Where to Stay in Miami and Miami Beach?
It's important to know which area is best to book a hotel or apartment in Miami and Miami Beach, to truly enjoy what Florida's vibrant city has to offer.
The six areas most popular with tourists exploring the city are:
- Ocean Drive in Miami Beach Miami Beach – The hub of entertainment and nightlife in Miami
- Brickell and Downtown Miami – Iconic and large institutions in the heart of the city
- Bal Harbour – Pure relaxation by the beach or pool
- Sunny Isles Beach – Ocean tranquility at fantastic beachfront hotels
- Coral Gables – A vibrant urban atmosphere just outside Miami
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It's advisable to avoid parts of downtown, South Miami, and the route between the airport and downtown due to relatively high crime rates and limited tourist infrastructure. More details to follow.
Map of Miami Accommodation Areas
Here's everything you need to know about the neighborhoods and lodging areas in Miami – to choose the perfect base for your stay.
Staying and vacationing in Miami is an intense and incredibly fun experience. Miami Beach and the nearby downtown Miami offer an unbelievable number of accommodation options, from luxurious resorts on the most golden beaches imaginable, to urban-style four and three-star hotels that offer a city experience at a much more affordable price. On Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, the further south towards South Beach you go, the closer you get to the almost legendary nightlife scene of the city that awakens after sunset in the summer (it's too hot during the day!). Along the northern shoreline, there are luxurious resorts and beach hotels for vacationing.
This guide is designed to help you locate the perfect accommodations in Miami to maximize your experience in the vibrant city. Miami is a complex sensory experience, with a bustling nightlife and lots of noise, so it's important to choose your area according to your preferences.
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The 5 Best Areas to Find a Hotel in Miami
Ocean Drive in Miami Beach
Ocean Drive is the central strip for all the entertainment, clubs, and nightlife of Miami Beach. The further south you go towards South Beach, the louder and younger it gets. The strip features a mix of cool urban boutique hotels (not cheap) and large resort hotels from big chains. The resort hotels are beachfront with frontage on Ocean Drive, they're not cheap but absolutely an experience.
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Pros – Miami Beach at its best, stunning beaches, excellent hotels, the center of action, and lively nightlife.
Cons – Price!!! And a young, noisy atmosphere that isn't for everyone.
Overall hotel quality – Good, some are fantastic and some are real letdowns, so pay attention to reviews!
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Brickell and Downtown Miami
The hotels of Brickell Avenue and Downtown Miami are mostly large institutional hotels from international chains. These are five and four-star hotels from chains like IHG (InterContinental), Marriott, Four Seasons, and more. They are quite new and not cheap but are of very high quality in the most central location in Miami.
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Advantages – Central location and excellent hotels
Disadvantages – Downtown Miami isn't that interesting, and most hotels are disconnected from the area at night
Overall hotel standard – High-level hotels, some are very formal, and there are also more modest ones
Bal Harbour
Bal Harbour District is located north of Miami Beach on a barrier island. It's a quiet area secluded from the hustle and bustle to the south. The area's Ocean Drive is Collins Avenue, which stretches all the way to South Beach, lined with excellent resort hotels from the biggest and best hotel chains. You'll find luxurious resorts like the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and St. Regis, as well as some fantastic 4-star beach hotels at much more reasonable prices and a few motel chains offering really good deals considering their beachfront locations.
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Advantages – The most picturesque beach near Miami and not far from South Beach
Disadvantages – Not very cheap and with a somewhat sleepy vibe
Overall Hotel Standards – Dreamy luxury hotels and more budget-friendly options that are a great deal for the cost and what you get in return
Sunny Isles Beach
Staying in Sunny Isles Beach is nearly the same thing as in Bal Harbour, just a little further north on Collins Avenue. It’s the same dreamy, tranquil sandy beach of the barrier island as to the south, with all the fun and serenity of the ocean. In the northern district, there are some luxurious resorts like the Acqualina, but generally, there are excellent, more straightforward beachfront hotels (certainly in comparison to the Bal Harbour resorts), offering the same beach at a much more affordable price.
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Advantages – Relatively wallet-friendly and right on the dreamy beach
Cons – Slightly distant from the center of action (half-hour drive from South Beach)
Overall hotel standard – Good and large hotels, usually at a relatively affordable price for what you get
Coral Gables
The neighboring city Coral Gables has managed to brand itself as a Florida dream apart from Miami (which has quite a few urban ailments). The small city offers interesting places to visit and the glamour of Miracle Mile, one of the most fun shopping streets in all of South Florida. Near the main street, there are quite a few stylish urban accommodations at a very reasonable price. The atmosphere of the city is significantly different from Miami, but it's a great base for exploring the entire South Florida area. To the south is the luxurious facility of the historic Biltmore Hotel that has become an attraction in its own right.
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Advantages – A relatively affordable price with a less Latin vibe than Miami
Disadvantages – Not too many attractions within Coral Gables, a city suitable for a one-night stay
General hotel standard – Good hotels at reasonable prices
Family-friendly lodging – Motels in the Miami Metropolitan Area
The American lodging system is fundamentally different from what we know in Europe. While it's definitely worth staying in downtown Miami or the resort hotels of Miami Beach, you can also lodge the way people do across America (except for Manhattan), in motels on the outskirts of the city.
- For those arriving in Miami with a car (almost everyone!), motels are a great solution mainly due to convenient parking
- In the Miami metropolitan area, there are several main clusters of motels, where you can find all the well-known brands such as Motel 6, Super 8, or the motel offerings of major chains like Marriott, Hilton, and IHG.
- The motels offer a fairly standard experience with spacious and comfortable rooms, two large beds, and a pretty basic breakfast.
Main motel clusters in Miami:
- Near the Miami International Airport. The motels are located along the 36th Street axis north of the terminal and the 836 freeway south of the airport. In the terminal area, you'll find business hotels from large chains like Marriott, IHG's Intercontinental, and Hilton.
- Near the Fort Lauderdale Airport, mainly along the I-95 corridor.
- In Homestead, south of Miami, motels from all major chains along Route 1. These motels serve as accommodations for those planning to visit the Everglades and the Upper Keys (Key Largo).
How to Find a Great Hotel in Miami?
How to Find Accommodation in Miami for the Whole Family?
The two most attractive accommodation options for families in Miami:
- In downtown Miami, you'll find numerous hotels rated four stars and above, perfect for the whole family to share a room together.
- Of course, you can also find accommodations in motels on the outskirts of the city along the highways. Motels usually have two queen beds in a room, and extra beds can often be added.
Important Info and Tips on Finding the Perfect Accommodation in Miami
Firstly, Search for Hotel Information Online
Before booking a hotel in Miami, it's a great idea to invest a little time to read reviews from those who stayed there before. There are dozens of booking sites online, and all of them have options to input reviews about the hotel. Whether you're booking through Booking.com, Expedia, or even a local agency, take a little time to learn about the quality of the hotel you're considering.
It's essential to read reviews about the hotels on Booking (reliable since only those who stayed can write a review) or TripAdvisor (less reliable—open to anyone who wants to write).
Click here to find accommodations in Miami hotels…
- Look for reviews in your language – Most accommodations abroad won't bother to fake reviews in a non-English language. If you see reviews written in proper language (not a Google Translate version), assume it’s genuine. Reviews, in any language, tend to focus on the same issues that interest speakers of that language.
- How many reviews does the hotel have? – If there aren't many reviews, it's suspicious. Focus on hotels that have hundreds of reviews.
- Filter out suspicious reviews – The review faking industry is huge. When you're reviewing a hotel, be skeptical about overly positive reviews (no hotel will write bad reviews about themselves).
- Identifying Trustworthy Reviews – The most reliable reviews are those that are balanced. If you see good points and bad points mixed together in the same review, consider the review trustworthy.
- Spot Recurrent Patterns – If many reviews mention that the hotel is noisy from the outside, unfortunately, it's likely true. Conversely, if many reviews say the bed is super comfy, then great, it’s really comfortable… Sleep tight.
Click here for a list of 8 excellent resorts for vacation in Miami Beach…
Guy's Hot Tip – Take a tour of the hotel street using Google Street view
The Google Earth software has opened up a world of opportunity for us travelers to preview our destinations. Take a tour with this handy tool to check the quality of the hotel and its surroundings. Have a look and see if there are any windows that open or if the hotel windows are dirty. Check the building's exterior condition, is it renovated? Are there any broken doors or windows, and so on.
Make sure to check the nearby surroundings of the hotel as well. Is the street where the hotel is located overly busy? Or on the contrary, is the street deserted or neglected? Are there homeless people on the street? Abandoned businesses? Piles of junk? And so on. In Miami, you don't want to take risks; if the look of the hotel or its surroundings doesn't sit well with you, it's wise to find another place in the sizzling tropical city.
