Think of Miami in Florida and you conjure up long stretches of sand and the Art Deco backdrop of Ocean drive. But whisk yourself over the 2.8-mile long MacArthur bridge and you enter downtown Miami. With soaring skyscrapers, stylish hotels, rooftop pools and impeccable dining options, it’s glamorous and cosmopolitan, offering a hip, urban vibe in contrast to the sun-scorched streets of Miami Beach.
Temperatures hit 25°C from November to March before the mercury soars to more sweltering levels, making the city – recently dubbed US capital of cool by Time magazine – a good option for a late spring break.
It's no wonder it regularly attracts the Kardashian family – Kim Kardashian threw a SKIMS dinner party in the city, and of course it was the location for Kourtney and Khloe take Miami. While David Beckham spends a lot of time there, and even owns football team Inter Miami.
Stay in style
OK! were lucky enough to visit and we stayed at YOTEL, who offer a choice of modern hotel rooms and apartments, in the buzzy pedestrian-friendly downtown district. They’re super hi-tech, with a YOTEL SmartBed – essentially a sofa bed – folding away for extra living space (handy while prepping for our evenings out).
On the 12th floor is a beautiful pool deck with spectacular views, and Float restaurant and lounge where we enjoyed light bites washed down with cocktails named after classic 90s hits.
Downstairs, the amazing Mazeh restaurant serves Middle Eastern tapas. It also does a moreish Middle Eastern/Greek/English breakfast.
YOTEL is within walking distance of the Bayside area, but you can travel free in the Downtown/Brickell area on the Metromover – pick it up next to the hotel. The trolley is also free.
Culture vultures
Head to the Wynwood Art District – the Brooklyn of Miami – to explore the impactful commissioned graffiti wall art. (Take the Metrobus which, like the local Metrorail, is $2.25 each way, or $5.65 for a day pass.) Artists travel from all over the world to create the huge murals in this colourful district, and the Museum of Graf ti at Wynwood Walls features the work of such artists as Ron English and Kobra.
After a mooch past the shops, bars and cafés we stopped for a Mexican lunch at Bakan, which offers a huge selection of mescal and tequila. It’s like a high-end taco and margarita hot spot with a fun atmosphere and cool clientele.
Beach life
South Beach across the Bay is everything we imagined – rollerbladers and outdoor gym bunnies, candy-coloured buildings as far as the eye can see and gorgeous sand stretching for miles, with lifeguard stations spaced along it like giant popsicles.
We thanked our lucky stars that we had a lounger provided as part of our YOTEL reservation and, after sunning ourselves, we enjoyed a sneak peek in the Versace mansion which sticks out like a sore thumb on Ocean Drive – a truly vulgar extravagance, but absolutely spectacular. It’s now a restaurant, but you can pop in for a glass of fizz and get the all-important Instagram picture by the pool.
Get out of the heat
The Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science is great fun for all ages. Your journey takes you from the ocean to the everglades and from human cells to outer space.
The aquarium, which is one of the most beautiful we’ve visited, is set over three floors. You enter at surface level before descending to explore marine life, spotting sharks, jellyfish, clownfish and more. We loved learning how Miami-based scientists are working to develop a resistant strain of coral to help repopulate dying reefs around the world – amazing work. An all-in-one ticket for museum, aquarium and a planetarium show costs from $29.95 for adults.
And relax
If your holiday isn’t complete without a spa treatment, book in at K’Alma Spa at the Hotel Victor. With a hammam and steam room, you can fully detoxify before the masseur irons out your knots.
Afterwards, we eased back into the hustle and bustle at all-day diner Café Americano, where we people-watched while sipping a signature Bloody Marisco – tequila topped with shrimp ceviche and a kick of jalapeno. You can’t get more Miami than that.
How to book
Rooms start at $240 (£200) in the high season and $199 (£165) in the low season. Book online at yotel.com/miami
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