How To Save On South Beach Hotels: Go To Mid-Beach Instead

January 6, 2011 at 10:05 AM | by MsRebecca | Comments (0)

Ah, South Beach. Home to some of the prettiest hotels in the country--but also some of the pokiest rooms, most expensive rates, and of course a constant stream of restaurant hawkers on Ocean Drive.

How to get around this roadblock to an affordable weekend in Miami? Go to Mid-Beach instead.

During our recent stay at Soho Beach House, we were psyched to discover a string of cheaper alternatives lining the boardwalk right on our doorstep.

This is on Collins Avenue from around 40th to 43rd Street--SBH is near 43rd, and the Fontainebleau is at 44th Street. While we'd spent time inside the Fontainebleau before, we'd never walked the Mid-Beach boardwalk. Now we have, we're going to tell anyone looking for a bigger room at a better rate, with a more laidback beach and pool scene to go Mid-Beach all the way.

In the photo above, taken from the boardwalk, the white building on the right is Soho Beach House. While we loved it, the Side Rooms start at $400 a night. Rooms with an ocean view start at $625.

But the lemon-colored building on the left? That's the Four Points By Sheraton, and oceanfront rooms there are $305 a night.

Plus, they have a pool surrounded by palm trees and beach views just like SBH. See?

View of the Four Points pool, from a Side Room at Soho Beach House.

Guests of Four Points also get Free WiFi (which we could access from SBH next door, no password required) and the chance to earn Starwood Preferred Guest points.

Party animals may not like the more relaxed vibe of Mid-Beach, but compared to the rates in South Beach--$499 a night for a 'direct side view' of the ocean at Loews Miami Beach, for example--we'd take the $305-a-night room at Four Points any day.

What do you think? Would you stay in Mid-Beach to save a few bucks? Let us know in comments below.

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