Recently my homegirl contacted me about traveling to Miami. She was looking for a place for her and her boyfriend to stay that was close to the beach and in the heart of things. She is traveling during my favorite time – Thanksgiving (I need to write that post about how to travel best! Ah! Someone remind me) and was looking for a deal.I gave her a few options and ideas, told her where I stayed, and where I would go. While I wait to hear back about her adventure let me share mine with you!
Where I stayed: Essex House
I was originally wanting to stay at the Clevelander Hotel on South Beach. I had hear so much about it and was excited to stay in a place that housed all the fun directly on South Beach. Then I read the reviews. Basically everyone loved the hotel until it was time to sleep. I guess the allure of your hotel having an indoor/outdoor bar and club is great until you want to leave the party.
That’s when I realized that the Clevelander had a sister hotel. A quieter and swankier sister hotel that was located right next to it. I was intrigued and when I checked out the pictures I was sold. Steps from the beach, with awesome double bed suites, a beautiful pool and courtyard the Essex House was to die for. PLUS you still have access to all of the perks of the Clevelander next door. So if you’re looking for a hotel located in South Beach with amazing customer service – Essex House can’t be beat.
Where I ate: Puerto Sagua
When you go to Miami you eat Cuban food – end of discussion. So I asked the dest at Essex House where we could go and he pointed me here. I was not disappointed. They have 4.5 stars on Google reviews with 5,000+ reviewers. That should tell you something. Puerto Sagua is known for their cuban coffee (duh) and their Cubano sandwiches (again duh) . I’m pretty sure I got the 1/4 Roasted Chicken. We got the ham croquettes and meat pies to share. It was delicious. Let me know what you get when you go.
Where I Shopped: Miami Design District
I never want y’all to worry about if I found a mall in any place that I visited. The answer is always and unequivocally, yes. Now normally, I am not a fan of outdoor malls (the layouts never make sense) but Miami Design District was everything! I loved the art installations, the upscale stores, and all of the intentional lounging and communal spaces. It was a space that made you want to relax but get up and go at the same time. There were also ton of award winning restaurants to choose from woven into the space. So you honestly, never have to leave. One things to keep in mind however, is that this is a district. So, you will have to cross a road or two while you shop. This makes the experience more exciting though because the stores curate their facades like interesting, over the top, and works of art. Housing a good mix of luxury and moderately priced stores this shopping experience can’t be beat.
Where I Danced: LIV Nightclub
You did not go to Miami if you did not go to LIV on Sunday. You have to go. It’s mandatory. My tips to have fun at LIV are as follows:
- DO NOT DRIVE. Take an Uber. – There is always someone famous there so valet will not care about helping you. They know they need to keep their jobs. You do not matter.
- Expect to pay…a lot. depending. – It’s the club in Miami of course you are going to pay but the amount will differ depending on who is inside. We went when Tyga was there debuting a new song sooo we PAID.
- Take the picture. – There was a step and repeat just inside the door for patrons to take pictures. At first we weren’t going to do it but we thought it would be a fun souvenir. Plus we made friends while in line.
- Explore the Club. – LIV is massive and ALWAYS filled with celebrities. Be nice and they will too but don’t be over the top. It’s weird. We saw a few reality tv stars, basketball players, rappers, and of course Insta celebs. Everyone was really cool.
- Stay til the end. – Now I know that I am one of the few people that is truly nocturnal (I’m working on it) but staying til the end of the club is so fun. You make friends with the bouncers, everyone is happy, and you get to see people you might have missed while in the club.
All in all it was an amazing experience. We danced in the middle of the floor until our feet hurt and then made friends and hung out in VIP. Just do it.
Okay. That’s all I have. Of course I went to a few other places while I was there but that’s a different post for a different day. Leave a comment if you need any recommendations. I will be happy to help!
All pictures were either taken from the entities website or a google image. I do not own any of these images.
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