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50-mile walk proposed in Australia

Soon, you won’t have to choose between two of Australia’s most popular beaches — if you’re up for a wee bit of a trek. A project is in its planning stages to build a 50-mile-long coastal hike between Bondi and Manly beaches in Sydney. The walk won’t be a convenient path between the two beaches, but it will allow hikers to experience lush landscapes, Aboriginal art, and architectural features. As of right now, the walk is slated to include Bondi Beach, Camp Cove, the Vaucluse and Elizabeth Bay House, Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Curlew Camp, Manly Beach, and various Aboriginal cultural sites.

Photo: Hans Wagemaker/Shutterstock

While some parts of the path are already in place, the new plan calls for connecting the existing trails and installing clear signage, directions, and markers for historical context. Since the land is already publicly owned, there probably won’t be any disruption to private citizens, meaning the building process is likely to be smooth and quick.

Lachlan Harris, one of the project’s chief proponents, told The Daily Telegraph, “The walk sits on what is widely accepted to be the greatest natural harbor in the world, and it takes in four of the six most iconic places in the nation.”

Photo: Traveling.About/Shutterstock

John Faulkner, an avid Sydney walker and another originator of the project added, “It doesn’t need infrastructure or to disrupt anyone’s existing use of the land. It just needs explanation, a bit of promotion and some modest waymarking.” He believes it could become the best urban walk in the world.

H/T: Lonely Planet

More like this: The 11 strangest-looking beaches around the world

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Cheap ski resorts in famous areas

Skiing is a notoriously expensive hobby. The equipment, the clothing, the $12 beers — all in addition to the cost of getting on the hill. For those lacking a season pass, planning a trip to the mountain is an intimidating prospect. Getting on the gondola at Aspen can cost you over $150. Lift tickets at some resorts have gotten so expensive that prices are hard to even find on their websites.

Fortunately, there are more affordable options, some even leaving enough in your wallet to splurge on après ski. As with most tips for saving money on a ski trip, finding these budget-friendly options comes down to thorough research, which we’ve done for you. A few resorts offer prices dipping to about one-third of what top-tier resorts charge to get on the hill — which, when coupled with readily available lodging deals and off-peak season travel, puts the overall investment on-par with a typical summer road trip. We’ve got the lowdown below.

A quick note for the bargain hunter

Most ski areas in the US offer a slew of discounts for specialized groups of people. If you’re a military vet, bring that ID with you to the ticket window. The same goes for students and seniors. Aspen hosts a massive blowout each year for its Gay Ski Week, and a number of other resorts have similar celebrations of inclusivity that come with discounted lift tickets. If you plan to ski multiple days at the same resort, inquire about multi-day lift tickets, which often come at a steep discount over buying a new ticket each morning.

Rocky Mountains
Loveland Ski Area, Colorado

Lift ticket price: $79 peak season, $65 early season

Photo: Loveland Ski Area/Facebook

Before you flinch at that $79 price tag, hear us out. This is Colorado, a state that is the beacon call of the ski industry and a place not shy about boosting prices into the stratosphere. On the other side of the Eisenhower Tunnel, Breckenridge and Keystone charge upwards of $139 for a one-day pass. Loveland nearly cuts that number in half while still offering a resort-sized skiing experience (1,800 acres) ripe with expert terrain, a decent park, and free close-in parking. It even throws in free snowcat skiing on The Ridge when conditions allow, a deal worth the cost of the ticket in itself. You also have the benefit of being closer to Denver than most other Colorado resorts — you’d drive right by Loveland en route to Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, or Vail.

Snowy Range Ski Area, Wyoming

Lift ticket price: $49

Photo: Snowy Range Ski Area/Lauriel S./Facebook

Jackson Hole is an incredible destination for a ski trip — unless you’re a bargain hunter. Keep loads of money in your pocket by heading to the southeastern part of the state and checking out Snowy Range Ski Area instead. The area’s marketing team has been hard at work creating a full-on resort experience for visitors, linking with the tourism bureau in nearby Laramie to offer ideas for après ski and off-mountain fun. The five lifts and runs range from super basic to the black-diamond-caliber chutes. Besides the far cheaper lift ticket, Laramie offers a number of hotels charging less than $60 per night for a room, a fraction of the cost you’ll find in Jackson. And, because it’s a college town, you can rest easy knowing the bar scene is on point.

Showdown, Montana

Lift ticket price: $47

Photo: Showdown Montana/Facebook

Skiers typically use Bozeman as their entry and exit point to Montana for its easy access to the famed Big Sky, just over an hour south. But you could save some massive dough by heading north instead towards the tiny town of Neihart and Snowdown Montana. Experienced skiers spend their time lapping the Prospector Lift and the black-diamond runs it serves to the skier’s right. There’s also plenty of intermediate terrain and a small freestyle park for the jibbers. With 36 runs, the ski area makes incredibly efficient use of its 640 skiable acres. It’s far smaller than Big Sky, but as you sit over a $5 beer at the Hole in the Wall Saloon, you may find yourself pondering that old adage that it’s not the size that matters, it’s how you use it.

Canadian Rockies
Kimberley Alpine Resort

Lift ticket price: about $68

Photo: Kimberley Alpine Resort/Facebook

South of Banff National Park, British Columbia’s Kimberley Alpine Resort delivers an experience on par with US resorts charging double its ticket price. Kimberley’s famed “four mountain faces” host 68 runs across 1,800 acres, allowing you to lose yourself across the backside of the peaks, far removed from the bustle of the base area. The aptly named Black Forest is home to many of the resort’s most challenging runs, including the legendary tree skiing that helped put Kimberley on the radar of powder hounds across North America. Night skiing is available if you didn’t get your fix during daylight hours.

Sierra Nevadas
Soda Springs Ski Resort

Lift ticket price: $50

Photo: Soda Springs Ski Resort/Facebook

A dozen ski resorts surround the Tahoe area — on both the California and Nevada sides of the border. You get stunning views of Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake on the continent, and world-class resorts like Squaw Valley, home of the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. But you’ll be shelling out as much as $169 at the ticket window to ski at Squaw, quite possibly — depending on the weather — on heavy, coastal snow. If you’re new to skiing, this is not the place to start. Tahoe is epic, but landing a good deal and a place for newbies to find their footing in a non-intimidating environment can be a challenge. Enter Soda Springs, the place to be in Lake Tahoe if you’re a beginner not quite ready to make the full-on commitment to a new hobby. Soda Springs does boast blower powder lines every time it snows. It’s small with only fifteen trails, but this means it’s easy to find the stashes, bumps, and burns that make a good run a great one.

Appalachia

Middlebury College Snow Bowl, Vermont

Lift ticket price: $60 weekends and holidays, $40 weekdays

Photo: Middlebury College Snow Bowl/Facebook

Back in 1934, Vermont’s Middlebury College set out to, among other things, solve a pressing problem: how to get its two-planked students on the slopes as much as possible and where to base its renowned ski team. College kids don’t have any money, but — especially in places like Vermont — many of them still love to ski. Why not build our own ski hill, keep it cheap, and open it to the public, the college thought. The idea stuck, and families across New England take advantage of the inexpensive weekday skiing on four lifts and a bargain-priced meal in the lodge afterwards. The hill’s 1,000 feet of vertical isn’t what you’ll find at Stowe or Killington, but the extra cash in your pocket feels twice as nice when you breeze through the non-existent lift line.

Alps
Flaine, France

Lift ticket price: about $49

Photo: Yolanta/Shutterstock

Many skiers and snowboarders have two major problems with the French Alps. First, the region’s legendary off-piste powder keeps haunting their dreams, and second, they haven’t convinced themselves to cough up the dough for a trip to Chamonix or Megève in order to ease their slumber. When planning an international ski trip, a meager $150 lift ticket here and there is but a line item in a large expense sheet, but those lines add up quick if the trip is longer than a few days. Interspersing a day or two at Flaine makes the trip a bit easier to swallow without sacrificing any part of the European ski experience. Classic high-mountain architecture dots the base, above-treeline bowls and long piste runs are aplenty, and finding yourself confused at the overall layout of the resort is all but guaranteed.

La Berra, Switzerland

Lift ticket price: about $37

Photo: La Berra/Facebook

Switzerland is the mothership of skiing, the first place that many toss out when conversing with fellow ski bums about dream destinations for a powder vacation. It’s a country whose cities are built at the base of some of Europe’s most stunning mountains and where, in winter, many fully functioning towns are only accessible by train or ski. The problem is that — since Switzerland isn’t part of the European common market surrounding it, and its snowy towns are hard to access — food and other basic purchases are crazy expensive. Le Berra is there to ease that pain with a steep break on lift tickets. The terrain is flowy and fast with plenty of spots to duck into the trees off-piste or make wide, arcing turns on-piste. Because this is Switzerland, you may find yourself paying nearly as much for a sandwich as you did on your lift ticket, but after a few turns overlooking Switzerland’s peerless Alpine views, the meal will go down smoothly anyway.

Andes
Cerro Bayo, Argentina

Lift ticket price: about $57

Photo: majogomezr/Shutterstock

South American ski vacation tip #1: Save money by sticking to the Argentinian side of the Andes instead of the Chilean side. Take Cerro Bayo. Expansive, wide-open bowls, flowing groomers, and challenging trees all for less than $60 per day. Beginner terrain is ample and clearly separated from the more challenging terrain higher up, and you can top off the day with empanadas and beer at the AMEX Snow House. On-piste revelry is also available at the top of the gondola where the Altitud Bar de Amigos awaits with a cold bucket of Imperials and views that are as memorable as the ski experience itself.

New Zealand
Temple Basin Ski Area

Lift ticket price: $60 weekend, $50 weekday

Photo: Temple Basin/Facebook

Temple Basin is the best of pretty much all ski worlds. It’s affordable, the terrain is excellent, and there’s usually no one there except for a handful of club members who basically live in the lodge during ski season. Club ski areas are often pretentious bastions of well-to-do douchebaggery, far from the type of place a budget-conscious skier wants to spend their time, but New Zealand presents an alternative here. First, its affordable rates are open to the public, with the added bonus of lighted night-skiing. Next, its location within the confines of Arthur’s Pass National Park assures unparalleled views. Third, and perhaps most important, the entire ski area is above treeline. Even the base lodge. You’re practically guaranteed unlimited powder turns and the space to get as gnarly as your ability lets you. There’s only one thing left to say: Take my money.


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Cheapest capital cities in the world

Taking in the lights of Paris, the fountains of Rome, or the pubs of Dublin are some of the best experiences travelers can have, but they can also be some of the most expensive.

That’s why UK-based travel agency Cuba Holidays conducted a deep dive into how much it costs the average traveler to visit the world’s capital cities. The results are purely based on tourism and meant to give travelers an idea of how much they’re going to shell out should they plan to visit. The study analyzed capitals on the following factors:

Hotel rates
Cheapest transportation options
The average cost of a meal for two
Entry fees to the city’s top 10 attractions
Price of a pint
Cost of a coffee

Photo: Cuba Holidays/Shutterstock

To zoom in, click here.

Jakarta, Indonesia, came out ahead of the pack for affordability. With an average cost of about $25 per day, the Southeast Asian city ranked significantly ahead of the second place city, Skopj in Macedonia, which has an average daily cost of about $37. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the United Arab Emirates city of Abu Dhabi is the world’s most expensive capital for travelers, costing nearly $390 per day for basic amenities — certainly not leaving much left over for a night on the town.

H/T: Cuba Holidays

More like this: Every European capital ranked from most expensive to cheapest

The post These are the cheapest and most expensive capital cities appeared first on Matador Network.

Cruises cancel because low water

What is a cruise without water? A ruined vacation. A hot, dry summer has left European rivers with record-low water levels this year, causing travel disruptions and other challenges to cruise companies who operate on the Danube, Rhine, and Rhône rivers.

Jana Tvedt, vice president of Riviera Cruises’ US branch, told The New York Times that the unpredictable water levels can be a nightmare for cruise operators. “Sometimes it’s tough to decide if we should cancel before a trip starts,” she said. “You think it’s going to work one way and then two days later it’s totally different.” Cruise companies like AmaWaterways compensate passengers with a 15 percent discount off a future trip, for each day the cruise deviates from its planned itinerary. If a cruise is cancelled completely, cruise lines will typically issue a full refund.

This uncertainty is even worse for travelers who might not know until the day before their trip if it’s been cancelled. Carol Milsoch, who lives North Carolina, was looking forward to cruising down the Rhine this October when she received a disappointing email. “We got an email three days before we were supposed to leave,” she said, “with the option to cancel for a full refund.” She ended up touring the countryside by bus instead, “but it just wasn’t the trip I spent nearly a year imagining.”

Another way cruise companies are dealing with unexpectedly low water levels is by transferring passengers from one ship to another, mid-voyage. “Ship swapping” has actually become a relatively common way of navigating through low water levels on the Danube, Rhine, and Elbe.

H/T: The New York Times

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Sarajevo hostel looks like war zone

Theme-based hotels are incredibly popular, but this hostel in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina takes the trend to a whole new level. The War Hostel Sarajevo is intended to recreate the harrowing conditions of the 1992-95 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it might accomplish its goal a little too well. For beds, there are only thin mattresses on the floor with scratchy blankets, and no pillows or sheets. For decorations, firearms and aggressive war posters line the walls. There’s even a room called “the bunker,” where smoke is produced by a machine to create a suffocating fog, the floors are made from packed mud, and there are no windows or lights to be found.

Photo: War Hostel

Photo: War Hostel

Photo: War Hostel

Arijan Kurbasic, manager of the hostel and former Sarajevo tour guide, believes he’s giving tourists what they want: dark tourism. He claims that his goal is not to create nostalgia for a period of bloodshed, but to give guests a window into the discomfort of wartime. Kurbasic greets guests wearing military garb, and requests that they call him Zero One, his father’s code name during the war.

Photo: War Hostel

Photo: War Hostel

According to Kurbasic, “Millennials come and say, ‘This is so cool’…but it’s not cool. It is not a game. If you grow up thinking war is a game, you will make some very bad decisions.” For him, the hostel is his way educating those too young to remember the devastating conflict. Kurbasic also insists that his hostel is not a political statement; he only wants people to remember that “what happened here can happen wherever there are people.”

H/T: The New York Times

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The post You can sleep in a hostel built to resemble a war zone – but should you? appeared first on Matador Network.

Tourists line up at Roy's Peak

There is no such thing as a beautiful secret spot any longer. With the advent of Instagram influencers, “outing” (and ruining) cool locations on social media has become increasingly common. We see a neat spot on our feed, so we want to venture there ourselves — along with thousands of others who had the same idea. This photo of the long line of people waiting to capture the exact same photo at Roy’s Peak in New Zealand really highlights this phenomenon.

The social media queue pic.twitter.com/hRj6kBXypS

— Lukas Stefanko (@LukasStefanko) November 25, 2018

TripAdvisor user Kerri wrote, “There were a lot of people at the viewpoint to get that desired photo. It was hard to get a photo without several strangers in it, and a tad awkward posing for a picture with such a large audience.”

According to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, visitors to Roy’s Peak have increased by 12 percent between 2016 and 2018, because of the spot’s popularity on social media. While taking a photo isn’t harming the environment, the Department of Conservation did warn visitors to be cognizant of the area’s wildlife, and to be mindful of not leaving debris along the trail.

Many, however, don’t approve of this single-minded approach to travel, wishing people would actually stop to appreciate the view instead of posing. In response to the Roy’s Peak picture, one Twitter user wrote, “This really upsets me. What is wrong with these people? If I hiked all the way up and finally got to this view, I would just stare and cry and be thankful I got to see it.”

Many have had similar experiences at popular photo spots, like Redditor MrCoffee999 on their trip to the Fushimi Inari Gates in Kyoto, Japan. “Everyone posing on the way up the mountain made it not enjoyable for us,” they wrote, “having to stop every 10 seconds to wait for people to pose and snap photos.” Redditor hip2besquare18 explained, “I had a similar experience in Santorini at the famous three blue domes. People were patiently waiting in line up to a certain point, but if someone took too long to take their photo, people would yell at them.”

H/T: BBC News

More like this: This hilarious Instagram account shows how unoriginal travel-influencer photos are

The post Hundreds line up to take the same Instagram photo in New Zealand appeared first on Matador Network.

Renoir painting stolen from auction

It’s a classic Hollywood heist caper come to life. On Monday, an 1895 Renoir painting — the “Golfe, mer, falaises vertes,” valued at $180,000 — was stolen from the Dorotheum auction house in Vienna. According to what police know so far, three middle-aged men walked into the auction house at 5:15 PM, approached the painting, removed it from its frame, and walked out, making no effort to hide their appearance from security cameras. The exact method they used to extract the painting — which was set to be auctioned off on Wednesday — has not been released.

Photo: Dorotheum/Facebook

The whole process seems surprisingly quick and easy, but as of right now, no further details are known about how the the theft was carried out. James Roundell, director of Impressionist and Modern art at Dickinson and a London art dealer, said to The New York Times that blatant robberies of large items at auction houses are rare.

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Church helps asylum seekers

After hearing that an Armenian family of five was in danger of deportation, a Protestant church in The Hague took measures to protect them. The Tamrazyan family had lived in the Netherlands for nine years, though the government denied their asylum request and ordered their deportation. The family’s children applied for a special residence permit, which was also denied. In an effort to help delay the family’s deportation, the church decided to hold a continuous worship service at the Bethel Church in The Hague, so the family of five could shelter there as long as they need to.

Dutch law prohibits police officers from entering houses of worship during religious services, so as long as the service is in progress, the family will remain safe. The marathon service began on October 26th, and it’s been ongoing ever since. In an email to HuffPost, Rev. Theo Hettema said, “The family is in the building continuously. They can be arrested when they go outside.”

The Tamrazyan family fears returning to Armenia, because the father has been threatened in the past for his political activism.

There are a rotating group of 400 ministers and parishioners attending the services each day, and community members have even volunteered to bring groceries to the church. Over 3,500 people from across the Netherlands have volunteered to help the Tamrazyans.

Church leaders have acknowledged that they’re in a bit of a pickle when it comes to their ethical responsibilities. In a press release, they said the “choice between respecting the government and protecting the rights of a child” isn’t an easy one. There are no plans to stop the service anytime soon, however. “We plan to continue the services,” said Hettema, in order “to create time and space for a dialogue on the life of this family and the fate of children in similar circumstances.”

H/T: HuffPost

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Twitter connects long-lost friends

Friendships that start on vacations are often short-lived and fickle. You hang out for a few days, become Facebook friends, and make tentative plans to visit each other once the trip is over — and then you never speak again. That’s what happened to this 19-year-old Mississippi woman who went on a cruise in Hawaii in 2006; she met a new friend and then lost touch with her.

“We were basically best friends for that night,” explained Brianna Cry in a Twitter post, where she also included a photo of them together. “So I need y’all to help me find my best friend cause I miss her and I need to see how she’s doing now. Please retweet this so we can be reunited.”

Hey twitter, I met this girl on a dinner cruise in Hawaii in 2006. We were basically bestfriends for that night so I need y’all to help me find my bestfriend cause I miss her and I need to see how she’s doing now. Please retweet this so we can be reunited. pic.twitter.com/LRtk6ClvV3

— Bri

Best hotels in Miami

Miami has no shortage of amazing hotels. With so many people flocking to the city to see the gorgeous turquoise waters of South Beach and incredible street art in Wynwood every year, hotels have to compete with each other by offering first-class restaurants, glittering pools, and as many extra amenities as possible. While there are too many great places to name, some stand out above the rest. If you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of accommodation options in Miami, make things easy for yourself by booking a guaranteed fantastic stay at one of these six hotels the next time you’re in town.

Kimpton Angler’s Hotel

Photo: Kimpton Angler’s Hotel

Kimpton always knows exactly what we want in a hotel stay. A chic design and cool vibe are present in all of their properties, as are stellar dining options and excellent service. So when Kimpton Angler’s opened in South Beach earlier this year, we had to check it out. The main building, which includes 85 guest rooms with terraces or balconies, is finally open and home to the front desk and Minnow Bar. Its new addition is set to open soon and will include 40-some more rooms, some of which are two-story lofts and three-story bungalows. The new building will also house the restaurant Seawell Fish N’ Oyster and a courtyard with an adult-only pool.

The standard guest rooms are everything we’ve come to expect from Kimpton. The bohemian nautical decor is bright and airy with bamboo floors, marble bathrooms, and a well-stocked mini bar, which includes pre-batched cocktails for your drinking pleasure. Fitness-minded travelers can partake in the property’s daily HIIT classes at no extra charge or visit the gym. There’s also a yoga mat stashed in every room and a 24-hour yoga channel on TV, so you can practice your downward dog at any time. The serene rooftop pool is a fab place to catch some rays with a tasty cocktail in hand. While the restaurant isn’t open yet, Minnow Bar’s cocktail menu will quench your thirst with wonderful libations from bar director Chris Resnick. There’s also a killer breakfast spread available for purchase daily, which we recommend enjoying on the adjoining tiled terrace.

While all of these things make Kimpton Angler’s a wonderful place to stay, the Angler’s Reef program is what makes it truly special. The hotel has teamed with the University of Miami’s Benthic Ecology and Coral Restoration Lab to adopt a coral reef off the shores of Miami Beach. Guests who want to learn more about this precious ocean resource and embark on a great adventure can enjoy a half-day Rescue-a-Reef excursion in partnership with local group Deco Divers. It’s a great way to get your fix of glorious nature while helping a worthy cause in the process.

Nautilus, a SIXTY Hotel

Photo: Nautilus, a SIXTY Hotel

There’s a good reason why we keep coming back to the Nautilus, a SIXTY Hotel year after year. Between the friendly service, chic design, comfy guest rooms, and stunning private beach, it’s one of our absolute favorite places to be when visiting South Beach. The property was originally designed in the 1950s by architect Morris Lapidus who was known for his neo-baroque “Miami Modern” aesthetic that is still so prominent in the city today. When the hotel was renovated and reopened in 2015, the team was careful to keep much of its original charm intact, which is apparent the moment you step foot in the lobby.

The room has a circular shape and is designed with tall white columns, plush velvet furniture, and a sunken bar where you can enjoy classic cocktails and a killer daily happy hour from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. There are a ton of different room options depending on your needs. A classic king or double queen room is perfectly comfortable, but you can always spring for a balcony or studio room (which features a large sitting area and second TV) if you prefer more space. Every room is appointed with custom-made Sferra linens, Maison Margiela bath products, espresso machines, and vintage travel chests stocked with the best minibar loot we’ve seen.

The Nautilus Cabana Club is a beautiful outdoor-indoor restaurant that also fuels the fare served poolside and for room service. We love grabbing breakfast at Nauti Grind, the lobby coffee stand that serves fresh fruit, juice, Zak the Baker pastries, and delicious empanadas (try the chicken or spinach). You can’t visit Nautilus without spending time at its beautiful saltwater pool, which is flanked on the east by a circular bar and lawn studded with hammocks and wicker furniture. Walk through the bamboo grove to the private beach and settle into a chaise lounge to enjoy views of the turquoise Atlantic. Party people will love the rosé Sunday brunch, complete with a live Cuban band, and adventurous spirits should grab a complimentary house bike and explore the surroundings.

The Setai Miami Beach

Photo: The Setai Miami Beach

The Setai is a vision of luxury and elegance. The hotel was built in 1937 and opened as the Dempsey-Vanderbilt hotel, and it’s still an Art Deco vision — particularly how the movement was interpreted in Asia — 80 years later. The richly appointed rooms are refined and spacious. A Studio Suite, which is the smallest of the lot, is still designed with a large sitting area where you can have friends up for a cocktail or eat breakfast with a view of the Collins Avenue or The Setai’s tranquil courtyard. If you’re traveling with a group, the ocean suites offer a view of the glistening Atlantic and are available with one, two, or three bedrooms.

High rollers can spring for the four-bedroom penthouse, which is lavishly designed with four-and-a-half bathrooms and a private rooftop terrace with infinity pool. Three gorgeous infinity swimming pools are surrounded by towering palms and kept at different temperatures to suit your individual needs. Take a walk down to the beach and lounge in the sun, or adventure out on the water on one of The Setai’s house jet skis. The hotel’s concierge is one of the best in the city and can arrange a variety of awesome activities, whether you want to check out Miami’s performing arts scene, go on a museum tour, or plan a day of water sports like parasailing or snorkeling. You can even have a beach picnic packed for you and ride down to the sand on one of the hotel’s custom Republic bicycles.

Even if you’re not staying at The Setai, you have to stop in for dinner. Jaya serves pan Asian cuisine from chef Vijayudu Veena, and the restaurant is set in the most gorgeous room in Miami. It’s designed with bright lanterns hanging over a reflecting pool and has a retractable roof so you can enjoy it rain or shine. Don’t miss the short rib gyoza; chicken tikka, which is served on a small charcoal grill; and side of vegetable fried rice with duck. Go for Friday dinner during Jaya’s Asian Night Bazaar where your meal will be accompanied by live contortionists and fire dancers.

Mondrian South Beach

Photo: Mondrian South Beach

If you’re looking for chic, whimsical, and fun rolled into one, Mondrian South Beach is our favorite place to get it all. Designed by Marcel Wanders, the visionary style pays homage to Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Pulling up to the lobby indeed feels like a fantasy. There are chandeliers encased with oversized bells, a floating staircase, and whitewashed furniture that’s a mix of mod and neo-baroque.

Mondrian South Beach sits on Biscayne Bay, so a bay-view studio is worth the splurge when you stay here. We’re fans of the deluxe room, which includes a spacious kitchen area with a small fridge, two-burner stove, and dining table. The rooms are big and filled with light and include details like trompe l’oeil mirrors and Dutch Delft tiles printed with modern Miami designs. The balcony is the best part of the room experience; not only does it overlook the bay, but it also sits above the hotel’s stunning half moon pool.

Because the pool sits behind the hotel on the bay, it gets sun later in the day rather than early in the morning. This means that the music is playing well into dinner time, and people are reveling in a cocktail hour libation either on their balconies or on chaise lounges down below. It’s no wonder the poolside bar got the nickname “Sunset Bar” — it offers the best view of a fiery Miami sky in the city. During the day, the pool’s daybeds, hammocks, and astro-turf-covered cabanas are perfect for those who want to laze in the sun. But anyone up for adventure can enjoy a variety of water sports on Biscayne Bay, including paddle boarding, jet skiing, kayaking, and boating.

Mondrian Caffè serves globally inspired cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and it offers a sumptuous Sunday brunch with everything from hand-rolled sushi to charcuterie to an omelet station. On-site GUYandGIRL spa offers the usual massages and body treatments, but it also has a Wednesday happy hour special where you can snag a blowout or express facial for only $40. The Mondrian gym is well-equipped, and it even has a menu of complimentary weekend wellness classes. If you’re not concerned about staying right on the sand, Mondrian South Beach will become your new favorite hotel.

Hotel Colonnade Coral Gables

Photo: Hotel Colonnade

If you’d rather stay away from the hustle and bustle of South Beach, look no further than charming Coral Gables, a colorful neighborhood where you’ll find vintage street trolleys and Mediterranean Revival architecture. The building that houses the Hotel Colonnade was built in 1926 and has been home to a variety of businesses, included a pilot training facility, movie studio, and even a WWII-era parachute factory. Its historic spendor is still intact, but it has all of the modern amenities to make you feel comfy away from home.

We love the elegantly modern Ponce De Leon rooms, which feature a sizeable sitting area and workspace in addition to an elegant stainless steel four poster bed. Big marble bathrooms boast C.O. Bigelow bath products and cozy robes, perfect for taking a coffee on the balcony on lazy mornings. A 24-hour fitness center has everything you need to stay fit on the go. We paid a visit to the tranquil outdoor heated pool, which is situated on a large terrace with a small bar.

For those who like their cocktails to come with an activity, the game room is a fun place to visit and features things like foosball and pool to keep you busy. Best yet, all of the on-site dining is excellent. Visit Crema first thing in the morning for coffee, yogurt parfaits, and breakfast sandwiches or dine at House for an unbelievably tasty challah French toast. Coral Gables offers complimentary trolley service Monday through Friday, which makes Hotel Colonnade a convenient place to stay for taking in Miami’s beauty and history without the crowds.

EAST, Miami

Photo: East, Miami

We love staying steps from the beach when visiting Miami, but it wouldn’t be a trip to Magic City without exploring the burgeoning neighborhoods on the west side of Biscayne Bay. If the downtown vibe is more your scene, then EAST, Miami in bustling Brickell is a hot spot you don’t want to miss. There’s a ton of great restaurants, bars, and shopping in Brickell, but artsy Wynwood and the Design District are also nearby, so you can get a taste of it all. The rooms at EAST, Miami are sleek and minimal, and they all feature a balcony, no matter the size. They’re tech savvy, too, so you can stream your content through the smart TV and play your music with the Native Union Switch device.

EAST, Miami is home to some of the best restaurants on this list. Quinto La Huella, which is the Miami outpost of Uruguayan beachfront restaurant Parador La Huella, specializes in wood fire cooking and sushi — think octopus carpaccio and a perfectly seasoned New Zealand rack of lamb. Sugar, the gorgeous rooftop bar and garden, serves cocktails and Asian tapas. The lobby bar and Cafe Domain is open all day, so you can grab breakfast and coffee, light snacks, and cocktails whenever you desire. The stunning pool deck is adorned in orange and turquoise and features four different pools (lap pool, spa pool, cold plunge and hot tub) to cool off in while catching some rays. EAST, Miami takes fitness seriously, so you’re in good hands if you need a daily sweat on vacation. The gym BEAST (aka Body by East) is equipped with everything you need for every workout, from cardio to weight training to yoga. You can even bring your personal trainer or ask the guest experience team to book a local fitness pro to work with you.


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