Beach holiday deals in Miami, Florida

A top draw in the state of Florida and one of America's most popular tourist destinations, Miami is home to non-stop night life, fabulous beaches as well as a wealth of culture and heritage.

The metropolitan area of the city takes influenced from Latin-American cultures, including a strong Cuban feel, as evidenced in the diversity of restaurants, arts, and festivals.

Art and architecture buffs will revel in South Beach's Art Deco district, which houses over 800 Art-Deco style buildings. The city is also home to some serious hotels – all of which are fighting for the attention of guests as high season approaches.

Here travelbite.co.uk takes a look at what could be making waves this year in the city.

Cool cuisine and nightlife

Miami’s RikRak Salon recently added a popular South Florida culinary destination, Café Joley - which incorporates a full-service salon, a spa and an accessories and clothing boutique.

Perfect for a quick bite, Café Joley at RikRak features a full menu with Joley’s signature dishes, along with special creations unique to its new RikRak Salon location, and a select variety of fine wines and champagne.

Over in downtown Miami, The King is Dead, a $2 million (£1.12 million) nightclub facility located in the Design District, will be completed in October 2008.

This will be an indoor addition to Grass, the al fresco restaurant and lounge in the same location.

As the only nightclub in the Design District, The King is Dead will cater to locals and visitors who have discovered the destination, which is defined by its art, designers and world-renowned restaurants.

Attraction action

Award-winning sculptor John Henry, known throughout the world for his large-scale steel sculpture, plans an unprecedented, seven-city exhibition throughout the state of Florida, titled Drawing in Space: The Peninsula Project this year.

In Miami, the artwork will be on view at the new Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University from November 29th 2008 until March 9th 2009 and at the Miami Beach Public Library from November 29th 2008 until January 29th 2009.

The outdoor sculpture will be placed in Bicentennial Park, north of the American Airlines Arena.

Incorporating new works as well as some of his most recognized pieces, the multi-venue show brings together his colourful, monumental works in such a way that they conceptually interact with one another in a continuum.

Over at the Homestead-Miami Speedway the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series Champions will crown the first ever champion during the first ever Ford Championship Weekend.

Taking place between November 14th and 16th 2008 at the Speedway, fans will enjoy new additions to the exclusive Champions Club, highlighted by 40 new HDTVs and interactive gaming.

Finally, Jungle Island invites visitors six years of age and older to welcome its 'Loveable Lemurs', endangered baby lemurs from Madagascar.

For 45 minutes, guests have the opportunity to touch, hold and play with these adorable and furry, gold-eyed primates. A keeper will also inform guests about the lively primates.

Retail news

The renowned chocolatier, Peterbrooke Chocolatier, recently opened its doors in downtown Coral Gables. The store features decadent treats for all ages, in addition to a 'Chocolatier for a Day' camp for kids.

Priscilla’s of Boston, one of the country’s best-known upscale bridal salons, is also scheduled to open on Miracle Mile in late 2008 or early 2009.

Finally, Aventura Mall, South Florida’s largest super regional shopping centre, celebrates its 25th anniversary by welcoming new designer name-brand stores to its roster of 280 stores. Newcomers include AG Adriano Goldschmied, Damiani, Equinox, Gilly Hicks, Kate Spade, Barney’s New York Coop, Geox, Hollister, Reiss, Ocean Prime Restaurant, Tommy Hilfiger and Forever XXI.

The mall's recent $125 million (£80 million) renovation and expansion, which included a new wing anchored by Nordstrom, added an inviting and stylish new look to the destination.

Where to stay in Miami

A £100 million transformation of the legendary Eden Roc Renaissance Beach Resort & Spa is scheduled for completion in the autumn 2008.

The existing tower has been undergoing extensive modifications, including total renovations of all 349 guest rooms, pools and cabanas, the Destination Spa, all food and beverage outlets, meeting space and retail options.

A new ultra-deluxe 21-story Ocean Tower will also feature 283 new guest rooms.

The EPIC Hotel, Kimpton’s new lifestyle boutique hotel in downtown Miami, is scheduled to open in December 2008.

Located at the edge of the Miami River and Biscayne Bay, the location combines the style of a cosmopolitan boutique hotel with the amenities of a resort.

The hotel’s 411 rooms and suites are artfully designed with furnishings that convey an understated sense of cool and feature balconies that provide inspiring views of the city and bay.

Amenities include a 15,000-square-foot wrap-around pool deck, four restaurants and lounges, a spa and fitness centre, and a marina.

If gold is your thing, the Biltmore Hotel has introduced Total Performance Golf, where players are placed through a series of evaluations usually reserved for the best golfers in the world.

A joint venture between Titleist Performance Institute, certified golf swing instructors, biomechanists, physical therapists and fitness trainers, the program uses a state-of-the-art 3D motion capture system and functional movement analysis to assess the 'total picture' of a golfer's body, swing and equipment.

Programs range from a three and a half hour initial evaluation to a four-day golf performance school, with prices starting at $800 (£452).

In May 2008, the MiMo Biscayne Boulevard Historic District celebrated the completion of the Florida Department of Transportation’s Biscayne Boulevard reconstruction project from 50th to 77th Streets at a cost of $14 million (£7.9 million).

The area received a complete facelift including new drainage, streets, sidewalks, lighting, street furniture and landscaping.

During the remainder of 2008, the area will receive additional plantings and a unique $190,000 (£107,000) MiMo theme sidewalk design. The Jetson-style motels of the 1950s which line the District are undergoing a transformation as well.

Motel Blu has had a $1 million (£0.56 million) total renovation of 65 guest rooms and pool area, including the new Red Light Dining Lounge Restaurant featuring all organic ingredients on its menu.

In addition, the Best Value Inn recently completed a $350,000 (£197,000) renovation of 40 guest rooms and Carl’s El Padre Motel offers ten clean, nicely renovated guest rooms with flat screen TVs at affordable prices.

The 1950’s historic Coppertone Girl sign originally located on the Parkleigh House on Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami will be restored at a cost of $100,000 (£56,000), installed and unveiled in early December 2008 within the MiMo District.

Chris O'Toole