking throughout South Beach and there are plenty of sidewalks/walking paths! I always recommend using your maps to see how long and the easiest route prior to leaving.
Overall Thoughts
My first thought was why have I waited so long to come here?! Just about everything in Miami is fabulous. There is so much to do, discover, eat and drink. I was impressed with the beaches— I did not think they would be nice. Also the little life guard stands are so fun!
Most of the restaurants we went to we sat for a few hours. This seems to be ok, some restaurants have a 2 hour time limit per table but no one actually approached us about this. Especially on the all you can drink deals, we even got another glass of wine after we signed the check at Planta.
Definitely a foodie scene. We did not eat one bad meal, I don’t even recall a mediocre meal. Make reservations in advance as most places fill up, especially on a holiday weekend. Most places are available on Opentable or Resy.
There are limited beach front properties in South Beach but do not let that deter you from booking a place you like. Almost all of the smaller, boutique hotels offer a beach service included in your stay complete with towels, chairs and an umbrella already on the beach. Definitely confirm this before booking if you are worried as I was!
I’m sure you have heard the hype of Miami just as I have but I completely understand after spending a weekend here. I am in love with Miami too and cannot wait to come back soon!
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