Stay in the Beach’s Cheapest Boutique Hotels

See Wikipedia to ready yourself for the Miami experience; the people’s encyclopedia characterizes boutique hotels as, “intimate, usually luxurious or quirky.” Thanks, wiki. These hotels promise the boutique experience at a fraction of its usual cost.

The Albion Hotel
One of Miami’s most exceptional deco offerings, the Albion is a centrally-located bargain. All of its rooms have been professionally designed to suit the boutique clientele and its beach- and Ocean Drive- adjacent location provides unbeatable access to nightlife, area galleries, and SoBe’s unique shopping. Plus, a cycle of America’s Next Top Model filmed there, and we all know that Tyra knows best.

The Circa 39
This updated hotel is mere steps from the beach, and within walking distance of SoBe’s major offerings. In true boutique spirit, Circa’s decor is both quirky and inviting; while the lobby features some more esoteric furnishings, the rooms are white and plush. Guests will want to make time to enjoy the hotel’s outdoor pool, sundeck, and fully stocked bar and lounge.

The Hotel Nash
Though the Hotel Nash opened in 1999, it manages to conjure the sort of Art Deco nostalgia that made South Beach famous. The hotel is small and personalized, with a lobby-level restaurant that rivals SoBe’s best. For rates that usually fall under the $200 mark, you can enjoy the beachside Deco scene, a garden atmosphere, and, perhaps most enticingly, access to Nash’s three awesome spa pools.

South Beach Cafés: Fast, Cheap, and Good

By virtue of geography, Miami hosts the country’s richest hub of Cuban culture. Its Cuban eateries are consistently authentic and moderately priced. Try a Cuban sandwich or get a midnight burger at these South Beach spots.

News Café

The News Café is located at a prestigious Ocean Drive address, but it still manages to lower the bottom line on delicious beachside fare. What’s more, it’s open 24 hours and is a trusted post-bar stop for discerning South Beachers. As its name suggests, the café offers its patrons a variety of international newspapers to peruse over morning coffee or late-night eggs. Entrée prices hover around $10, and you can get an innovative coffee cocktail for $8.

David’s Café

With Collins Avenue and Lincoln Road locations, Davi’s provides easy access to a full Cuban menu. Its $8 Cuban sandwich garners rave reviews, and its most expensive menu item is a $19 Churrasco. Like the News Café, it’s open 24 hours to sate the club crowd. Curiosities like papaya and mamey shakes cost around $5, and for the less adventurous it’s got a good burger and sandwich selection. For a wholly Cuban experience, try David’s breakfast dishes and fresh juices.

Non-Beach Attractions on the Cheap

It’s easy and cost-effective to spend your days on the white sand, but it might get boring. Mix it up with a bang-for-your-buck sightseeing cruise and a trip to one of the country’s finest zoological establishments.

The Island Queen Cruise

This $22, 90 minute cruise is the surest way to view the most exclusive parts of Miami Beach, most notably the famed “Millionaires’ Row” island homes. Narrated in both English and Spanish, the Island Queen tours the Biscayne Bay at a leisurely pace and provides its guests with plenty of picture-taking vistas. It’s certainly a basic tourist attraction, but it will show you more of Miami than you could ever hope to see on your own. Plus, the Island Queen undertakes several sojourns a day, so you can always fit it into your schedule.

Miami Metrozoo

Miami’s extensive zoo houses a multitude of exotic mammals; that guy is an Okapi, a giraffe relative long thought to be extinct. Because it’s the U.S.’s only subtropical zoo, it’s got more hosting capabilities than its counterparts in colder climates. For under $15 per adult, you can check out gibbons, koalas, and pygmy hippopotamuses. Save $2 off your admission with an online coupon, and then promptly spend it feeding greens to giraffes.

Beer Bars and Dives: Miami’s Cheapest Nightlife

Meet some locals, drink for pennies, and avoid the club crowds. Miami’s dives are all-around winners. These are conveniently located on the beach’s main drags.

Zeke’s Roadhouse

Take it from a Miami native reviewer on Yelp: “Zeke’s should not exist. It’s too perfect.” It’s perfect, that is, if you’re a beer drinker and a fan of dive establishments. Zeke’s Lincoln Road location places it in Miami’s nightlife epicenter, but it somehow manages to thrive without serving $15 fruity cocktails. Expect to pay $3 for a microbrew and enjoy a huge selection of both bottles and drafts. Just don’t try to pay with plastic.

Free Spirits Sports Café

Miami’s premier British Pub is more of a neighborhood bar than a SoBe club, in spite of its Collins Park-adjacent location. Its low-key atmosphere has inspired a devoted following, many of whom hit the bar every night. Free Spirits is equally appealing for music and sports enthusiasts; it hosts Rockabilly nights, has a great punk rock jukebox, and also televises plenty of sporting events. For a quieter night, head to the game room for darts, billiards, or a board game.

When looking to book hotels in Miami, don’t miss the deals at Hotels Cheap.

6. The Specialist, 1994

b>IMDB Tagline: “The government taught him to kill. Now he’s using his skills to help a woman seek revenge against the Miami underworld.”

Post-roid Stallone stars as Ray Quick, a CIA explosives expert tasked with the impossibly awesome feat of blowing up a drug lord. His partner in the operation, portrayed by wily James Woods, undermines Ray by going through with the mission after the pair discover a little girl in the drug lord’s car. The little girl explodes, disillusioning poor Ray, who leaves the agency for freelance work in sunny Miami. He remedies his former partner’s ills by never making a mistake when blowing people up for money. Seriously. Look at how localized and precise this explosion is:

Along the line, he meets the severely wronged Sharon Stone, whose character is unfortunately named May. May’s parents were murdered by a Miami drug lord and, as deus would have it, James Woods happens to be working for the very same drug lord. Ray and May fall in love whilst trying to bring down the baddies, there’s a bit of a double cross, and in the end they manage to exact vengeance on that bastard James Woods.

Bonus: reportedly inspired Interpol’s kick-ass song of the same name.

Reenact Your Favorite Moments: It’s bound to be fairly tame, since drug lords are really the only dudes you can explode without fear of legal reproach. Now, don’t get any ideas, because you’re not an expert, and Dimebag Dan down the street is not on any federal want lists. Either you can sit by the Venetian Pool stroking a tennis racket, or you can take a more active, altruistic approach:

Ride around on public transportation, “taking out the trash” Sly-style. The city of Miami will either thank you or incarcerate you, depending on your character and salesmanship.

5. Striptease, 1996

IMDB Tagline: “Some People Get Into Trouble No Matter What They WEAR.”

This movie sucks. In its defense (sort of), it’s reportedly less-than-faithfully adapted from a wildly successful comedic novel, dumbed down for the movie-going audience. Fortunately, it’s peppered with sleaze and Burt Reynolds, who plays a corrupt and murderous politician. Demi Moore plays a troubled heroine, who, despite her steady job and government salary somehow loses custody of her child (portrayed by biological daughter Rumer Willis) to her wheelchair thief ex-husband. That isn’t a strange euphemism; the guy actually steals wheelchairs and sells them, kind of like Bubbles and shopping carts on “Trailer Park Boys.”

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

And, finally, Exhibit C:

To get her kid back from that guy, Moore’s character takes a job at a strip club with the unbelievably evocative moniker “Eager Beaver.” Because this is a Miami B-movie, she finds herself embroiled in a far-reaching political scandal, albeit a very sexy one. Eventually, you know, she gets her daughter back and our mustachioed friend Burt heads to the big house. Ah, justice.

Reenact your favorite moments: Well, obviously, go to a strip club. For entertainment’s sake, make it one with an absurd name. Popular choices in Miami city limits include the Booby Trap, the Pink Pony, and, apparently, Yoekris Reminders, whatever the hell that means.

4. True Lies, 1994

IMDB Tagline: “When he said I do, he never said what he did.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger possesses an unparalleled ability to insert himself into the American idiom, despite his super-thick Austrian accent. Our public will buy him in any patriotic role, including CIA agent and governor. Here, Arnold’s at his most glorious, a secret “Omega Sector” agent married to Jamie Lee Curtis and tangoing with Tia Carrere whilst simultaneously saving the country from evil dentist terrorists, as shown below:

Over the film’s course, our Arnold dispels the threats of Kazakh nuclear warheads, a Palestinian terrorist faction, a wife-stealing chancer played by Bill Paxton, and a sexy but morally bankrupt villainess played by Carrere. The whole mess climaxes in sunny Miami, where Arnold and a military cohort must thwart a terrorist convoy and save Jamie Lee from hostage-hood. As the film’s trailer suggests, all of this action is rooted in lighthearted, familiar comedy of domesticity:

American Arnold may be a super-spy, but his greatest challenge is keeping the spice in his marriage. You get the idea.

Reenact your favorite moments: Unless you’re a billionaire, it’s unlikely you’ll get access to a Harrier to fly through Miami. Why not rent a car and take a ride on the Overseas Highway? As its name suggests, it’s comprised of bridges, and it’s sure to conjure the explosive imagery of True Lies. Plus, it takes you to the Keys.

3. Married to the Mob, 1988

IMDB Tagline: “It’s the Godfather on laughing gas.”

This movie may reek of New York, but its most memorable scenes are wholly Miami. Like when a bereft Mercedes Ruehl blindly shoots up a South Beach hotel room, half-aiming for her estranged husband. While it’s nominally about Michelle Pfeiffer’s mob widow and Matthew Modine’s wussy FBI agent, Ruehl’s Connie is by far the best part. She effectively de-balls her mob boss husband, wrings the shit out of a carton of eggs, and frightens Pfeiffer at every turn. That’s why it’s so brilliant when she shows up, frizzed and fuming, in the pastel 80’s hotel suite where she believes Pfeiffer’s sleeping with her hubs.

Genius. Look at how nuts she is:

Of course, Connie is ultimately sort of unsung. Pfeiffer’s Angela gets all the credit for bringing down the mafia, as well as the new boyfriend with the safe government job.

Reenact your favorite moments: Leave the firearms home and take your mistress to a South Beach boutique hotel. If she’s game and you’re a mob boss, you guys will probably have a good time. Be sure to buy her some expensive jewelry, take your sartorial cues from 1988, and hire David Byrne to score the whole affair.

2. Wild Things, 1998

IMDB Tagline: “Sie würden für ihr Leben gern mit dir spielen! (No Risk, No Fun)”

We’ll never know why the tagline is in German, but consider it a prelude to this movie’s general strangeness. It’s impossible to enumerate the plot twists in a movie that is, essentially, about plot twists. Well, plot twists and threesomes. Suffice it to say that Denise Richards is pretty evil, Neve Campbell is really evil, Matt Dillon is also really evil, and Kevin Bacon is an idiot. If ill-conceived and convoluted plot twists aren’t really your bag, you might still enjoy the movie’s…ahem, visually stimulating qualities. Check out the trailer:

It’s a South Florida classic for paying lip service to swamp-dwellers, and its girls-in-pool scene will live on in raunchy countdown shows for eternity. Plus, there’s plenty of murdering, so it’s never boring.

Reenact your favorite moments: Make a pilgrimage to the filming location, the school with the creepiest name in history, Ransom Everglades. Or, if you don’t want to be arrested for loitering around an educational institution, charter a really awesome yachtand pretend to poison your friends as you sail into the sunset.

1. Miami Blues, 1990

IMDB Tagline: “Real badge. Real gun. Fake cop.”

Words fail this movie and its sheer awesomeness. For starters, this piece of cinematic genius features Alec Baldwin as the vaguest anti-hero ever committed to screen and Jennifer Jason Leigh as, uh, a really nice prostitute. Over the course of the film, Baldwin’s Fred Frenger (that name!) inexplicably fells Hare Krishna, enacts cop-like justice on a would-be attacker, and pretends to Robin-Hooding only to steal women’s purses. All of this action is in the name of avowed self-service, as the trailer will tell you:

The trailer doesn’t really get at how gory and sick this movie (at its best) actually is. Fortunately for the internet audience, this clip contains a lot of violence:

If you’re not clear on the essence or direction of Alec’s character, that’s really okay. It doesn’t seem like the film’s writers were, either. And really, aren’t the scariest villains the ones we just can’t understand?

Reenact your favorite moments: Head to Miami Twice to pick out a good vintage psycho outfit, preferably in suited pastels and with a matching pair of aviators. After you’ve done this, it’s best to walk around purposefully with a briefcase grinning at people. Bonus points for renting an 80’s sports car.

If you plan to visit Miami to reenact (or perhaps film) your own B-movie, be sure to save on your hotel by booking online at Hotels Cheap.

The far-off Key West is only a 3+ hour drive from Miami, and the islands between the two popular destinations house the country’s best beaches and recreation areas. Rent a car in the city and plot a southbound route on US 1, even if only for a day.

Key Largo

Distance from Miami: 52 miles, about 1 hour

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Close-by Pennekamp offers the full experience of South Florida’s natural wonders. Key Largo’s visitors can enjoy glass bottom boat tours on a high speed catamaran, snorkeling tours through living reefs, and designated fishing and swimming sectors. For anyone who wants to stay the night, the park provides over 40 campgrounds within walking distance of its white sand beaches. With its wealth of available amusements, Pennekamp is the perfect escape from urban Miami.

Spiegel Grove
According to the source itself, “The USS Spiegel Grove is a Landing Ship Dock which has been sunk to create an artificial reef in Key Largo.” If you ever thought that the opening scenes of Titanic were cool-looking, Spiegel Grove is for you. Unfortunately for most tourists, you need scuba training to visit the depths of the wreck-turned-reef. Spiegel Grove provides preparatory classes, but they require a time commitment that pretty much excludes day-trippers. Still, if you’re up for the challenge, it’s one of the country’s best underwater destinations.

Islamorada

Distance from Miami: 71 miles, about 1 hour 30 minutes

Theater of the Sea Aquarium
Theater of the Sea is a big step up from your usual city aquarium, featuring interactive programs that are both inventive and family-friendly. Visitors can swim with dolphins, play with sea lions, feed stingrays, and snorkel with tropical fish. The programs are pricey, ranging from $55 for a basic poolside dolphin encounter to $135 for a full submerged session, and require advance reservations. A regular ticket, however, costs $20-$30 and includes admission to several shows.

Sport Fishing
Islamorada claims the title of “sport fishing capital of the world” thanks to its position at the convergence of Atlantic and Gulf waters. Seafarers in this upper key offer all manner of boat charters, including air-conditioned luxury tours and reef and wreck fishing. Participants at all skill levels can expect to catch Marlin, Snapper, Tuna, and Swordfish with the tutelage of Islamorada’s dedicated captains.

Marathon

Distance from Miami: 106 miles, about 2 hours 15 minutes

Crane Point
This catch-all historic site is home to a Museum of Natural History, a system of nature trails, a wild bird center, a children’s activity center, and the oldest house in the Florida Keys. What’s more, general admission is only $8 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-18, and free for anyone under age 6. All proceeds from admission go to a non-profit dedicated to land preservation in the Keys, an organization for which Crane Point is a stronghold. Its ecological preserves house endangered species and evidence of human inhabitance from over 700 years ago, as well as more user-friendly attractions like a climbable pirate ship and a touch tank.

Sombrero Beach
Sombrero’s grounds are extensive, more park-like than most of the Keys’ tourist-friendly beaches. It’s got designated sectors for swimming, windsurfing, and boating, as well as grassy outposts for picnics, barbecues, baseball, and volleyball. Families with young children will find the park’s playgrounds a welcome distraction from the hot sands, while adventure enthusiasts will appreciate the area’s abundant snorkeling and fishing tours.

Big Pine Key

Distance from Miami: 127 miles, about 2 hours 45 minutes

Bahia Honda State Park
Bahia Honda’s website boldly advertises its distinction as the “Best Beach in the Continental U.S.” That’s big talk, but the park backs up its claims with photographic evidence. The water surrounding Big Pine Key is impossibly clear, and the white sand beaches are flecked with tall, shade-providing palms. Bahia Honda’s visitors can enjoy snorkel tours, kayak rentals, and boat slip rentals at reasonable rates.

Kayaking in the Key Deer Refuge
Dog-sized Key Deer make their home exclusively in the lower Keys, numbering only around 300 in total. Kayaking between Big Pine and No Name Keys is an adventure in its own right; touring companies offer both backwoods and sea kayaking packages, many of which include short hikes through the refuge. By all accounts, the diminutive deer are one of the Keys’ most memorable sights, and a large portion of Big Pine Key is designated for their preservation.

Key West

Distance from Miami: 158 miles, about 3 hours 20 minutes

Hemingway House
Ernest Hemingway’s abode is Key West’s favorite tourist attraction, preserved in its original by a dedicated society who also monitors the proliferation of the house’s population of polydactyl cats. Papa Hemingway’s furniture and art collection are on display for eager viewers, but for many it’s the sixty-or-so cats, descendents of Hemingway’s own, that make the visit. Visit the “bookstore” for a Hemingway text or, more popularly, a kitty-themed trinket.

Duval Street
Hit up Key West’s main drag for the best boutique shopping, gallery hopping, and nightlife south of…well, Miami. The island hosts a party scene that rivals any major city’s, and its main spots are conveniently clustered on this single street. Expect to encounter street performers, painted people in minimal clothing, and the odd drag queen in a night on Duval. Really, they’re the southernmost point’s utmost draw.

Most travelers fly into Miami Airport and make the drive to Key West.  For the best deals on hotels in Miami or Key West, visit Hotels Cheap.

Moon Over Miami Romantic Air Tours, takeoff just before sunset, will fly the two of you over Miami just as the sun drifts down into the everglades.  You’ve planned the perfect weekend and booked a flight for this very special occasion whether it’s an anniversary, birthday or wedding proposal.  This will be the gift remembered for the rest of your lives.  Your tour will last approximately one hour and champagne is included.

Miami City Tour and Biscayne Cruise will make a wonderfully romantic destination, especially if it’s your first time in this romantic city.  Start with viewing Miami mansions and yachts.  Then, go on to see Little Havana, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and Key Biscayne.  Top off the day with a cruise starting at Biscayne Bay with a view of luxurious homes on Star Island.  The entire tour, city and cruise, takes about 6 hours.  Leaving you plenty of time to make your reservations at that great Italian restaurant you make earlier.

Grove Isle Hotel and Spa has a package for every couple looking for that special getaway allowing them to just enjoy each other.  Just reserve the package that best describes your interests and they will do the rest.  No need to plan out each detail especially when you may have decided to get away at the last minute.  The Tantra Lover’s Romance Package is complete with two nights accommodations, couples message in their Indonesian spa, dinner of course then chocolate covered strawberries and champagne in your luxurious room, a Kama Sutra collection of sensual oils and lotions.  The next morning you’ll wake up to a delicious breakfast in bed.

Miami River Inn is turn of the century lodging with your own cottage, if you desire, conveniently located next to the pool, Jacuzzi and romantic gardens.  It’s the perfect hideaway located in the Miami River Neighborhood.  It’s just a few blocks from downtown with shopping, dining, museums and galleries.  Within just a 15 minute drive you will find yourself at the beach, the Orange Bowl, Port of Miami or the airport.

Little Havana is the place to go if you love salsa dancing and Latino music.  It’s bright colorful murals and a lively nightlife are only second to their authentic Cuban cuisine.  You will feel as though you landed in Cuba for the weekend and you only went to Miami.  For a special treat, plan your trip around the last Friday of the month when Viernes Culturales (Cultural Friday) is celebrated.  You’ll find yourselves in the middle of a huge Latin street party with street performers, dancing, music, food, local crafts and theater.

Parrot Jungle Island, in Miami’s backyard, can be a romantic, yet a fun and adventuresome travel destination.  It’s 18 ½ acres of lush plant life and over 3,000 exotic animals.  The two of you will feel like kids again while enjoying all that the jungle themed park has to offer, including the Parrot Bowl where trained parrots, cockatoos and macaws entertain you with their antics.  Perhaps you’ll fall in love with Parrot Jungle Island so much you want to return for a special occasion, maybe even an engagement party, and plan it in their treetop room.

Miami Performing Arts is both a cultured and enjoyable destination after a romantic dinner for two.  Choose from a cutting edge play to a performance by one of the many dance companies.  Three of the best theaters are the Jackie Gleason Theater www.livenation.com , Coconut Grove Playhouse (www.cgplayhouse.com)  and the Actor’s Playhouse (www.actorsplayhouse.org) .  Of course, the Miami City Ballet is very romantic with some of the best dance companies performing.  The Florida Grand Opera  www.fgo.org  puts on several productions a year.  This would make a perfect end to a romantic evening.

Miami Improv Festival can lighten any mood with their comedy sketches from around the world.  It takes place on several weekends through the year.  Laugh the night away together while watching some of the funniest people in the world.  After all, romance should be fun.  If either of you are aspiring comics, you may want to take a comedy workshop.

Miami Beach Bicycle Center will rent you a couple of bicycles to ride along the beach.  Choose from mountain bikes, cruisers or road racing bikes.  And they offer an hourly, daily or weekly rate.  Take a picnic and blanket so you can stop along the way and have a romantic lunch on the shore while watching the waves splash in.  If the two of your are feeling like socializing, ask about their community rides. Your all-day rental comes with a map of Miami Beach, a bike lock and a lot of advice on routes and special places to go.

Bongo’s Cuban Café may not look that fancy from the outside, but it’s one of Miami’s best kept secret from those coming from outside the city.  The draw is the romantic candle light and best Cuban cuisine in Miami.  Just a tip, go a little later and you’ll miss the crowds.  After dinner dance to Cuban music that includes, of course, authentic Cuban bongos.  After you’ve enjoyed a night at Bongo’s you may want to come back and book your wedding reception there.

Miami Romantic Destinations

There are plenty of ideas here for romantic and fun weekends.  But don’t forget to do your part by bringing scented candles, picking up a bottle of champagne and romantic music.  And don’t plan too many excursions, the real romance in a getaway is in the moments you spend just with each other.  Make time for a sunset walk on the beach, breakfast in bed and an out of the way corner table for dinner. 

Tip:  The best way to turn your partner on is to save money on your hotel room and put those savings toward a special gift or an extra romantic dinner.  Click here for hotel deals in Miami or anywhere.

1. Sip a cocktail at the Delano.

2. Take a tour through historic Art Deco Miami Beach.

3. Take an air boat ride in the Everglades.

4. Flirt.

5. Rollerblade along Ocean Drive.

6. Brunch at Big Pink Restaurant on Collins

7. Take the obligatory photo op at the former Versace mansion.

8. Purchase something with a pink flamingo

9. Eat key lime pie for dessert.

10. Adjust your internal clock to 5 hours ahead because everything happens much later in South Beach.

11. Walk through the Italianate gardens of Vizcaya.

12. Wake up with some Cuban coffee.

13. Salsa dancing.

14. Dip your toes in the temperate Atlantic waters.

15. Take an aimless walk along the shore.

16. Dinner at the original Joe’s Stone Crab.

17. Window shop on Lincoln Road.

18. Indulge yourself at Eden Day Spa.

19.Visit the Barnacle.

20. Go gator wrestling.

21. Take the CocoWalk.

22. Catch a performance at the Miami Performing Arts Center.

23. Check out the Espanola Way Market.

24. Have a schvitz at the Russian Turkish Baths.

25. Take a drive through Little Havana.

26. Get the edge on up and coming artists at the Miami Design District.

27. Practice your golf swing at one of the hundreds of courses in the region.

28. Dive or snorkel one of the offshore coral reefs.

29. Enjoy a day at the races at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

30. Catch a Jai Alai Fronton match.

31. Start an all nighter at Crobar.

32. End it at News Café.

33.Rent a chaise on the beach and bake out the toxins from the night before.

34. Visit the Alhambra water tower in Coral Gables

35. Then drop by the coral-colored Biltmore Hotel for a bite.

36. More shopping in Coconut Grove.

37. Take wind surfing lessons.

38. Max out your credit cards at Bal Harbor.

39. Try out the Everglades Grass Body Wrap at the Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne.

40. Head out to Key West for the day.

41. See a Miami Dolphins game.

42. Try inline skating on Ocean Drive.

43. Channel the spirit of the Rat Pack at Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House.

44. Have cocktails at the Fontainebleau Hotel.

45. Catch a few more rays on South Beach.

46. Rent a car that you can’t afford to buy and cruise the strip on Ocean Drive.

47. Get out of town and pick up some fresh produce at a “u-pick-them” stand.

48. Take a tour with Dr. Paul George.

49. Cruise to the Bahamas for the weekend.

50. Finish your vacation at B.E.D.

But before you can get started, your trip begins with your hotel reservation.  Book here to save money on great hotel deals in Miami.

(Photo via flickr cc)

The highlight of the menu, of course, is the stone crab claws, which are served cold with a mustard sauce. In addition to crab, Joe’s serves Florida lobster, Atlantic grouper, and a host of other fishes and seafood. You can also get a variety of steaks and chops. To accompany the entrees, try one of the six kinds of potatoes or the creamed spinach. For dessert, save room for Joe’s well-loved, home-made key lime pie.

No reservations are taken, so be prepared to wait for a table. Don’t worry; the crowd is always lively. Joe’s is closed each year from August until the mid-October.

Not planning on visiting Miami for a while? Most of Joe’s menu, including the Stone Crab claws, is available for order via their Web site. They ship the items via next day air, preserved on dry ice.

Joe’s is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 1130am to 2pm. For dinner, hours are Monday through Thursday from 5pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 11pm, and on Sunday from 4pm to 10pm.

Joe’s Stone Crab, 11 Washington Ave., Miami Beach FL

Need a hotel in Miami or Miami Beach to visit Joe’s Stone Crab?  Book best deals here.

(cc: photo credit: Steve V.)

The gates of Casa Casuarina hold a storied past and a restored and luxurious hotel. The Italianate villa stands out among the other homes in South Beach’s famous Art Deco district. It was built as a private residence in 1930 and modeled after the Alcazar de Colon in Santo Domingo, a home built by Christopher Columbus’s son in 1510. Casa Casuarina sat quietly and elegantly through South Beach’s rise and fall and its 1980’s renaissance.

During this time the fashion industry discovered the area and began bringing an influx of rich and influential people to the region. A very influential figure during South Beach’s renaissance was Gianni Versace. The famous designer purchased Casa Casuarina in 1990, tore down the hotel next door and added a 6,100-foot addition. Unfortunately, Versace was only able to enjoy the home for seven years before he was brutally slain at the front gate in 1997 by Andrew Cunanan. In 2000 the property was purchased by telecommunications giant, Peter Loftin for an estimated $19 million. After some renovations to the property it was turned into a member’s only club, with a one-time fee of $40,000.

Recently the club has formed an agreement with Leading Hotels of the World and guests can book rooms as temporary members and avoid the large membership fee. Rooms will still cost between $1,200 and $5,000 a night but the nightlife at Casa Casuarina is expected to be incredible and well worth the expense.

If you don’t think you can afford to stay here, book a discount hotel in the vicinity at Hotels Cheap and live vicariously.

One of the highlights in this book is the descriptions that it has of Miami’s Art Deco hotels. These hotels are unique to the area, giving it so much of its flair, and Fodor’s does a good job of telling you which ones to check out (and which to avoid) while you’re in the area. You’ll get some basic history about the movement of these hotels into the area, which makes for great conversation if you’re chatting up strangers on the beach. And Fodor’s gives you some basic rate information so you can know in advance if this kind of lodging is for you or if you should check out one of the other hotels described in the book.

In addition to lodging, the Fodor’s Guide to Miami & Miami Beach tells you about where to eat, where to play and where to get your local culture. Miami is rich with activity – from the nightlife club scene to the beach activities. You can spend your days snorkeling or shopping for the perfect designer bikini and then showing it off at the beach. And you can spend your evenings in nearly any way you’d like. With Fodor’s in hand, you’ll know right where you want to be! Be sure to check out their online Miami information as well.

When you are ready to book your hotel in Miami or Miami Beach, there is no better source for deals online than Hotels Cheap.

(cc: photo credit: Lenny Furman)

Miami Beach is unlike any other beach or city in the continental United States. At 11pm, an hour when many people are turning in for the night across the nation, this is the hour that restaurants, bars, and clubs are just getting started. South Beach is the most popular part of Miami Beach and the heart of all the action. South Beach represents a melting pot of Caribbean and Latin American ethnicities, with a high concentration of Cuban influence. Nowhere is that diversity more apparent than the eclectic cuisine, which has been affectionately dubbed “floribean.”

In the 20s and 30s, Miami Beach transitioned itself to be “America’s Winter Playground.” With that transition came a boom of glamorous hotels with French influence that afforded the average middle class American a week in tropical luxury. While the area suffered for many decades of neglect, the last decade or so has been spent restoring many of these high-rises lining Ocean Avenue and Collins Avenue to their former glory and now would be the highlight of any architecture buff’s vacation itinerary.

The winter months of November-March are the most popular months to visit, when the days are sizzling with sunshine and the evenings bring the balmiest weather you are likely to experience. While it’s slightly cheaper to visit during the spring and summer months, the weather is the most humid and torrential thunderstorms are frequent. Towards, late summer, there is always a chance of coming face to face with a hurricane.

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(cc: photo credit: mahler711)

Florida’s South Beach conjures up images of scantily clad women, wild nighttime parties, and celebrities galore. It’s a tourist hot spot and an expensive one at that. If you want to experience South Beach but don’t have the finances to stay on famed Ocean Drive you might want to consider staying at the nearby Clay Hotel instead. The Clay Hotel has an incredible past, having once served as the home of Al Capone’s gambling ring and it holds the title as the birthplace of the rumba craze. Since the 1930’s this hotel has seen guests come and go as the shape of South Beach’s popularity waxed and waned. Currently, the area is experiencing a resurgence in popularity and, as many historic hotels become condo conversions, The Clay Hotel is assuming a more important role in local tourism. The Clay Hotel has several layers of accommodations but remarkably, it not only serves as a private residence for guests but also functions as a hostel. The Lonely Planet Guidebook was so impressed with this hostel that they labeled it the “most beautiful hostel in America”. The hotel feels its popularity is due to the great rates (rooms start at around $80), the Mediterranean ambiance and it’s incredible location deep in the heart of South Beach. For a traveler on a limited budget The Clay Hotel is really the way to experience South Beach’s eclectic artistic side, you get all the thrills and excitement without going broke.

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The permanent collection at MoCA currently runs to about 400 pieces, including works from Yoko Ono, Dennis Oppenheim, John Baldessari and Dan Flavin. There is also a schedule of special exhibitions, and in the past these have included displays from Salvador Dali, Roy Lichtenstein and Pablo Cano, along with a series of thematic exhibitions like New Art of South Florida, Mexican Modernism and A Century of Tattoos.

A great way to see MoCA and make a night out of it at the same time is to schedule your visit for the Jazz at MoCA sessions. These evenings are held regularly and you can enter the museum from 7pm; an outdoor jazz concert will start from 8pm, and it’s free.

Regular visits to MoCA cost $5 for adults, $3 for students, and on Tuesdays you can get in simply by making a donation. Note that MoCA is closed on Mondays and open until 5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays – and until 10pm on the last Friday of the month.

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(cc: photo credit: Michael P. Whelan)