Mimosa Hotel & Spa, Miami Beach

Advantages: Great hotel, great location
Disadvantages: Not that cheap...

...We stayed at The National Hotel for a few days last summer, on Collins Avenue, one block from Ocean Drive in the heart of Miami's Art Deco Historical District. Built in 1939, the 13-story National Hotel lobby contains original period antiques and richly designed wood furnishings. It was restored in 1997 to showcase the original Art Deco details (the concierge desk is a precise replica of the original from 1939 !), this hotel is a visual delight for Art Deco fans ! It's not a massive hotel (unlike the Loew's just a block down the street), but then most of the South Beach / Ocean Drive hotels are acutally pretty small affairs... Other features at this hotel include: - 115 tower rooms and suites - 36 deluxe rooms and suites in the Cabana Wing, along side the pool - The Triplex, exclusive tri-level penthouse suite - Award-winning, 24... Read review

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Advantages: None, unless you drive
Disadvantages: see advantages

...I found a Web site that has maps of cities around the world. Much to my surprise, Miami was listed. Miami can't support a subway, mostly for environmental reasons. We do have an elevated rail line. It's just one line, but I'm hoping that the city will expand. Unfortunately, the one proposed line I'm really hoping for doesn't seem to stand much of a chance. Funding is critical and that doesn't stand much of a chance, either. Still, we have a bus system. There's plenty of room for improvement there, too. Buses run through Miami Beach every ten minutes, probably because so many hotels are out there. But I don't live in Miami Beach. I'm stuck with a bus that goes between the 163rd Street Mall and Downtown Miami. If only I had reason to use it more often. I have to walk at least a mile to get to a bus that goes where I want... Read review

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Advantages: Great beaches, nightlife and shopping
Disadvantages: it can be expensive

.... Coral Gables Top hotel's and restaurants located in this upscale area - golf courses bars and good shopping. Key Biscayne The first island in the Florida Keys. Great beaches, with Hobie Beach especially good for jet skiing. Downtown Miami One of my favourite districts, this is home to lots of restaurants including the Hard Rock Café in Bayside Marketplace. It is an outdoor shopping centre, a mixture of large brand shops such as Gap, and Bodyworks, to little market stalls that overlook the harbour. I picked up some excellent bargains here! Little Havana It is like being in Cuba! As you can imagine the Latin America population here is quite large, and there are many art galleries with cheap eateries. We stayed at the Blue moon hotel on Collins Drive South Beach in June 2004 for 3 nights. It was lovely! It is located in the heart... Read review

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