Introduction

South Beach - SOBE - is Miami's beach oasis offering a variety of things to do, see, tour and play. Recognized as a world "hot spot," area lifestyle is predominantly associated with a casual, enjoy-life lifestyle. The area offers great cuisine, nightlife, arts, shopping, and of course... the beach itself!
To help you better understand and appreciate South Beach Miami, here are a few topics of interest.

Dining

Everything from fast-food to award winning cuisine is easily found and within walking distance from the South Seas Hotel. One great place located within the South Seas is our restaurant, Pilikia by the Pool. Surrounded by coconut palms and Art Deco architecture, our unique indoor/outdoor space offers an ultimate Miami café experience. Another place to try is "A Fish Called Avalon" located on Ocean Drive and 7th Street, within the Avalon Hotel. This is a great place not only to enjoy good company and wonderful cuisine, but it's the perfect place for people watching on Ocean Drive.

Two key areas to focus on which provide dining variety along with local interest are Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive. Lincoln Road features a multitude of cafés and shops along what used to be a main beach road. Now blocked off to automobiles, the "road" is a landscaped pedestrian way only running from Washington Avenue on the east, to Alton Road on the west.

Ocean Drive is South Beach's landmark drive along the ocean. Here, the feeling of the beach is evident with every step. Outdoor cafés and bars dot the way with a few shops located right on Ocean Drive. For Ocean Drive area shopping, walk one block west to Collins Avenue, or go another block to Washington Avenue. Here you'll find a variety of boutiques and brand stores.

The main stretch of interest on Ocean Drive is between 5th and 18th Street. Collins and Washington Avenue interest runs between 5th and 18th Streets.  Our front desk will gladly assist you in locating whatever interests you have.

Activities

Water activities dominate the list of things to do here. You can scuba dive, rent motor boats, windsurf, go ultralight flying over the areas waters, enjoy a leisurely day or evening dinner cruise on the intracoastal waterway, and experience the many different beaches of the area.

On land, South Beach is great for biking - bike rentals are available nearby. Rollerblading is also favored with the boardwalk along the beach, and Lincoln Road offering the best spots to see and be seen!  Tennis... a good number of courts are managed by the city and are just a short cab ride south of the hotel. Reservations are advised.  Feel like some pampering? Treat yourself to a day or hour at our spa facilities. We know just where to go.  For movies, there's a multiplex located on Lincoln Road and Alton. 

If you're looking for some "Miami Heat" stop by the American Airlines Arena located in downtown Miami.  Great rates can be found near the American Airlines Arena.

During the year, there are festival events for everything from books and flying kites, to music and film awards! Check the local calendar for events you would be interested in (it's good to book ahead for these occasions).

Shopping

Area shopping and dining are well mixed so you can plan to have a good time doing both.  Of particular interest is Lincoln Road. Nicely landscaped, Lincoln Road, sometimes called Lincoln Road Mall, offers a wonderful experience with many boutiques and brand-named shops lining the way. You'll find everything from apparel (Anthropologie, Banana Republic, French Connection, Lucky Brand Jeans, Steve Madden...) and home furnishings (Pottery Barn, Design Within Reach...), to salons & cosmetics (Franck Provost Paris, Kiehl's, L'Occitane En Provence...), jewelry & eyewear (TeNo, Swatch, Sunglass Hut...), electronics (Radio Shack...), and specialties (Books & Books, Dog Bar...). Mingled among the shops on Lincoln Road are numerous outdoor cafés, restaurant, coffee shops, ice cream parlors, and more - making an entertaining day on Lincoln Road easy and fun!

Further south from Lincoln Road is the area of Collins and Washington Avenues. Shopping here is more of an "urban" experience compared to tropical landscaping experienced at Lincoln Road. These are street shopping avenues which, like Lincoln Road, offer a mix of shops with restaurants and other avenue establishments.

Nightlife

Depending on what your interpretation of "nightlife" is, South Beach has what you're looking for. This includes everything from an eclectic ensemble of bars to hop, to cuisine for whatever you desire, to the vibrant club scene where you can dance until the sun almost rises.

All the nightlife here is packed in a relatively small area so it's not far to anything. In most cases you can walk from the hotel to your destinations, and back. If not, a cab will get you to even the farthest place on South Beach in minutes - if even that long!  The nightly club scene is what many individuals live for in South Beach. Things, even during the week, don't get going until around midnight. And they go until near dawn. Some "clubs" are mingle clubs which means there's no dancing. You'll also find a variety of "dance" spots which you have to know in order to be in a place that suits your style. In some cases, you might have to wait at the rope to get in (unless you know someone.) Ask our concierge for assistance.

A number of intimate spots where local artists play live are also to be found. Here again, there's variety ranging from Latin and Caribbean island influences, to pop and more. Cover charges are normal in such spots. Good spots typically fill to capacity on weekends so you want to get where you're going before the crowd gets there.  On Ocean Drive, you'll find the noisiest area in the evening to be around 10th Street. So numerous are the nightlife possibilities that it's difficult to even begin to say where to go for what. The best thing to do is to speak with our concierge - who knows everything and everybody.

The Arts

The arts in South Beach embrace a diverse range. There's the Philharmonic located within walking distance from The South Seas Hotel on Lincoln Road. The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater for the Performing Arts, which hosts numerous presentations throughout the year, is just two blocks away. Just north, you'll find the Bass Museum of Art.

South Beach is itself an art district - the art deco district. Tours of this unique area are available.  Throughout the year there are a number of planned events featuring both music and the visual art experiences on stage and as outdoor festivals. Our Local Events page includes some of these events.

Tours

Tours are available to take you around the corner, or, to places as far off as the Florida Keys!  There are water tours, bus/land tours, small groups and big groups with venus designed to fit every fancy. Speak with our concierge or front desk for information and contacts.

Getting Around

The South Seas Hotel is located oceanfront on Collins Avenue just above 17th Street. To get around South Beach from the hotel, you can either walk - most of what is interesting in the area is within blocks of the hotel - rent a bike or scooter, or take a cab. There's also South Beach's "Electric Wave" bus system which operates free electric buses throughout the area's main avenues and streets. For local transport, this is the way to go. A car is not advised for local transport as parking can be more of a problem than a car is worth. Only if you will be traveling out of the South Beach area does a rental car make any sense.