Going to Miami for work? Here are some tips for your next business Trip to Miami, based on experience and advice from a local.

Airport tips

Miami International Airport – MIA – You can fly directly to this airport from the most important cities around the globe. From the airport to the city center (depending on traffic) if you go to the financial district it would take you less than 20 minutes and 35 minutes to South Beach. The good news upon arrival is that Wifi is available and unlike other airports in Miami wifi is free so you can book your transport!

Another airport is Ft Lauderdale Intl airport – FLL which is about an hour drive into Miami city center. This is a great alternative, since there are some low cost airlines flying from Europe to FLL. Moreover MIA often has really long queues at passport control (once I was in line for 2 hours!) therefore if you want to make the most of your day in Miami in some cases is easier to fly to FLL instead.

Miami has a strong cuban influence, and something I love to do upon arrival is go straight to the cuban kiosk for some good cuban coffee and specialties.

I love the smell when I land in Miami, I dont know why, but it has a very special smell, the air is very humid and is VERY HOT, so I always tend to remove a few layers of clothing as soon as I land. I love the feeling upon arrival, it gives me the chills and I can hear the caribbean music in the background!

Something I don’t like about MIA is the fact that the car rental area is in a different terminal and you have to walk A LOT and take a train to get there which takes ages, so keep that in mind in case you are carrying heavy luggage.

Moving around:

Uber is allowed in Miami and is the preferred alternative, they also have lyft which is the main competitor in the USA. Shared transportation is recommended as Taxis are more expensive and often they are smelly.

If you are new to uber and want $6 off your next trip you can use my invite code hereby.

Public transport is very limited. The best way to move around is Uber. Most Americans drive and probably a majority of the locals have their own car. Sometimes they rather use Uber because parking is hard to find and expensive. Remembers USA is all abou tipping, yes, you have to tip taxi drivers and Ubers! (something we dont usually do in Europe)

For yachting professionals, going from Miami to Ft Lauderdale and Palm Beach the yachting hubs, there is a new train which is very modern and sophisticated the bightline, its pretty fast and comfortable.

Best hotels for business trips

Best areas to look for hotels are in Midtown, Brickell and South Beach.

Brickell is the financial district in Miami and is in my opinion the best place to look for business hotels.

East hotel is a modern Asian young and vibrant hotel, perfectly situated by the business arenas, near conferences and perfect fit to the business lifestyle. It is actually connected to the Brickell City center shopping mall.

A great business hotel in Miami Beach is the One hotel, I have actually stayed there a couple of times and I love it because it very modern and minimalist. Most hotels in South Beach are pretty outdated (or they use the term art deco as they call it to hide the fact is old and outdated)

Laptop friendly cafe’s:

I am a big fan of Joe & The juice (link will take you to all Miami locations) and actually Miami has a bunch of them, is a great place to grab a fresh juice, recharge (not only yourself but also your to recharge your phone and laptop!)

Otherwise Starbucks is always a popular choice.

Hotel Lobby’s for business meetings

One of the most beautiful lobbies is the one at the Mandarin Oriental in Brickell which by the way has one of my favorite restaurants in the world: La Mar, peruvian fusion restaurant. It is also my favorite place for brunch ever!

Place for meetings:

As my friend a financial advisor and resident of Miami, Jessika Angarita perfectly describes it:

‘If I am taking an investor and talk about finance, I would suggest the Four Seasons in Brickell.

If I am talking about yachting and luxury, I would suggest the Deck in Island Gardens.

For a casual and simple meeting I go to Casa Tua at the Brickell City Center mall”

Co-working space and offices

As usual my favorite worldwide is We Work, and they have a nice one We work office in Brickell where you can rent an office space for the day to ensure you have high speed internet, printer services or arrange a conference room.

it is also a great place to do some networking if you are in the tech start up business!

Business lunch

For a business lunch La Petit Maison is where a local would take their foreign clients for lunch.

Best bar for an after-work drink

Also located in Brickell area there is Sugar rooftop at the East Hotel, which is a local’s favorite place for Happy Hour!

For a fancy shaken & stirred, sexy, sultry, and glamorous cocktail The S Bar at the SLS lounge brings life to all new heights of enjoyment. The vibe is casual and the style is bohemian chic with an urban edge.

Wining & dining clients

La Sirenusse at the Four Seasons in North Miami, Quinto la Huella in Brickell City Center and of course, Cipriani never fails.

And all-time favorite is Joe’s stone crab restaurant, but make sure you make a reservation (or tip the manager to get in 

For after party bars  there is Marion in Brickell and the Faena in Miami Beach.

Things to do in case you case free time

You cant go to Miami and not go shopping!! I usually make sure I take a day off to shop till’I drop! Miami has some of the best outlets and shopping malls in the world!

If shopping is not your thing; and you are more into sports, Paddle Boarding in Key Bizcayne is a life-experience you want to have!

Of course Miami is one the best places to Charter a boat for a day, go for a dip in a nice bay or join the sand bar boat parties! Contact me for more info on chartering a yacht in Miami.

If you are going to Miami for work during the week and decide to stay the weekend to enjoy your time there, I would definitely recommend you to hire a car and take a road trip to the Florida Keys on the weekend! Go enjoy some authentic Key-Lime Pie, blackened shrimps, go island hoping and enjoy the Caribbean vibes!

Tip from a local

I asked my friend Jessika Angarita, owner of Pacta Relations who is a financial adviser living in Miami, the following:

What do locals do and where do locals go?

Miami has the best latin clubs, places we go dancing are: La Victoria at the Design District, El Santo in La Calle 8, La Otra.

I count agree more with Jessica as I love going to Miami to DANCE and specially hear latin music and simply dance the nigh away!

What is your favorite thing about Miami?

I love Miami because is basically Latin America in the USA.

Your turn

If you have any recommendations of places you like in Miami, leave it in the comments for our community of fellow business travelers to share!

 

Follow my business travel adventures on instagram @onboardwithmarcela.