Hotel at a Glance: Courtyard Cadillac Miami Beach Oceanfront

The Courtyard Cadillac Miami Beach Oceanfront is housed in an art-deco property listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. Expansions were completed in January 2014 with the addition of the LEED-certified Ocean tower. Guests can walk right out to the beach, which is replete with a wooden boardwalk.

• Where you’ll stay: Guest rooms include 32-inch plasma TVs and complimentary high-speed WiFi.
• Dine alfresco at the Oceanfront Surfside Tiki Bar, which serves American food and cocktails on a festive patio.
• Soak up the tropical vibe by grabbing a cocktail and a lounger next to one of two outdoor pools.
• Shop till you drop at Lincoln Road Mall, just 2 miles away; it’s lined with clothing boutiques, cosmetics shops, and outdoor cafés.
• Hit the South Beach clubs, just a 5-mile drive south of the hotel.

Miami Beach, Florida: White-Sand Beaches, Glamorous Nightlife, and Cuban Cuisine

Miami Beach is a small barrier island situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, a shallow lagoon that separates the beaches from downtown Miami. People from all over the world come here to enjoy the white-sand beaches, shop the high-end boutiques, and party at the legendary see-and-be-seen nightclubs the city is known for. The red-hot center of this sexy, international social scene is South Beach, a 20-block stretch filled with upscale lounges, rooftop bars, and ultrahip hangouts behind velvet ropes. Lummus Park beach is packed by mid-morning, and the clubs on Ocean Drive and Washington Avenue—many of which stay open until 5 a.m.—vie for the limelight with VIP service, celebrity DJs, and dressed-to-the-nines crowds.

Beyond the fast-paced luxury of South Beach lies Miami Beach’s softer side. A leisurely stroll through the Art Deco District reveals hundreds of beautiful, candy-colored buildings, including Versace Mansion—a 1930 manor modeled after a palace in the Dominican Republic that belonged to Christopher Columbus’s family. The centerpiece of the city’s arts scene, the Bass Museum of Art displays works from Peter Paul Rubens and Sandro Botticelli, and modern-design objects and propaganda arts fill three stories at the Wolfsonian-FIU museum. There’s also a handful of vibrant ethnic enclaves to explore here, and Little Havana is among the most notable. The neighborhood is lined with family-owned restaurants and Caribbean-style marketplaces, making it a great place to discover some of the country’s most delicious Cuban food, from sugary guarapo juice to pastelitos, or Cuban pastries.

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