• Check Hostel Rates and Availability

Simply put, we're the best because everyone says so!

Check this out:

Lonely Planet: "The most beautiful hostel in America"

Hostels USA: "One of the best big city hostels" 4*

Eating

The cheapest, the bargains, the best quality!
As Miami has an incredible Cuban influence and vibe, there is a lot of Latino food of every description, and you're bound to find something for you.  But as you can imagine, there are a lot of extremely expensive restaurants.  Some are worth it, some aren't.  Below are listed the ones we recommend, both expensive and cheap, as well as some general advice.

Ocean Drive – The famous Ocean Drive is a wonderful place to stroll down, take photos, people watch and generally soak up the ambience. 

Breakfast – Although the idea of getting up for breakfast may seem a bit much in this party town, breakfast is a great way to get good food at good prices.  Front Porch Cafe is prefer by locals! For a protion of their price Puerto Sagua or David's Cafe serve breakfast with toast, eggs, potatoes and ham, all washed down with cafe con leche, the famous Cuban coffee drink.  Be warned: It's strong!   

A La Folie – On Española Way after Plaza des Espana, A La Folie has a selection of very affordable snacks and sandwiches, made fresh and they're very delicious.  Many cafes do sandwiches generally, usually between $3 – 6, and often served with sandwiches.  La Sandwicherie is another great example, which is also open all night and so is good for post-clubbing munchies.

Eleventh Street Diner – On Washington Avenue on the corner of 11th street, this diner is open all night, it's pretty cheap, the portions are typically huge and the water is free!

Pizza Rustica – There are three of them knocking around (Washington Avenue, Wash Ave & 5th Street, and Lincoln Road), and they are so cheap, the pizza is delicious and they're open all night, so are good for late-night nibbles.

Grillfish – Seafood!  We thought we'd include an upmarket one for those of you wishing to splurge.  Grillfish is a seafood restaurant that is miraculously affordable (although not what you'd call cheap) but still delivers excellent quality seafood.  It's at 1444 Collins Avenue.  Enjoy.

Drinking

Where to party and how to do it on a budget
The same golden rule as above applies – Ocean Drive, while fabulous in its own way, is not the place to go drinking or clubbing!  It is generally agreed that Washington Avenue has the best clubs in South Beach.  Bear in mind that Miami, as a party city, has loads of bars and clubs that are all about looking as perfectly beautiful as you possibly can.  This means two things:  a) you will often have to contend with getting past bouncers, so jeans and flip flops often aren't going to cut it.  And b) the prices in such places are going to be fairly astronomical (read: $15 per cocktail).  So below are listed a few pointers to minimize the damage to your bank balance, while still enabling you to have a fantastic time.

Happy Hours – These are very popular out here, particularly on a Friday, when all the locals finish work and head straight for the bar.  Most bars have them, and you're looking at drinks either half price or buy one get one free (which really amounts to the same thing).  A popular one is Monty's.

Dance All Night – Most clubs are open until the small hours of the morning anyway, but there are a few that are open 24 hours!  If you have to pay cover charges then you can at least make sure you get your money's worth of dancing!  Space, in particular, is pretty famous for its sunrise partying, when the party really gets going.

Unique – Club Deuce is a fantastic Miami club.  Everyone is welcome, and you will find absolutely everyone from all walks of life here.  There is no dress code and the drinks are even affordable – what more could you ask?

Make Reservations – If there is a small group of you, you might want to consider making a table reservation.  It can often work out cheaper than paying the door fees, and being able to waltz in there in style is a definite plus!

Get There Early – And, as this is Miami, by early we mean midnight.  This is a good option in a popular place if you don't have a reservation or don't know the bouncer.  Sometimes cover charges don't apply earlier on in the evening.

Dress up! – Particularly if you are a beautiful woman who can smile her way past the bouncer.  But Miami is a city of beautiful people, so if you want to fit in you're going to have to make the effort!

Transportation

If you're based in South Beach, as we are, this isn't necessarily a problem, as everything in the vicinity is pretty walkable.  But you're probably going to want to go see some of the other areas at some point.  Here are your options:

Taxis – Ouch.  Taxis are easy to get (and we will certainly help you book them if you need us to), and not too extortionately expensive, but they are still taxis, and if you take them everywhere the price is going to mount up.  We suggest just getting them for not-too-far distances that can't be walked, and sharing them with as many people you can fit inside!

Rental Cars – This is an excellent option if there are a few of you wanting to do a couple of day trips, maybe out to the nature reserves or even to the Florida Keys.  It tends to work out to be the most cost-efficient option, but if you're just staying around South Beach then don't bother, as parking can be expensive.

Mopeds & Scooters – It is pretty easy to hire mopeds in Miami, which is also a cost-efficient way of getting around Miami if you're doing a bit of sightseeing.  A word of warning though – there's really nothing that infuriates the locals as much as tourists speeding around on their mopeds, blaring the horns as loud as they can.

Other Tips

Just a few things you might want to know

Try the coffee! – Cuban coffee – cafe con leche – is espresso with milk, but is very strong.  Definitely try it the way the locals drink it, in one of the Latin cafes.

Sightsee! – As Miami is largely about sun, sand and sea, the sightseeing will comprise the different areas of Miami, which are definitely worth looking at, rather than loads of museums and all their entrance fees.  So, first, check out the Art Deco District, a collection of colorful and quirky buildings from the 1930s.  We are bang in the middle of it!  Then head to the Design District, just north of downtown Miami, an area of leading designers, contemporary furniture showrooms and art galleries.  Coconut Grove is an arty kind of a district that is wonderful to walk around, or, if you're feeling like a spending spree, head to one of the shopping malls there.  It also has great theatres and there are often festivals going on.

Hurricanes – Hurricane season starts at the beginning of June and ends at the end of November.  This is why it is off-season!  If this is a problem for you, don't go then.  It must be said that Miami has evacuation procedures and shelters for these situations, so if you find yourself in a hurricane, do exactly what you're told and allow yourself to be moved out of harm's way.  Under no circumstances should you go off to get some photos!

Rollerblading – Go rollerblading on Miami Beach!  Not too pricey, probably the only exercise you're going to get (apart from dancing all night in the clubs), and you can feel the breeze on your face!  Plus loads of fun.

Packing – Pack light, because shorts, t-shirts and bathing suits will mostly be what you are wearing.  But please remember to pack something waterproof, or maybe just an umbrella, because there is ALWAYS the chance of rain, and if you are not from a part of the world that is so hot and sunny, PLEASE remember to bring at least SPF30 sun block with you.  Burnt and peeling skin ain't sexy.

Snaps - Don't forget your camera!

Mosquito repellent! - Miami nights can be pretty humid, and with all those party people coming out to play, the mosquitoes tend to feast.

Taxes – If you are not from North America, please remember that EVERYTHING you buy will have some extra tax included that isn't in the price.  Budget for that.

Tips – And again, if you are not from North America, remember that you are expected to tip on almost everything: 15-18% in restaurants, 10% in taxis, $1-2 on every bag that porters carry.  But make sure in restaurants that a service charge isn't already included in the bill.