A carefree weekend in Miami

Closing a day of telecommuting, taking a plane and having dinner in Miami practically with both feet in the sand? Without having planned too much and without spending too much? Yes it’s possible ! A tale of a long express weekend in the party metropolis of Florida.

Emilie Cote
The Press

having a good time in florida

“We will begin our descent towards Miami. »

At 8 p.m., when the Air Transat flight attendant announced our arrival on Florida soil in mid-September, we were already on vacation. It’s amazing what a glass of wine and a movie on the plane can get us off the hook.

Our three-hour flight departed a little late, but we got through security and customs in Montreal much smoother than the images of endless lines seen last summer.

In our possession ? A simple hand luggage, packed in a hurry when leaving home to arrive at the airport at 2:30 p.m. after five effective hours of teleworking.

When we arrive in Miami, it’s the fleet. Luckily, it only takes a 30-minute taxi ride through the door of the Goodtime Hotel in South Beach. The 266-room establishment, which opened last year, lives up to its name.

Hello, Pharrel Williams!

Opened in 2021, the Goodtime Hotel is the brainchild of musician and designer Pharrell Williams and entrepreneur David Grutman. The two acolytes asked designer Ken Fulk to create a decor inspired by Wes Anderson films, with pastel colors and a retro candor.

We booked a room at this establishment just a week before our arrival.

The hotel fits perfectly with the idea of ​​our short stay in Miami: the price for one night is around US$150, the beach is nearby and the all-inclusive formula includes cafe, restaurant and swimming pool.

On weekends, the Goodtime Hotel even hosts renowned DJs (we will come back to this).

At any time, we can send a text message to a hotel employee, so that our dinner was delivered to the room, around 9:30 p.m., the evening of our arrival. We have also reserved places for group training.

Day 1: the Wynwood district

In the morning, a splendid view of the sea awaits us when we wake up. Our plan for the day after a dip in the sea and a bit of reading at the pool? Visit the Wynwood neighborhood.

It only takes 45 minutes by bus and on foot to get there. The public transport network is well developed in Miami, so it is quite possible to stay there without renting a car.

Wynwood is one of those once unloved industrial neighborhoods transformed into cool, creative places, where anything seems possible. He stands out for his mural works, including those found in an open-air museum, the Wynwood Walls – Urban Graffiti Art Museum.

Surprise during our visit: Montreal is proudly represented there, with a work by the ASHOP collective. There are also works by renowned artists, such as Dan Kitchener, Kelsey Montague and Shepard Fairey.

Even if you don’t visit the museum, you’ll see dozens of urban murals as you stroll through Wynwood.

The most spectacular is by Miles MacGregor (El Mac), to whom we owe the Leonard Cohen mural in Montreal.

Wynwood is home to Miami’s best microbreweries, Wynwood Brewing Company and J Wakefield Brewing. Since last year, the district has also hosted the Smorgasburg food fair on Saturdays, like other major cities, including New York, Toronto and Los Angeles.

The Rubell Museum

We absolutely want to visit the Rubell Museum, opened in 2019 by the family of the same name which has one of the largest private collections of contemporary art in the world.

Besides the works of Jeff Koons, Robert Longo, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, we discover the work of Reginald O’Neal, who painted scenes of daily life in Miami’s Overtown district.

The visit to the museum also allows us to visit two “chambers of mirrors” by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who is also currently featured in Montreal in an exhibition presented at the PHI Foundation.

The Underline Park before the aperitif

From the Rubell Museum, it only takes a few skytrain stops to find us in Underline Park, a linear park that the Metrorail overlooks.

In 2025, the park, whose work began in 2018, will be nearly 15 km long. In addition to the cycle path, there are numerous rest areas, training facilities and playgrounds for children. A very good example of town planning which could undoubtedly inspire the managers of the REM.

At 5:00 p.m., cocktail hour struck. That’s good: we are a 10-minute walk from Cafe La Trova, in the Little Havana district. The server immediately recognizes our Quebec accent, he who has already worked in a hotel complex in Cayo Coco, Cuba.

“Here there are happy hour and music live seven days a week,” he says proudly, serving us fried calamari and a margarita. The Cafe La Trova allows us to eat well and drink well at a good price in a retro Cuban decor. Ideal for a family.

To end the evening, we completely change the atmosphere to have a glass of natural sparkling wine at the Margot Natural Wine Bar (without being able to resist the oysters). Even if, in the image we have of Miami, we often imagine a sugary fluorescent cocktail of excessive size, in fact, the Florida metropolis has not escaped the natural wine shift.

Day 2: pool, bike and Flamingo

A pool party

Miami nevertheless remains Miami, we see the next day at the pool party of our swimming pool. After all, people come here to party.

Traveling alone, it’s in people-watching mode (people-watching) – one of our favorite activities – that we take a dip in the pool.

On Saturdays and Sundays, there are DJs at the Goodtime Hotel pool. Guests who want a quieter environment can head to the pool at the neighboring hotel — the chic Kimpton Angler’s Hotel — thanks to a partnership between the two properties.

Guests also have parasols at their disposal on the beach. It should be noted that the Goodtime Hotel is only a few steps from the sea and the famous Ocean Drive.

By bike

Ocean Drive just happens to be a favorite spot for people-watching, since hedonism is in the spotlight. On foot is fine, but doing it on a City Bike self-service bike at sunset is even better. We continue our way on the bike path that runs along the beach, the breeze around our necks.

For shopping, Lincoln pedestrian street remains a must, although the supply of shops has lost some of its luster. However, we are delighted with the opening of a Time Out Market food court, with the Vinya Organic Wine Bar, a wine bar that is worth the detour.

Flamingo Park

To rest from the bustle of South Beach, you can also stop in the shade of the tall trees of Flamingo Park. A place that will be very popular with parents traveling with their children. The latter will be able to enjoy the playgrounds and aquatic facilities. If you want to play tennis during the holidays, you can also reserve a court online.

Day 3: Sunday, already

Before we leave, one last item on our wish list remains to be checked off: the record store Sweat Records in Little Haiti, which attracts music lovers from all over the world. We examine the vinyls next to a man visiting from Portugal, to finally settle on a 33 rpm by… Leonard Cohen!

It’s time for the last meal in Miami. As a torrential downpour descends on the chic Miami Design District, we cross the door of the Mandolin Aegean Bistro.

What a lovely time we’re having at this new, high-profile yet affordable Miami address!

A corner of the sheltered terrace allows us to eat outside despite the deluge. The dish of Swiss chard sautéed with dukka and halloumi goes perfectly with our glass of lambrusco.

Back in South Beach, to collect our luggage, we test the shuttle that allows us to get to the airport for $2.25. It also stops just in front of the Goodtime Hotel. In 45 minutes, we are at our destination to catch our flight.

The objective of our stay was to experience an express weekend in Miami that was not complicated, not too expensive and invigorating. Mission accomplished… and if you have more than a long weekend, there are so many other corners of Miami to explore!

Transportation to Miami was provided by Air Transat, which exercised no right to review the content of this report.