MIAMI TRAVEL DIARY: 5 Hotels To Visit

Travel heals all. I truly believe it. There’s something about transplanting yourself into a new environment that really makes your eyes open up to the world. I feel like it makes us better people, more empathetic, and truly more loving. 

So far, Dave and my goal for 2017 to travel more has been pretty on track. Although we haven’t done any large scale, 10+ hour flight trips… we’ve seen a lot so far! Adding to that list is our most recent trip to Miami. 

I’ve been to Miami before, but I always spent most of my time on the beach or at the resort I was staying at. I never ventured out, I never experienced the culture, and I never really saw anything besides the one hotel I stayed at and the airport. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but this last trip showed me that Miami is just so much more. 

Last month, Dave and I had the opportunity to go on a press trip with the Greater Miami Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. We had a jammed packed itinerary but I’m so glad we did. I got see experience Miami and its culture like never before. 

It’s no surprise that tourism is the major growth driver for Miami – so the hotels in Miami are truly what set the tone for the city. These hotels, however, are truly so much more than hotels. They’re everything you’d think – glamorous, beautiful, grand, resort relaxing… but the other side of them showed culture, vibrancy, unique opportunities, and incredible history. 

I’ve rounded up the Top 5 hotels we got to visit and the best things about each of them.

Check out my 2 min travel diary of the round up too:

A joint complex of the two hotels, the Nobu Eden Roc is a crowd fav in South Beach. Its modern architecture and covetable beach front makes for a perfect Miami getaway. We had an ocean front room and when you step out, all you see is ocean. It’s beautiful. I loved the way that the complex mixed modern style with classic accents. They also have the gorgeous Malibu Farm restaurant, one of the hotel’s signature restaurants. 

Possibly the most glamorous hotel we got to visit, hands down. From the bright red accents, the old school theatre, the Gatsby-looking bar, and the incredible Faena district, this hotel, for me, is the definition of Miami heat. 

The vibes of a boutique hotel, with the amenities of a luxury resort, the Edition is probably the most fun hotel we got to experience. Mostly because of its “Basement” entertainment hub. It takes Miami nightlife to a whole new level. Seriously. With a bowling alley and ice-skating rink (yes, like a real Canadian one), it topped the list as the most “fun” hotel, hands down. 

Literally surrounded by water and gorgeous Miami views, the Mandarin Oriental is everything you would expect from a 5 star hotel. With a infinity edge pool (sadly we didn’t get to check it out), and a gorgeous day spa, the Mandarin adds that Asian inspired serenity to the hustle of Miami. 

We had the incredible pleasure of staying at the Biltmore for the second half of our stay in Miami and boy, was it amazing. The Biltmore Hotel is actually a National Historical Lanmark in Coral Gables. It opened in 1926 and the history of the resort really shows. It’s immaculately maintained but the architecture, the decor, everything was reminiscent of Al Capone’s Miami. The building is incredible and the pool beneath the gorgeous yellow structure transports you back in time. In the hallways, they even have images of notable people and old school photos from the hotel in the 90s. SO COOL. 

On top of all of this, we got to do a night of cooking with the Biltmore Culinary Academy, which was literally the highlight of the trip! 

I always thought of Miami as a party city – somewhere people went to get really intoxicated, let loose, and come back home with it all out of their system (not really my style). But after this trip, I’ve realized that Miami is truly so much more. It’s cultured. It’s historical. It’s beautiful and it’s definitely worth another trip to explore more!