similar dress | similar sandals | belt | bag | sunglasses
We recently spent a weekend in Miami Beach after a trip down to Hawk’s Cay in the Florida Keys. You can visit that post here. It had been many years since staying in Miami and we really had no agenda other than eating, shopping and relaxing by the beach/pool. I’ll share where we stayed and what we did later in the post. I wore the black dress outfit shopping and dinner at Bal Harbour our last day.
What I Wore
When traveling I like to know what I’m doing and where I’m going because that helps me plan out what to wear. For a weekend in Miami Beach we really had no concrete plans other than a few dinner reservations. I try not to overpack anymore but do like to bring a few extra pieces depending on my mood and the weather. Follow me on Instagram to see other outfits. We were blessed with perfect temperatures while there. I have to say the dress in Miami Beach was way more casual than I expected. Now of course we weren’t going to a club or an event where I’m sure you could go all out. But just even for dinner or shopping it was more laid back than expected for the area. I wore this outfit the first night for dinner. Loving these new ankle pants! They come in more colors as well and fit true to size.
I didn’t get a good picture of my swimsuit and cover up but did snap this right before heading out to the pool. I didn’t end up wearing the top but wanted to show it in the picture. I added a closer look at the swimsuit, which I’m loving! True to size in the swimsuit but I did size up to a L length based on reviews. Size small in the cover up set.
This Amazon maxi dress was a last minute find and I loved it as soon as I tried it on! It runs true to size and comes in other colors/similar prints. Wearing size small. I wore this to dinner on the patio at the hotel.
Dress | Sandals | Bag | Bracelet | Earrings
Where We Stayed
We stayed at The Palms Hotel & Spa. We wanted to be on the beach and availability at other options were limited or completely sold out for our dates. Other options we considered are Loews Miami Beach and the Ritz Carlton South Beach. The Palms Hotel is part of the Preferred Hotels Group is how I found it. We’ve generally been pleased when staying at one of their hotels. Two of our favorites are The Henderson Resort in Destin and Montage Palmetto Bluff. We stayed there last year for our 20th Anniversary and you can read about that trip here.
A lot of hotels in Miami Beach are older and have no balconies. This was one of them. That’s usually a deal breaker for us but it had other positives and the grounds were beautiful so we compromised. Just something to keep in mind. There was an option for a large balcony but it was a family suite and a lot more room than we needed just to get the balcony. Overall the hotel was beautiful and had that old South Florida feel of the Art Deco design. The grounds were beautiful and private. Theres a nice walking/biking/running path behind the hotel that runs for miles along the beach. We loved walking here every morning.
Our only complaint with this hotel is the room size. We were in a Deluxe King Oceanview that had a full on view of the ocean. It has an additional bathroom space vs the regular King room, which we appreciated. Shower and sink on one side, toilet and sink on the other. There wasn’t anywhere to put a suitcase though. Not even one luggage rack. That’s one of my biggest pet peeves when staying at any hotel regardless of price or location. Even if you were one person, finding room to lay out your bag would be hard in this room. As you can see in the picture, I had to lay my bag on the table and my Husband laid his on the floor in the corner. We were only there three nights so unpacking wasn’t worth it.
Where We Ate
Since it had been years since visiting Miami, I asked for recommendations on my Instagram Stories. I’ll list those here as well. The first night we had reservations at Prime Fish Beautiful outdoor courtyard. Pricey food and service was terrible. They are part of a restaurant group that also includes Prime Italian. We had an amazing charcuterie board sitting at the bar in The Palms Hotel. We get these quite often when traveling and this was one of our favorites for sure! Service and food was excellent all three times we dined at the hotel. We had lunch on the patio our second day. Dinner one night and lunch by the pool our last day.
While shopping at Bal Harbour we had dinner on the patio at Carpaccio. Great for people watching and seeing the high end cars drive up to valet. Service and food were both excellent! Le Zoo next door would be a good choice as well if you’re looking for the same atmosphere but a French menu.
Here are some of the other recommendations:
Joe’s Stone Crab – It’s basically an institution in South Beach. They don’t take a lot of reservations though and neither of us are into Stone Crab so it wasn’t a must for this trip.
Havana 1957 – There are a few locations and it came recommended for authentic Cuban food.
A La Folie Cafe
Red Steakhouse
The Surf Club at Four Seasons – This wasn’t a recommendation but on my own list. They had very limited reservations open and you had to pay $50+ just to reserve. It went towards your bill but I don’t like that kind of pressure. If you can’t make it for some reason you’re out that money. Would still be high on my list to go next time though because I’m all for great atmosphere and good food.
Smith & Wollensky – great waterfront location, limited menu to steak and seafood only for dinner.
Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out my video sharing outfit details from the trip.
