I did rather spontaneous thing yesterday afternoon – or at least, spontaneous for this Type A.
I booked a trip for two to Miami over Memorial Day Weekend! I’ve always been of the belief that you need more than a month to plan and get things in order for a vacation (which is why we finalized everything for our trip to Vegas last month and aren’t traveling until October). But this time around I decided to embrace la vida loca and I’m more than looking forward to a getaway full of bikinis, beautiful beaches and bubbly.
Both in need of a vacation something fierce, Pete and I snagged a few relatively cheap flights to Miami (at least for a holiday weekend), reserved a room at The Thompson and that was that! My friend Nicole’s dreamy photos of the hotel sealed the deal on where we were staying. I mean, how could they not? It also didn’t hurt that readers of Condé Nast Traveler voted it the #1 hotel in Miami last year. Sign me up!
While we’ve both visited a handful of cities in Florida, this will be our first time in Miami. If you’ve been or are local, I’d love your recs on where to eat, drink and explore! Pop a note down in the comments or tweet me if you’ve got all the juicy (and hopefully delicious) details on Miami Beach.
I plan to really let my Type A shine with a packing list – so stay tuned for that!
Update: I recently got word that Thompson Miami Beach is now The Confidante, joining the existing properties in the recently launched The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand. I was excited to hear the hotel won’t be undergoing any major renovations and the lifestyle spirit of the hotel will remain intact, as that was what drew me in when looking for a hotel!
Photos via Gray Malin (they’re actually prints you can purchase!)
Ah I am so so jealous!! My friend Jillian just posted a Miami City Guide TODAY so you’re in luck! She has wonderful taste and the prettiest pictures: http://rhymeandreason-jillian.com/miami-travel-guide/
xo
I actually stumbled upon her blog last week and couldn’t read that post fast enough this morning! Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’ve got a trip to The Dunmore coming up, right? Can’t wait to see your snaps from that!
Good for you! As a planner at heart, being spontaneous isn’t my strong suit. We are trying to book a trip to Portland for 3 weeks from now, so maybe I can change too. I’ve never been to Miami but the photos are gorgeous and I’ve never regretted a trip that I took. You’ll have a blast!
Same with me, but I’m trying to be more open to things like this! Portland is on my bucket list – I say do it 🙂 You bring up a valid point, I’ve never regretted a trip either!
OMG! I stayed at the Thompson once and adored it. You will love it!
Mitch and I used to fly to Miami all the time because flights were so cheap from NYC and getting to South Beach from the airport is so easy. It always gave us a new perspective on things. I hope you have the BEST TIME and drink all the wine.
xoxo!
Kelly | Kelly in the City
Oh yay! That makes me even more excited to hear you’ve stayed there. I’m glad to hear that navigating from the airport won’t be too terrible…I was a little worried about that! I’m hoping we both come back refreshed and ready to tackle everything on our plates at the moment. Thank you! I’ll definitely have a glass or wine (or two) for you 😉
Miami is SO COOL! You’ll have so much fun! I was there a couple years ago when Notre Dame played Alabama in the BCS National Championship… There’s a paved trail like right between the street and the beach that was so fun to walk along. South Beach was a hoot !
I’m so excited for a fresh scene…even if it’s only for a few days! I love that you said it was a hoot…can’t wait 😉
Miami is wonderful. Honestly my only recommendation is hanging by the beach! When you get hungry/thirsty just take a quick walk to the avenue to refuel. I had a great lunch at Poseidon and dinner at La Locanda .
I have to add that I believe Memorial Day weekend is considered urban weekend. There is some type of hip hop/rap festival thing that goes on there every year and I believe it’s that weekend. Not sure if you’re a club person but they might be pretty packed when you’re there.
Have a great trip!
Hi Lauren! I like your style. We plan to spend as much time at the beach as possible! Definitely going to keep these spots in mind. While I don’t discriminate when it comes to music, I think we may steer clear of the clubs this go round and *hopefully* enjoy some much needed r&r…but never say never, right 😉
Thank you so much!
Ahhh!!! I love this, you and Pete are going to have an amazing time!! That’s such a good idea to book a quick getaway for a long weekend together! The hotel looks amazing, I’m sure you are going to have a great time! Please bring the sunshine and warm weather back to the midwest!! 😉
Miss ya girl!
It’s giving us both an extra boost right when we need it! I’ll try my best! Hoping my next trip after this is up to Chicago 😉 Miss you too!
Well, now you’ve inspired me to jump online and book a trip of my own. I have seen a number of photos of The Thompson as well and equally fell in love! Can’t wait to see your photos! XO
Anna || A Lily Love Affair
Woops, sorry about that 😉 I can’t wait to check it out in person! And let’s hope my snaps do it justice. Hope you’re getting some sunshine up there in Chicago!
I love spontaneous travelling. It’s much better than something you keep thinking about for a long time but never do! I recently did the same with a trip to Seville. I’m going there next week 🙂
memoriesofthepacific.blogspot.com
I think I’m going to be a fan of it as well 😉 That sounds amazing! Look at us go haha
That sounds so heavenly, Jess! Can’t wait to live vicariously through your always beautiful photos! You deserve a big getaway! 🙂
I think it will be good for the both of us!
So fun & exciting! There must be something about Miami because my first trip there was one that the hubs and I spontaneously booked only a few days before we went (eeeeeek!). I wish I had more recommendations but the last time I went was in my pre-blogging days aka I didn’t care about pictures or remembering names of things haha I do know you can’t go wrong with Cuban coffee or sandwiches and tacos, though 😀 And Puerto Sagua is somewhat of a local landmark for good Cuban-meets-diner food (I’m pretty sure they’re open all night so bonus points for a good after-drinking-food-spot)!
And here I thought I was being spontaneous…you win! haha. It’s funny how blogging changes the way you travel 🙂 I definitely think it has opened my eyes and made me more aware of my surroundings – not to mention I’ve always got the blog to fall back on when my memory fails me!
Thank you for the recs – late night food is usually a must 😉
OHHHH, so exciting!!! I wish I had rec’s but I haven’t been in so long. You will have to let me know what you loved!
I’ve got you, girl 😉 Hope you had the best weekend!
Yay!!!!!!! I’m so happy you are going Jess! It’s seriously like a breath of fresh air and I love that you are being spontaneous about this. Everything is so lush and exotic. Well played lady! Well played.
We are SO excited! I need some lush and exotic in my life…stat 😉 Thanks for the inspiration to make it happen!