Where to Stay in Miami: Best Areas and Hotels

The Short Answer

For a first trip, stay in South Beach. It is the one part of Miami where you can walk from your hotel to the beach, the Art Deco streets, restaurants and nightlife. Our pick there is The Betsy, at the calmer north end of Ocean Drive. If South Beach isn't the right fit:

• Want the beach with less noise: Mid-Beach has the big resorts, such as Fontainebleau. Farther north, Surfside and Bal Harbour and Sunny Isles Beach are quieter again, and better for families and long stays.
• Want the city: Brickell and Downtown have the rooftop bars, restaurants and business hotels, and the free Metromover links them. Neither has a beach.
• Taking a cruise: stay Downtown near PortMiami, 5 to 15 minutes from the terminals by car.
• Want leafy, local and calm: Coconut Grove or Coral Gables, both close to the airport. Key Biscayne, covered on our Coconut Grove page, has the quietest beaches.
• Early flight: sleep at or near the airport.

Two things catch people out. Many Miami hotels add a resort, destination or "urban" fee and charge for parking, usually valet. And Miami is more spread out than it looks: Brickell to South Beach is 15–25 minutes by car without traffic, and much more at rush hour.

Choose Your Neighborhood

Tap an area for where to stay there, the best streets and hotels at every budget.

Miami's Areas Compared

Drive times are route-planner estimates without heavy traffic, rounded up. Allow extra time on weekday rush hours and on weekend nights heading to Miami Beach.

One Great Hotel in Each Area

If you only want one name per neighborhood, start with these. Each area guide has more options at every budget.

Fees and Parking: What to Expect

• Resort and destination fees are common. Many beach and city hotels charge a mandatory daily fee on top of the room rate, sometimes called an urban, facility or amenity fee. It often covers Wi-Fi or beach chairs. Since May 12, 2025, a Federal Trade Commission rule has required hotels and booking sites to show the total price, including mandatory fees, so compare the all-in figure.
• Parking costs extra almost everywhere. Most beachfront and city hotels offer valet parking only, and a few have no parking at all. Miami Beach runs public garages and lots that take the ParkMobile and PayByPhone apps.
• You may not need a car. In South Beach, Brickell and Downtown you can get around on foot, by free trolley or Metromover, and by rideshare. Sunny Isles, Bal Harbour, Coral Gables and Key Biscayne are easier with a car.

Getting Around Miami

• Metromover is a free elevated train that loops through Downtown, Omni and Brickell, from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
• Metrorail's Orange Line runs from the airport to Downtown and Brickell. Trains run from 5 a.m. to midnight; on weekends you may have to change at Earlington Heights.
• The Miami Beach Trolley is free and runs four routes, from South Beach up to North Beach, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., about every 20 minutes on average.
• The Coral Gables Trolley is free, Monday to Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., along Ponce de Leon Boulevard.
• From the airport to Miami Beach, the Route 150 Miami Beach Airport Express bus runs from the MIA Metrorail station to 41st Street, Collins Avenue and Lincoln Road.

When to Go, and How It Changes Where to Stay

Winter and spring are the most popular months for a beach trip, and the dry season. For 2026–27, the National Weather Service in Miami expects a wetter and stormier than normal dry season because of a very strong El Niño, so pack for rain even in winter. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 and peaks around September 10; if you travel then, book a refundable rate and follow National Hurricane Center updates.

Big events fill hotels and push up prices. Art Basel Miami Beach runs December 4–6, 2026, and Ultra Music Festival takes over Bayfront Park in Downtown on March 26–28, 2027. March is also spring break season on Miami Beach, when the city adds high-impact measures in South Beach, such as flat-rate garage parking, beach checkpoints and Ocean Drive access limits; check the City of Miami Beach website before you book. In September, October and November, king tides can briefly flood streets in Miami Beach even on sunny days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to help you choose where to stay.

What is the best area to stay in Miami for a first trip?

South Beach. It is the only part of Miami where the beach, Art Deco architecture, restaurants and nightlife are all within walking distance. Stay on Collins Avenue between about 15th and 23rd Streets, or at the north end of Ocean Drive, if you want to be close to the action but not on top of the loudest bars.

Is it better to stay in Miami Beach or in Miami?

Stay in Miami Beach if the beach is the point of the trip. Stay in Brickell or Downtown if you care more about restaurants, rooftop bars, business, concerts or a cruise. The two are 15–25 minutes apart by car without traffic.

Do I need a car in Miami?

Not if you stay in South Beach, Brickell or Downtown. Free trolleys, the free Metromover and rideshares cover most trips, and hotel parking is expensive. A car helps in Sunny Isles, Bal Harbour, Coral Gables and Key Biscayne, or for day trips.

Which parts of Miami are walkable?

South Beach, Brickell, Downtown around Bayside, central Coconut Grove and the Miracle Mile area of Coral Gables are walkable. Mid-Beach, Sunny Isles and the airport area are spread out along busy roads, so most people drive or take rides.

What is a resort fee in Miami?

A mandatory daily charge added to the room rate at many Miami hotels, also called a destination, urban or facility fee. It may cover Wi-Fi, beach chairs or bikes. Hotels and booking sites must show the total price including mandatory fees, so compare the all-in figure, and remember parking is usually extra.