How to spend a day in Miami
Life’s a beach in the Magic City, with its star-chef menus, glamorous poolside partying and spa retreats. CATHERINE FAIRWEATHER discovers what to see and where to be seen
8am
Waking up to huge ocean horizons in one of the glass-fronted, minimalist suites by Richard Meier at Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club immediately puts you in calm vacation mode. The most talked-about launch on Miami’s glittering hotel scene brings together The Four Seasons’ know-how and service with the hedonistic exclusivity of The Surf Club, the original Miami playground of the ’30s.
9am
Breakfast draws in local movers and shakers to the Four Seasons’ palm-fronded Le Sirenuse restaurant and terrace (little sister to the legendary Sirenuse in Positano, Italy). This is the place to go for a leisurely meal, but those in a hurry can swing by the Breakfast on the Go station for croissants, juice and fruit.
10am
Take one of the hotel’s complimentary cycles to neighboring Bal Harbour and the city’s beautiful alfresco shopping mall. Since you’re already harbor-side, experience Miami by boat in a speedy rib. You’ll encounter dolphins, sting rays and manatees while ogling billionaires’ island homes, the Blade Runner skyline of downtown Miami and the clapboard overwater houses of Stiltsville in the lagoon.
1pm
Book ahead for a late lunch at Mandolin, a popular Mediterranean family tavern serving sensational comfort food like meatballs, skewered lamb and hummus dips. After imbibing all the high-octane pizazz of Miami, it’s great to come back down to earth in this tree-studded courtyard garden, where the cutlery is stashed in reused olive oil tins. After lunch, drop into ‘Mrs Mandolin’ next door for great linen shirts, raffia bags, jewelry and sandals.
3pm
A massage at The Standard (situated on Belle Isle in Biscayne Bay and known as ‘a spa with guest rooms’) is a must before a dip in the huge swimming pool set amid tropical gardens. Wash off the city at the Turkish-style hammam, or indulge in a hydrotherapy treatment. The spa hours are 8am-10pm, or midnight on weekends; a day pass costs from $75.
5pm
Enjoy ‘Oyster Happy Hour’ from 4-7pm at Market at the Edition Hotel in the heart of Miami Beach, when the patisserie, bakery, restaurant and wine-bar hybrid offers a glass of Whispering Angel rosé for $10 and $2 oysters. Don’t miss the blissfully air-conditioned environs of the hotel’s bowling alley in the basement, where there’s also a private ice rink and a nightclub, too (you’ll need to book).
8pm
Stroll down the oceanfront boardwalk to find the heartbeat of South Beach at The Betsy, a clubby yet intimate colonial-style shuttered boutique hotel on the beach. Relax to live jazz and world-recognized musicians in an informal atmosphere; there are no cover charges or minimum orders. The mojitos are as sensational as the sushi on the Ocean Front Deck, with prime viewing over the theater of passing balletic skateboarders, Cadillac-driving, white-suited honchos, and the whole colorful flock of Miami’s extrovert street life.