A Miami Diary

I’ve just returned from one of the most fun weeks away in Maimi. I’ve been to Florida quite a lot, it was where we had our family holidays for years, but I’ve never been to Miami before and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Of course, I went with my life long travel buddy, Lizzy, and as always, we had a wonderful time because we travel so well together and we’re both so relaxed.

Miami is such an exciting, and buzzing place to be. There is so much to see, the place has so much heritage and heart! Gianni Versace’s house is right on Ocean Drive, and I didn’t realise! And the city is full of inspiring Art Deco design.

We stayed at two wonderful hotels during our time in Miami, so we were able to get a feel for two different areas.

Our first hotel was The Betsy, part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, beautiful and elegant with a touch of American classic style. The pool area was such a gorgeous place to relax, with space to sit in the shade and read or work. The rooftop pool was even better, sunlight all day, a bar and a really relaxing snug area loaded with cushions and sofas to relax on. The staff were so helpful and gave us all the information we needed for our stay. The restaurant was great for dinner, and we sat outside to people watch on Ocean Drive. Miami beach is absolutely gorgeous as well, every bit the dream beach. White sands and crystal blue sea.

I loved our time with The Betsy and would absolutely stay again.

We ate so well during this trip- that being said, we struggled like mad to find a healthy breakfast… so we went in the opposite direction and opted for pancakes! The restaurants that we went to for dinner each evening were amazing, we really got lucky with our choices. I've listed them at the bottom of the post for you, they really are incredible.

Next up, we stayed with the lovely Circa 39 on Collins Ave. A totally different experience on this side of town! But in a really positive way. The hotel is based upon eclectic travel and immersing yourself in the new experiences that traveling can bring and that’s exactly how this hotel feels. It’s designed collectively to bring together different parts of the world. This place reminded me of the Florida hotels I used to stay in when I was little, in a fond memory kind of way. The pool is perfect with shaded cabanas on offer if, like me, you need a couple of hours out of the sun! Crica 39 is a stones throw away from the beach too, and you have sunbeds included in your stay. Super hotel.

We also did a Culinary tour with Miami Culinary Tours which was such a great way to see different areas of the city, and taste it too! Lots of Cuban food, and it was so interesting. They offer so many different tours too, if you wanted to see or learn about anything specific.

Where to stay: