Disclaimer: This post has a TON of pictures. I took sooo many photos while in Miami last month! I couldn’t help it. I’m going to try my best to keep the words to a minimum and let the photos speak for the post themselves:

So, three of my best girlfriends and I decided to venture south to Miami for a reunion (we all live in different cities) last month. Best friends, the beach, and 80 degree weather in the middle of January: It was set up to be a fail-proof trip, essentially. I had never been to Miami and was initially in shock that this place is only a 2.5 hour flight from Columbus.

After much debate on where to stay, we decided to try Eden Roc which is right beside the infamous Fontainebleau hotel aka where all the celebs stay/party. Eden Roc was perfect! It definitely has a resort feel and is perfect for singles, couples, and even families.

Eden Roc has multiple pools and restaurants (a future Nobu will be opening there soon as well) and they are located beside the Miami Beach! We were guaranteed two chairs everyday beachside and they even offered food/drink service to your chair!

As soon as I arrived in Miami, I took my camera to explore our hotel and also to check out the beach. No need for words here – you can see that it is beautiful!

 

 

The South Beach Boardwalk is soooo cool. It stretches for 40 blocks – with beach on one side and hotels on the other:

I had a few hours to kill before my girlfriends got in so after a bit of research and per Instagramers (thank you all again!) + friends recommendations, I decided to head south on Collins Avenue to see some of the Art Deco District. The hotels and architecture are uh-mazing!!!

The Raleigh was my absolute favorite hotel I stopped in. This place oozes history and character. I was sure to try my first Cortadito The Raleigh’s Coffee Bar before walking further south to the Lincoln Road Mall.

Lincoln Road Mall is a cool outdoor pedestrian mall with a ton of shopping and places to eat. A definite “must see” when in Miami.

After much walking, I parked it at Spri’s, a super cute cafe to enjoy a super delish pizza. My friends got in later that evening and we didn’t venture far but enjoyed Eden Roc’s hotel bar.

The next morning, we all checked out Eden Roc’s grounds (I took more pictures) and then snuck over to the Fontainebleau for probably what I would consider the best breakfast buffet I’ve ever experienced. Fontainebleau is Gorgeous with a capital “G!”

The girls and I spent the rest of the day lounging beachside at our hotel, planning our evening ahead.

Online, Cecconi’s at Soho Beach House looks ridiculously amazing… but in real life, this place was outta this world good and totally exceeded our expectations. Their happy hour has to be one of the best kept secrets in Miami! The atmosphere, the food, the drinks, the service… it was all top notch. I think all my BFF’s and I agree… we would recommend Cecconi’s to anyone visiting Miami!

After Happy Hour, we came back to Eden Roc, which is just a short walk from Soho Beach House, got ready, took a few photos in the hotel lobby…

… and then headed over to Bleau Bar next door at the Fontainebleau.

Thankfully, we somehow weaseled our way into the infamous nightclub that’s located in the hotel (who knew), LIV. This place was awesome and I’m glad we experienced it… but I definitely can’t handle that scene for more than one night! I have to mention… we didn’t take one cab allllll day! It was so relaxing and fun to spend so much time with my favorite girls in the world.

The next morning, we just chilled around Eden Roc…

… had brunch… and lounged around on the beach and at the pool all day… and were thankful we had somewhat of a low-key night planned after LIV!

After scouring Eater, I found a highly-raved about new restaurant that looked that it was in a house at the uber cool Freehand Hostel – 27 Restaurant. Their menu was unbelievable! If we would’ve had more time, hanging out at the speakeasy by the pool would’ve made for a fun night.

Instead, we took an Uber to Ocean Avenue! Lights, lights, and more lights. What a cool street. We had to experience the Clevelander as well as Mango’s.

We soaked in every.last.second. of Miami Beach the next day… enjoying Starbucks by the pool, walking the beach, having lunch at Eden Roc’s beachside restaurant…. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that were almost late for our flight! Seriously though.

I don’t know the next time I’ll be in South Beach but I’ll be ready when the time comes. Miami was beautiful: The place, the friends, the memories.