I went to Miami on Spring Break with 20 teenagers!
Well, not really. They stayed at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach and had a great time. How could they not! And what they saw and did during their time in Miami will not be covered in this post. 🙂
I, on the other hand, had a gorgeous ocean view room at the W South Beach. I booked this room through my luxury travel advisor friend who was with me, and even though I couldn’t earn points on my stay, I did receive all of my Bonvoy Platinum benefits.
Every morning, I had a huge continental breakfast delivered to my room as a Platinum member. I actually scheduled it every day to come at 7 am, and sure enough, there was a knock at my door consistently each day at that time. My room was gorgeous and large. It was modern and sleek, and the view was one of the best views I ever had. (I don’t usually splurge for the ocean view). In fact, I was on a higher floor than my friend, who was the one who booked the room for me. 🙂
The hotel also was quite nice, but it was crowded the week of spring break, and that made for some annoyances like long lines at the understaffed desk, lack of hotel bikes, and going really early to the beach to secure a lounge chair. Once at the beach, we needed to compete with the many other guests out there for the staff’s attention to order food, drinks, etc. 
I spent no time at the pool, but it also seemed overcrowded and chaotic when I did pass by. There is also a more tranquil adult pool, but it was small with a small amount of seating. If you wish to play sports, there is a big basketball court and a tennis court on site which I think is a really nice feature. I did not go to the gym. 🙂
Despite the crowds, the location of the hotel could not be beaten. It was right on the beach, and every morning, I walked with friends along the beach boardwalk. It was a bit irritating when we hit some closed-off spots and needed to weave in and out of Collins Avenue to continue our trek. I am not sure how often it is like that.
It was quite easy to get around because even during covid as Ubers and Lyfts were very easy to come by. So when we could tear ourselves from the beach, I did check out a little bit more of Miami. We had the best table in the house at Malibu Farm at the Eden Roc Hotel, and the food along with the view was spectacular! This was by far one of my favorite meals.
I spent one day checking out the Wynwood Walls (check) and exploring the Arts District of downtown Miami. 
I took many fun pictures and had an authentic, delicious Cuban lunch of Arroz con Pollo at Puerto Sagua. Thanks, Mark, for the bite of the Cuban sandwich. It was as good as you said!
And wow, my dinners! Two standouts were KYU in the Wynwood District. The cauliflower was that good! And my favorite was Kiki On The River on the Miami River, how fun! I also enjoyed my meals at Cecconi’s, where we had a great big round table for 8 of us, and the food was at Byblos (a last-minute reservation because of rain) was delicious.
I didn’t know if I would, but I get the appeal of Miami-the gorgeous beaches, the cool trendy areas of the city (that I would like to explore more), and the extraordinary food scene. I think I would like to go back but not during Spring Break!
