I just came back from a weekend getaway in South Beach and I was so disapointed. I was going yearly back in 1997 and a few yrs back stopped going. I had this whole idea in my mind that it was just as I had thought. Beautiful people & nice cars on Ocean Drive. None of that happened. Most people were trashy looking and I felt as if I was somewhere else. My girlfriends and I made the best out of it but sad to say I will never go back. That used to be my favorite getaway and it became something else.
If you plan on going pick another place. You'll be happy you did.

So I went to South Beach this past weekend and boy I couldn't wait to get to the beach and see Gianni Versace's home and all the fabulous, glitzy, glamorous people but when I got there I discovered that South beach is a tourist trap: too many young people and druggies laid out all over.There are tons of homeless people and the beach, it had a syringe on the beach and I wanted to go home as soon as I saw it. Nothing else was good. I couldn't wait to get home and forget about my long drive to South Beach because it was not worth the wait.

I visited south Beach from 6/5/08 to 6/9/08 with a college friend - We stayed on the southern end of South Beach near the end of Ocean Dr. at the Hilton Bentley Hotel. Accomodations were great, but started out shaky. We had booked a 1 bedroom, but only studios were available when we checked-in at 6, so check in as close to 3 as possible. The staff overall is super nice and attentive. Breakfast service was annoying one day due to waiter that spoke little English & brought wrong orders twice, but mgmt handled it perfectly. Back to the rooms...They located a great studio with a king sized bed, lovely, modern, kitchen w/doors that closed off the sitting & sleeping area, large bathroom with beautiful marble and ceramic design, a partial ocean view with wrap around terrace. Upscale in price, but worth it. The beach was beautiful for the most part, but we were upset by the way visitor's left their condoms and other refuse in some more populated areas. Sunrise & sunsets were fabulous. Saw lot of thongs and muscle-flexing guys of varying ages, but nothing outrageous. Liked Mangoes for dancing and good mojitos. Loved Nikki Beach on Sun all day - for entertainment, dancing , and brunch...the music pumped there until the wee hours of Mon (NY like club music) & is across the street from the hotel. Nikki Beach served the best mojitos we tried, but go ready to spend $. Wet Willies has great gumbo, quesadillas, a rooftop bar with view of the strip/ beach. It was good, but noisy. Some shops were pricey, but interesting. It was a fun trip for any age. Great for surfing that week, the waves were big and the weather was a little humid midday, but the ocean breeze in the evening was perfect. Bring plenty of lotions with sun screen, cool clothing, positive attitude, and you will have a great time. After hours brings out a few homeless/drug abusing people, but where there are so many clubs and bars for several miles, that is not unusual, so use common sense, maybe travel in groups or call a cab if you're uncomfortable traveling alone. The police presence was there, and most places had huge bouncers.

The South Beach Miami scene isnt at all what it used to be... used to be full of glam, glitz and music and beauty and great bodies and beach and so on....

Just went back for that great feeling and saw it looks more like Venice Beach, california but dirty and touristy with nowhere near the class & personailty it once had. The area looks tarnished and old and wornout.
Sure there are a few nice parts & buildings but overall it looked very tired!

The restaurants for lunch are BEGGING you to come in to eat offering deals for lunch but once they get you seated the deal is totally different than they promised. The servers and seaters shouting out meal deals as you walk by, i felt like i was at a carnival... begging for patrons was a joke, restaurant after restaurant walking on the sidewalk thru the cafes begging you to come and sit! When we finally did, the service sucked and the servers rude! We had drinks and appetizers at 3 places! All 3 the same! We just found it very sad!

The shops, yes... some are still nice upscale boutiques there but now mixed with so many cheap dollar tshirt shops filled with tourists.... like in Orlando off the cheap end of International drive.

Just not the Rodeo Drive with a Hip party scene of the south it used to be! At all, its like it is trying so hard to desperatly hold on to what South Beach once was! And it shows!

No impressed at all! You can go to so many other cities in Florida and get a view of the ocean, (which you dont get an ocean view from south beach except at wet willies which is a dirty college scene bar) and enjoy lunch or cocktails or dance the night away in a much more pleasant environment!


What I noticed most was the wanna-be average joes trying so hard to be noticed and look important... and they were only noticed for looking like they were trying way too hard!

Just not the South Beach that made the name, the feeling was gone, my whole group noticed it!
Now just a run down tshirt tourist area with a few niceboutiques for good measure thrown in!

South beach Restaurants, quit begging customers for business, its very sad and makes South Beach Look like a swap meet.... and nightclubs, throw out the guest list, just be glad you still have business!