How Expensive Is It To Live In Miami Beach?

The city of Miami Beach is a famous mid-sized city off the Miami mainland that is famous for its long stretches of palm-fringed white-sand beaches, luxurious hotels, and wonderful shopping and entertainment districts.

This city is famous for its exciting night life, entertainment possibilities and a diverse array of people living here. Besides the night life, a lot of artistic events take place here, such as poetry, dance, music, theatre and so on, that make this island a magical place for visitors and residents alike.

Living Standards In Miami Beach Are Impressive

The most important thing about Miami Beach is its standard of living. According to observers, its major value is the sun as opposed to Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, where they say the sky-high buildings steal you the sun most of the day.

In Miami beach, they say, "we don't have an environment with huge oppressive buildings, partly because of Art Deco with beautiful facades and small buildings", and finding the right balance in the standard of living and developing the island was one of the most discussed topics in the last 5 years.

Because with unbridled growth, thee goes along some negative aspects like more traffic, lack of parking space and delay in moving from point A to B. For this reason, the local government adopted measures to conserve the environment and current development establishing, amongst others, the 35-feet limit for buildings in some areas.

New Zoning Regulations Have Made Living Easer In The Beach

According to urban development experts, the most important changes in the zoning of Miami Beach, where made in response to the sentiment of the residents of the island, who wanted to conserve the standard of living, and the potential of the development will be controlled by altitude restrictions, which is a reasonable means. Space for developments is limited in South Beach and the opportunities will move more to the Middle Beach and North Beach where they is still space left.

What we are seeing right now in South Beach is the redeveloping and remodeling of the constructions to continue with the process of valuation. Miami Beach also continues to preserve the tropical flair which attracts not only foreign tourists and investors, but also a large number of local tourists who are looking for enjoyment of its beautiful beaches, sun and diversity.

All this is mixed with the urban lifestyle, which makes this island a city of choice for many. However, with the new regulations, come a hefty rise in property taxes, and higher fees for social services like garbage collection, law enforcement, waste management, new housing and other license fees.

Survey Ranks Miami-Miami Beach Metro One Of The Most Expensive Cities Worldwide

According to a survey done by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, the cost-of-living in Miami and nearby Miami Beach, has gotten much more expensive, climbing 18 places since last year, ranking as the 39th most expensive city in the world.

The only U.S. cities that were more expensive than Miami/Miami Beach were New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. The Mercer report surveyed 144 cities worldwide and measured the cost of over 200 items in each location.

The survey considered major factors such as housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. The survey was made to assist multinational companies in determining compensation allowances for their expatriate employees. According to the Mercer survey, Tokyo dropped from first place to third. The city of Seoul in South Korea jumped up to second, and Moscow came in first.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/

Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach Hotel in Miami, Florida

What to Expect at Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach Hotel : In May 2005 this ocean-side luxury resort opened, providing a tropical and relaxing setting for Miami-bound couples.
The moment they enter Le Méridien Hotel’s elegant marble and oak wood lobby, a sense of calm and sophistication prevail. Though Le Meriden Hotel is a point below a five-star property, guests enjoy top-notch service with employees eager to recreate the European Riviera’s glamour. Past celeb guests include Molly Shannon, Tori Spelling, and Lauryn Hill.

Guest Rooms at Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach Hotel : Couples can cuddle in impressive luxury apartment suites, each with a fully furnished kitchen. They’ll find romantic views of the Atlantic’s shimmering water from the spacious living area’s floor-to-ceiling windows and the wraparound balcony. In-room features include an LCD flat screen TV, washer/dryer, and free high-speed Internet access.

Dining at Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach Hotel : Le Méridien Hotel’s Bice Restaurant, Bar and Sushi Bar, located behind the lobby, offers Northern Italian fare with a Mediterranean flavor. The bar is made of cherry wood with two plasma TV sets hanging silently above the liquor library, showing sports matches or CNN news. A pianist plays romantic jazz or classical standards while efficient and knowledgeable waiters make recommendations from the menu. There are romantic views of the ocean from tables on the restaurant’s terrace.

Weddings and Honeymoons at Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach Hotel : Couples planning a destination wedding may host small, personalized weddings or commitment ceremonies on a rooftop penthouse.
For receptions of 50 to 60 people, Le Méridien Hotel’s Ocean Terrace room features an upstairs terrace with stunning views of the bay and ocean. Honeymooners should let concierge know of their arrival for extra attention from the staff. Le Méridien Hotel can fulfull requests for amenities such as floral fruit arrangements and vintage champagnes.

Spa and Health Club at Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach Hotel : Le Spa is a luxurious European style health and beauty area. Couples enjoy exotic services such as aroma stone massage that can take place on the spa’s outdoor terrace. The signature 80-minute Caviar Facial claims to regenerate skin with protein-rich caviar. The Romantic Couples Massage has two therapists working in tandem. Facials, skin and body treatments all feature Elemis products. To rejuvenate, guests can choose between steam rooms, sauna and outdoor whirlpool.

Nearby Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach Hotel : A stroll through Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables reveals plants from around the world. For shopping and nightlife, the couple can head 12 miles south of Le Méridien Hotel to South Beach. Traffic along Collins Avenue can result in a $60 taxi ride. From Nikki Marina in Hollywood, 2 miles north of the hotel, a couple can take a private, two-hour yacht tour along the Intracoastal. Le Méridien’s concierge makes reservations through Water Fantaseas, a luxury yacht rental company.

What Could be Improved at Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach Hotel?: Waking up in the early morning may not guarantee a front-of-the-line beach chair for two reasons: 1) on hot days the chairs fill up quickly and new ones are added in front of the first row 2) the chairs are mysteriously reserved for other guests. If desired beach chairs are unfilled yet reserved, contact the manager at Le Méridien Hotel to rectify the situation. Food service is very slow on the beach. It may take up to an hour for a waiter to take your beachside food order.

Is Le Méridien Sunny Isles Beach Hotel Right for You?: With miles of pristine beach surrounding it, Le Méridien Hotel offers a sanctuary to guests who want to be indulged. Think nouveau riche Miami luxury with a European flair. Le Méridien attracts a monied clientele who is carefree enough to get a massage while basking under the sun, with the expansive blue ocean at their feet. If you like feeling like you’re walking into a bossa nova song, an entrancing world of sensuality, then Le Méridien Hotel is for you.

Source : http://honeymoons.about.com/

Miami's Art Basel Kicks off in December

Now in its sixth year, Miami's Art Basel is a major South Beach happening.

It's the quintessential South Beach scene: beautiful people lounging alongside shimmering water. Art imitates social life here next month with a fashion photography exhibit installed around a swanky hotel pool.

It's one of the many ways that Miami transforms into a contemporary art hub in early December. About 20 art fairs and other independent exhibits and performances lure serious collectors to mingle for a week with the locals in the city's parks, trendy hotels, giant air-conditioned tents and private galleries. Paintings hang from the walls, sculptures and videos enliven tropical gardens, performers entertain bus riders and shipping containers will be reborn as gallery and concert spaces.

The centerpiece of the annual visual overload is Art Basel Miami Beach, the four-day international contemporary art fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center showcasing work by more than 2,000 artists. First opened in 2002, it's the sister fair of the annual art event held in June in Switzerland.

From Dec. 6-9 in Miami, Art Basel's "Art Supernova" will link exhibit, performance and storage spaces in one hall. A more compartmentalized approach to exhibitions, "Art Kabinett," focuses attention on small, curated shows of photography produced without cameras, along with electric signs, architectural sketches from Latin America and an early installation of fur, lamps, drapery and other found objects assembled by Robert Mapplethorpe.

The fair extends to a beachfront village of repurposed shipping containers titled "Art Positions," and injects glitz into Miami's more natural landscapes. The Miami Beach Botanical Garden will sparkle with the Cartier Dome, a dramatic jewelry display that accompanies video artwork and an "Art Sound Lounge" with a soundtrack provided over wireless headphones. Monumental sculpture, ranging from 8 feet to 30 feet high, by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein will loom over the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, starting Dec. 8.

There's artwork to be made at Art Basel, too—at least for the crayon-and-finger-paint set, in a day care center run by the Miami Children's Museum.

Other independent art fairs, exhibits and events are also scheduled in Miami and Miami Beach to coincide with Art Basel, and some incorporate the local penchant for socializing into their designs.

Art Miami, a contemporary art fair staged Dec. 5-9, built a restaurant and lounges into its tented pavilion in Miami's Wynwood Art District.

"We weren't as interested in taking one space and making a VIP lounge. We wanted to make sure the public has the same comfort and added beauty to the experience of walking through the fair," said Ilana Vardy, director of Art Miami.

The models captured by fashion photographers Thierry Mugler, Jean-Baptiste Mondino and 18 others replace the usual sunbathers around the palm-lined pool at the oceanfront Doubletree Surfcomber Hotel in Miami Beach Art Photo Expo's "In Fashion '07" exhibit, Dec. 2-9.

The Sagamore Hotel, also oceanfront in South Beach, could be described as a "hotel installation" with its tradition of being featured in work created for Art Basel.

Photographer Massimo Vitali memorialized the first Art Basel in 2002 with a live photo shoot at the Sagamore's end-of-fair brunch, now an annual event. This year's Art Basel Brunch on Dec. 8 will feature the unveiling of the large-scale, mass-nudity photographs Spencer Tunick shot at the hotel last month.

Robert Chambers' "Rotorelief," a functioning helicopter with its propeller blades replaced by hypnotically swirled discs, has been permanently installed on one of the hotel's low roofs in advance of Art Basel.

"People ask me, 'Are you running a hotel in a museum or a museum in a hotel?'" said hotel owner Marty Taplin. His response: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Small-scale exhibits will be tucked into almost all the corners of Miami's social scene. Artists take on art-lovers Dec. 8 in a poker tournament at the yellow Freedom Tower in downtown Miami, where one architectural installation will double as a functioning bar. Stephanie Sacco plans to hang video installations in a restaurant near her own Sacco Gallery, newly opened among the historic Miami Modern motels along Biscayne Boulevard.

Art can be found in traditional museum spaces as well during Art Basel: The Miami Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, the Wolfsonian in Miami Beach's historical district and other area museums and private family collections will host special exhibits.

There's so much art to take in that guides will be available for many fairs and exhibits. Art Basel offers tours in English and Spanish for $17, and advisers will be available by appointment to help build collections at Art Miami. Extra docents will be on hand at the Sagamore to help explore an Elliott Erwitt photography exhibit and other artwork from the hotel's collection, curated by Taplin's wife.

Art Access Guide '07, a compact insider's guide to Art Basel and its satellites, picks out the highlights from thousands of paintings, photographs, sculptures and installations on display in Miami and its beaches in the first week of December.

According to Heather Urban, who compiled the first guide four years ago, this year's highlights include side-by-side, though separate, photo exhibitions in Miami's Wynwood Arts District; the opportunity to buy pieces directly from emerging artists at the GEISEI Miami fair; and live performances on the shuttles between Miami Beach and the SCOPE Miami fair in the city's arts district.

"A lot of Miami Beach has become about the scene and who's being seen, but what I find the main goal of people coming down here is, is to see the best art they can and hopefully see something that's new and that they haven't seen before," Urban says.

Like many of the exclusive Art Basel parties, though, getting one of the guides requires getting on Urban's list on her Web site, urbanartaccess.com. Art may be for everyone, but in Miami, sometimes it's still behind a velvet rope.

Booking Miami Hotels

The tremendous increase in business travel and tourism in recent times has resulted in the improvement in the systems and services of the hospitality industry in Miami. In order to enable a customer to quickly and easily evaluate a particular hotel before making reservations, a star- rating system is generally used. Unfortunately, the star system is not uniform. A five star hotel in Dakota may provide less or different amenities than a five star hotel in Florida.

It is quite easy and convenient to book a Miami hotel through the Net. Many agencies provide the reservation facility online. A lot of money can be saved due to the discounted rates offered to the agencies, by the hotels. These agencies usually enter into agreements with many hotels and obtain substantial discounts. In return they make block bookings in the hotels. The discounts are passed on to the customers.

The procedure to be followed while making a Miami hotel reservation online is simple. The tourist should choose an online hotel-booking agency from the many agencies advertising on the Internet. It is advisable to check out the different hotels available in the offer in Miami area. The sites contain the names, amenities and tariff and taxes of the hotels. It helps to browse through the list of hotels, until a suitable offer is found. Once the hotel is selected, it is necessary to provide the relevant information, such as the hotel's name, number and type of room, check-in and check-out dates and timings and any additional booking requests. Before confirming the booking, it is important to check that all the details pertaining to the reservation are correct. Contact details and credit card details have to be filled in to allow the Miami booking agency to process the payment through the online payment service.

Miami Hotels provides detailed information on Miami Hotels, Miami Beach Hotels, Discount Miami Hotels, Miami Airport Hotels and more. Miami Hotels is affiliated with Miami Beach Real Estate.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/

Miami Florida New Condo - Search and Save $1,000's, How?

The land of condos

Miami Florida condos are in abundance these days so how do you save money on your condominium residence? The answer is simple. Get a new condo rebate from a local Real Estate company that pays you to buy. With rebates of 2,3,4 or even 5% of the purchase price you’ll save $1,000’s. As an investor or primary condo buyer you can save significant money by opting for a Miami Florida new condo rebate Realtor. You’ll want to choose a real estate company that can not only negotiate the best price but, provide additional incentives. So, make a choice and see for yourself why choosing the right Realtor will make a significant financial impact on your wallet.

Condo rebates – what’s it all about?

The way it works is usually a condo developer pays your real estate broker or agent a certain percentage of commission. The commission can range from typically 3,4,5,6 % or even more. Now, what if you could get some of this cash back? This commission is included in the purchase price of the condo you intend to buy – whether you are represented by a real estate agent or not. Being the savvy buyer you are, you’ve just come across your thousand dollar ticket, or shall I say tickets worth multiple thousands. If you do not happen to have a real estate broker or agent that represents you, you risk losing this commission to the builder! So how do you prevent this? Simple, by working with a Realtor that gives cash back to you. Finding a legitimate company that offer lucrative Miami Florida new condo rebates will be easy with a simple search. Best of all, this service is absolutely free!

A plethora of condos

Miami Florida offers a wide variety of condos for sale ranging from luxury condos, to affordable inland residences to the ultra exclusive beachside penthouse. These condos offer good value for the money in terms of resale value because of the low initial investment upon initial construction. However, while buying a new condominium it’s always better to opt to choose a Realtor that offers clients a rebate. A Miami Florida new condo rebate not only saves the buyer tremendous amounts of money but, the buyer get representation which can save them even more headaches.

You can save money

If you choose to buy a preconstruction Miami Florida new condo, the initial investment is much lower than one would expect. Deposits can range from a few thousand dollars to 1-20% of the purchase price. Factor in an inspection closing costs and any insurance you’ll need, you’ll see why that added cash back can come in handy. While purchasing, be sure to go through a company that offers a rebate on the price. This means, if you for example, spend $300,000 on a new condo, you will get cash back of up to $6,000 or even more! That’s a lot of savings that can be used for new furniture, a vacation or new car. While opting for a Miami Florida new condo rebate you will also need to inform the builder in advance that you are represented by a company that is offering you a rebate. That way, they cannot pocket the extra commission. This is the commission that will be partly yours thanks to your Realtor.

Dos and Don’ts while buying a condo in Miami Florida

Here are some guidelines to help make your purchase smooth and hassle-free:

What to do:

Always make sure a real estate agent represents you. You’ll need their expertise on what types of projects are available plus this is how you’ll get back some cash. If you ever walk into a new community on your own inform the condo developer in advance you have a Realtor on your side. Check the reputation of the company before choosing who will represent you. Not all Realtors are the same. Honesty is the best policy.

What not to do:

First and foremost never use a Realtor that doesn’t provide a rebate. Don’t visit the community on your own or if you do, make sure to let them know you are working with a Real Estate Agent. By letting the developer know this you are protecting your right to be represented.

Live, enjoy and relax

Miami is known for it’s beautiful beaches and exciting nightlife so, relax, enjoy the scenery and get out on the town. Go dancing and dining while all the while going home to your new condo in sunny Miami Florida.

Jared Dalto is an active Realtor in West Palm Beach, Florida and owner of the State-wide website for preconstruction properties. Home buyers can search, save and get information on a Florida new home or condos.

With an Exclusive home buyer rebate program buyers can get cash back when they purchase property anywhere in Florida including the cities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Naples, Orlando, Fort Myers, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Panama City, West Palm Beach, Port St Lucie, Naples, Miami Beach, South Beach, Brickell, Aventura, Boca Raton, Fort Myers Beach, Palm Coast or any other city.

The rebate program consists of giving back to clients $1,000's when they close on their new condo or home in FL. It is simple and costs you nothing. Services are free and representation is not notch. Never go to a new home community on your own. Whether you are an investor or looking for a permanent residence we can help.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/

High Prices, Robust Sales, Hangers-On Dominate Miami Art Fair

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, a yellow cashmere sweater tossed over his shoulders, paused for coffee with his wife, Hilary, on the bustling floor of the Art Basel Miami Beach fair over the weekend.

``The quality is good, but prices are sky high,'' Ross said. ``What was $20,000 a few years ago is now $1.2 million. It kind of takes your breath away.''

The sixth annual Art Basel Miami Beach, the largest contemporary art fair in the U.S., closed yesterday with dealers reporting strong sales. More than 200 galleries participated in the main fair, with hundreds more showing works in 20-plus satellite venues in the Miami area.

Total attendance at the main fair was 43,000, up from 40,000 last year, fair organizers said. Weekend visitors paid $30 to get into the Miami Beach Convention Center, more than the price of admission to New York's Museum of Modern Art.

New York's Acquavella Galleries sold a 1973 brown and red Andy Warhol ``Mao'' painting with a $12.5 million price tag. The gallery wouldn't disclose the actual sale price.

Pricey American classics fared well at Ameringer & Yohe Fine Art, where large, colorful canvases by Kenneth Noland, Morris Louis, Hans Hofmann and Robert Motherwell sold for more than $1 million each.

``Everyone got here wondering whether the bubble was going to pop, and no, it didn't,'' dealer James Yohe said.

Gagosian Gallery sold more than $10 million in artworks, director John Good said.

``The markets may be doing funny things,'' he said. ``But the rich are still rich.''

Hedge-Fund Buyers

Steven A. Cohen and Adam Sender were among the hedge-fund managers and collectors at the fair. Americans did much of the buying.

``The market seems firm and broad,'' said dealer Robert Mnuchin of L&M Arts, decked out in a white shirt and slacks. The artwork labels in L&M's booth had a sprinkling of red dots, indicating sales. A purple foil painting by Anselm Reyle, listed at $250,000, was among the works sold.

Some said the buying was less frenetic than earlier this year.

``I found people slower to make decisions,'' said Ron Warren, director of the Mary Boone gallery. ``It was not the kind of profligate spending we saw at the auctions.''

Outside the convention center in Miami Beach, where real estate prices in South Florida have plummeted, local retailers wondered why business was bad.

Empty Shops

Excess, a shop opposite the Ritz-Carlton hotel that features $12.99 pink hot pants with ``Miami Beach'' emblazoned in rhinestones across the behind, was empty. ``It's a lot of people outside but not inside,'' said Gaudy Heywood, a long- lashed saleswoman. ``All the stores are dead.''

Business also was slow at the nine small fairs in motels along Collins Avenue, with art propped against sinks and on beds.

``Foot traffic is a little less than last year, but there are so many fairs on Collins,'' said dealer Kathleen Cullen at the Bridge art fair.

New York architect Ruben Nadal, in a black tank top and Polo khakis covered with black skulls, said he preferred the smaller fairs to the more uptight convention center.

``It's affordable, approachable and the spirit that I'm looking for,'' he said. He was interested in a $500 Laurie Simmons photograph.

The proliferation of related events, from parties hosted by Cartier and Pucci to the satellite fairs, diffused crowds and collector dollars.

``The satellite fairs are oversaturated,'' said art adviser Sheri Pasquarella, who came with five clients. ``My schedule was wonky. I couldn't take a lunch break most days.''

Pasquarella said her clients were pleased with their purchases, though three of her regulars opted out.

Thrill Is Gone

A week at the fair can cost upwards of $10,000, Pasquarella said. Her clients objected to ``hotels that are too expensive, the experience being over-bloated with hangers-ons'' and generally ``not as fun as it was a few years back.'' Some collectors are waiting for prices to drop, she said.

On the social front, the fair has lost its exclusivity when thousands of people spend five days attending lavish dinners and poolside cocktail parties. Public-relations reps were plugging W condos, Armani perfume and Swarovski crystals at every turn. Even Paris Hilton showed up to hawk her perfume, Can Can.

Down Collins Avenue at the Berkeley Shore Hotel, where no- frills rooms go for $100 a night, a psychic named Bianca gave $25 palm readings in a room filled with crystals, candles and burgundy velvet. Bianca, sporting immaculate fake fingernails and rhinestone earrings, agreed to ponder the question that most dealers and collectors avoid.

Would big prices for art continue, given recent problems on Wall Street and in the real estate market? Bianca paused for a moment.

Source:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aJq5FWECqkno&refer=home

Miami Vacations,Hotels & Condos

Sometimes, the best way to see Miami by night is while doing body shots off an unknown woman while sprawled on a chaise-lounge in the middle of a pawn shop-themed nightclub. Lucky for you, Miami features a prodigious number of bizarre and wonderful themed nightclubs and restaurants that will easily fill your FDA daily-recommended amount of kitsch. As anyone who’s gone through middle-school health class can tell you, “kitsch” is an important subcategory of “hipness,” which can be supplied by gimmicks, and is not to be trifled with. Naturally, I wouldn’t recommend always going to these clubs; I prefer going to more “standard” clubs so that my nightlife experience doesn’t come to resemble Alice in Wonderland. Even so, the clubs I describe can be quite enjoyable in the right dosages. Without further ado:

The first club I am going to talk about is B.E.D. This is both a clever acronym for “Beverage, Entertainment, Dining,” and a concise description of what makes this club different. Everything is done on giant beds. You eat on the giant beds, you mingle on the giant beds, and, eventually, the wait-staff will hustle you off your giant bed (my only real complaint about B.E.D. is the service – it seems like they haven’t streamlined the best ways to manage beds instead of tables). The food is fantastic and imaginative, and the atmosphere is great, if it’s what you are in the mood for. After midnight, the restaurant becomes a club, and even during dinner the mood feels more like a club than a nice restaurant, so B.E.D. is probably not the best place to go for a relaxing meal and a game of cribbage. Reservations are required for dinner, and you pay a healthy amount for the privilege of eating on a giant bed, but the whole experience is definitely worth it, if only for the hilarious non sequitur that is waiter serving you an $80 bottle of wine while wearing pajamas.

The next bastion of gimmickry I will talk about is a funny little club right downtown, called, appropriately enough, “The Pawnshop.” To be perfectly honest, this place is far more about the sizzle than the steak (but then again, what nightclub isn’t?). The façade of the building is an actual 1930s pawnshop, and the interior features a constantly changing décor that prominently displays junk in the most artistic way possible. Every night has a different theme, ranging from flea market Thursdays (think Kid ‘n Play’s House Party movies) to Sunday’s Twisted Sister (think Alice in Wonderland style human chessboards and a highly sexualized reimagining of Alice). The cover is actually fairly modest: about $10-20 depending on the event. All in all, The Pawnshop can be a truly surreal club experience, which I would recommend to anyone who hasn’t been.

The last club I’m going to talk about is another restaurant/club combination. “Pearl” offers a visual feast of flashy, retro-décor (think Austin Powers) that you pay for in the drink prices. It was voted “chicest restaurant in the world” by the Observer magazine, and while I haven’t been to every restaurant in the world, I wouldn’t doubt the claim. The food and drinks are good, but you are really paying for the ambiance. The seating set-up encourages people watching, and the patio area has to be seen to be believed. Everything is expensive, so watch the drink prices carefully or you’ll end up chained to a dishwasher in the bowels of the restaurant. No trip to Miami is complete without a trip to a place like Pearl – the kitschy, extravagant, over-the-top, and expensive nature of it make it the perfect microcosm for Miami Beach as a whole.

Hopefully, these clubs and restaurants will get you all the kitsch you need and then some. Good luck, and happy eating/drinking/dancing/debauchery.

Source : http://www.miami-florida.com/

Miami condo market faces moment of truth in 2008

Workers are painting, patching stucco and peeling protective plastic from gleaming panes of balcony glass at a new 1,000-unit condo called The Plaza, two towers that rise 43 and 56 stories over Miami's bank district.

A mile to the north, the exotic stonework at a new 500-unit downtown tower known as 50 Biscayne has been polished and the first residents closed on their contracts this month.

Prices in Miami's condominium market -- a poster child of the real estate boom that swept much of the United States until 2005 -- seem to have held up relatively well to date.

But the opening of a raft of big complexes has analysts predicting the market -- fueled by a frenetic construction spree that saw cranes sprout like mushrooms on the skyline -- is edging toward a cliff.

Values may be poised for a wrenching tumble in the next year as thousands of units in the downtown and Brickell banking districts are readied for residents, analysts say.

As a result, the vultures are circling. Hedge funds and private equity pools are busy scouting locations where they can snap up dozens or hundreds of units at sharp discounts to hold as rentals for up to 10 years, until the market turns.

"Everybody thinks south Florida is on sale," said Peter Zalewski of real estate consultancy Condo Vultures, who is advising private equity buyers. "They're all coming to kick the tires."

Futures traders on the CME Group exchange are predicting Miami will be the worst U.S. regional housing market over the next four years with prices falling nearly 30 percent.

Experts have been predicting a fall for Florida condo prices since the market peaked in late 2005. In Miami, sales figures have been falling for months but prices have been resilient as sellers refuse to budge.

In August, for example, condo sales in Miami-Dade County dropped 44 percent while the median price rose 5 percent to $262,000, according to the Florida Association of Realtors.

But the number of condos on sale has climbed to 25,000, a 36-month supply, compared to six to 12 months in a healthy market Market analysts say vulture funds could move on a stone-cold market in the next year.

"We have $200 million to acquire distressed condo conversion projects in Florida," said Matthew Martinez, point-man for a Connecticut-based private equity fund. "We're looking at purchases of $7 million and up, all-cash."

Some analysts believe 2008 will be the turning point, when pre-construction buyers are forced to pony up the full purchase price or walk away from deposits, speculators feel the pain of holding too many properties and developers need to dump excess units at discounts of 30, 40 or even 50 percent.

"In May or so, the true blood is going to flow," Zalewski said. "Many of the hedge funds are looking for a minimum of 100 units in the same building."

Miami's condo-building spree was the biggest in its history -- a history replete with booms, busts, and swampland scams.

At the peak some 60,000 units were under construction, planned or permitted in the city of Miami, whose 400,000 people represent only 16 percent of Miami-Dade County.

Some of those projects have been canceled. But the ones already underway and soon ready for residents are shrouded in uncertainty as buyers look to back away from contracts, unable to get mortgages or fearing they are paying too much.

"We have definitely not seen the bottom yet. In the next six to 12 months we'll see the beginnings of that moment of truth," said Brad Hunter of Metrostudy, a housing research firm.

"It could be 2012 to 2014 before this market needs to build more condos."

Between 2006 and 2009, one analyst said, developers will drop 28,000 new units into the Miami market. The downtown buildings are part of a daring plan to revitalize the city's dingy core, a few years ago a haven only for the homeless.

In just eight prominent buildings in the downtown and banking districts more than 6,600 units are nearly ready.

The Related Group, Florida's largest condo developer, expects The Plaza to be finished next month. The first tower of its 1,700-unit, $1.25 billion bayside Icon complex is scheduled for August of next year with the second following in December.

Another developer's 516-unit, $360-million tower called 900 Biscayne Bay is expected to be ready next spring. Down the street, the twin-tower, 870-unit Everglades on the Bay, is expected to be finished in the fall of 2008.

While conceding the market is tough, Related chief executive Jorge Perez said he is willing to join the hedge funds and private equity pools and has upward of $100 million to snap up unwanted units to hold as rentals.

"There isn't a city where I can see the type of growth Miami is going to experience," Perez said. "Given that, do we have a blip, whether it's two years or four years, where we're going to have it rough? No question about it."

A smaller Miami-area condo glut in the 1980s took six years to correct, analysts say. This one could be worse.

"I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of the pain the market will see," Martinez said.

Source : http://ca.today.reuters.com/

Hilton lends name to Miami hotel

NICKY Hilton, heiress to the Hilton hotel billions, is continuing the family tradition by lending her name to a hotel project in Miami.

The Nicky O South Beach Hotel, set to open next month, has 94 rooms kitted out by celebrity designers, including fashion designer Roberto Cavalli.

If guests like anything in their rooms, they can buy it by flipping through the Nicky O catalogue.

Hilton, 23, sister of Paris, daughter of real estate mogul Rick and great-granddaughter of Conrad, the founder of the hotel chain, plans to open another Nicky O hotel in Chicago.

But star power doesn’t guarantee success when it comes to real estate. Las Ramblas, the Las Vegas hotel and casino project designed by actor and architecture buff Brad Pitt and financed by Pitt’s buddy George Clooney and nightclub mogul Rande Gerber (model Cindy Crawford’s hubby), has been axed due to soaring construction costs and the land sold for $A224 million, according to Forbes.com.

“It might happen in the future, but there’s nothing in the works right now,” says a spokeswoman for the trio. If Pitt needed space to recover from the casino flop, he’s found it in the six-bedroom apartment that he and wife Angelina Jolie are renting with their four kiddies in Manhattan’s legendary Waldorf Towers for a whopping $110,000 a month.

Speaking of pricey havens, singer Billy Joel has just paid $14.4 million for a modest oceanfront cottage in Sagaponack in the Hamptons, the ritzy Long Island holiday area for New Yorkers with loads of money. In June, Joel bought the neighbouring property for $18.3 million from actor Roy Scheider.

The New York Post reports the two properties give Joel and wife Katie Lee 1.2ha of prime real estate right on Gibson Beach.

It’s McMystifying

Two little letters have the power to turn an object of envy into one of derision. The mansions of the rich and famous, decked out with sprawling entertainment areas, home theatres, cellars and far more bedrooms and bathrooms than residents, are held up as the trophies of success.

But when their dimensions are copied in suburbs without harbour views and multi-million-dollar land values, they’re dubbed “McMansions”.

It’s the uniformity of some housing estates in Sydney’s outer rim that gives rise to the disparaging name.

But the mantra here is little different to anywhere else: bigger is better. In recent years, house sizes all over the city have grown in inverse proportion to the number of occupants.

At Bella Vista Waters, in Sydney’s Hills district, the developer Norwest Residential has stipulated that all homes must be a minimum of 390sqm and individually architect-designed.

Not the biggest at Bella Vista – but still around 540sqm – is a four-bedroom home (above right) with triple garage, full-home automation system, swimming pool and home theatre, for sale through LJ Hooker’s Jonathan de Jong with an asking price of $2.2 million.

'Head to the coast and a six-bedroom home on the shores of Narrabeen Lakes, and you’ll pay a premium.

It has kitchens on both levels, making it an ideal dual-family residence, its own sandy beachfront, heated pool and triple garaging. It goes to auction through Ray White Unlimited’s Stephen Provis on November 4, with expectations of $3 million.

Going south, you’ll pay more than $3.3 million for a “waterfront of grand proportions and grandstand views”.

The Gundawarra St, Lilli Pilli, home has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a private jetty and pontoon, as well as plenty of room to move. It’s for sale through Angelo Fournaris, of Ray White Cronulla.

For those with serious money, though, there are far bigger homes. In the past five years the mega-rich have been outdoing each other in the construction of mega-mansions, especially around Point Piper.

Morgan and Banks founder Andrew Banks and wife Andrea spent $15 million and two years to build Villa Veneto, now listed for sale with expectations of $60 million.

Its five storeys include a theatre, butler’s pantry, cellar, sauna and shower area, staff quarters, art gallery, gym, library, six bedrooms and nine toilets.

Aussie Home Loans’ John Symond did his best to dampen the rumours of excess that abounded while his Point Piper pile, Windagal, was being built. It’s no secret that the whopping
1993sqm home is the biggest residence on the east coast and includes its own lift, a cellar, formal and informal living and dining rooms, a cinema, smoking room, five bedrooms, 12 toilets, staff quarters, a library, cloakroom and 10 car spaces.

Coming in second is the “holiday home” of Billabong founder Gordon Merchant at Angourie, on the state’s far north coast, estimated to be “as long as half a football field”.

While it’s been praised by residents for blending in, there’s no doubt it’s bigger and brassier than the average beach shack. The front door alone is reported to have cost $85,000.

Source : http://www.news.com.au/

Miami hotel savings! Reserve Now and SAVE!

If you're planning Miami vacations and you want information on the area's sights, entertainment and hotel and resort savings, you've come to the right place!

Hotels MiamiMiami is a spectrum of dazzle and activity, where all the jazzy colors of ritzy living meet the cool pastels of one of Florida's original vacation hot spots. Beginning as a small second-rate tourist town at the turn of the century, Miami boomed in the 1920s and has grown and added to its diversity ever since. Miami had its own "Little Broadway" in the 1920s, was a center for the Art Deco movement in the 30s and 40s, thrived as a military base in World War II, and has since grown to be both a Latin American center and a sleek metropolitan community.

There are literally millions of ways to spend your time in Miami. Nearby areas such as Coconut Grove, Miami Lakes, or Sunny Isles Beach. If you are inclined to sightsee, the Art Deco District contains over 800 buildings in this distinct architectural style, and Ocean Drive is known for its bustling activity and sidewalk cafes. Miami also has several unique attractions, such as the Miami Metrozoo, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami Seaquarium and the Parrot Jungle and Gardens. When the sun goes down, Miami is a place to "see and be seen." Hundreds of nightclubs and restaurants guarantee that you'll find a place to suit your taste and style. Cuban and other Latin American cultures have had a broad impact on the style of Miami. Ethnic food, artwork and crafts abound in the area, as well as many colorful festivals and events. From the chic and cultured to the diverse and outrageous, the colors of this city are so varied and bright there is sure to be something in Miami for everyone.

Source : http://www.2000floridatravel.com/miami/

Top 5 Miami Beach Hotels

1.Delano Hotel
The Delano Hotel is widely regarded as the finest property on Miami Beach. This full-featured resort hotel is located right on the beach in the heart of the Art Deco district. It's only steps away from the Lincoln Road outdoor mall. If you're looking for a truly luxurious Miami Beach experience, the Delano is the place to stay.

2. Fontainebleau Suites
The Fontainebleau Suites tower is the first part of the famous resort to open following an extensive remodeling and construction program. The main resort is still undergoing renovations, so you can pick up a good beachfront deal staying in the towers, provided you're willing to put up with some daytime construction noise.

3. Loews Miami Beach Hotel
The Loews Miami Beach Hotel (shown in the photo on this page) is another Miami Beach landmark hotel. It's located in the Art Deco district on Collins Avenue. In addition to a fabulous pool and beachfront location, the hotel offers fine dining, including a signature restaurant owned by Food TV's chef Emeril Lagasse.

4. Ritz-Carlton South Beach
Also located in the heart of the Art Deco district, the Ritz-Carlton South Beach provides the classic service you've come to expect from the Ritz with a distinctively Miami flair. The Ritz features a full-service spa that's one of the finest in Miami.

5. Sagamore Hotel
The Sagamore Hotel stands out from other hotels on the beach by offering an all-suites environment. It also features Social Miami at Sagamore, a "culinary lounge experience" that provides an intriguing combination of food, drink and social interaction in a luxurious environment.

Source : http://miami.about.com/

The Different Types of Miami Hotels

If you ever find yourself in my Miami, and in need of accommodations, you should have no trouble finding a good hotel for you and your family to stay at. In fact, there are so many Miami hotels that you could probably stay at a different one each night and you still wouldn't come close to staying in all of them, even after one year.

The reason may be because Miami is a very tourist-oriented town and it has many visitors each year, which boost its economy. There must be a place for these people to stay once they get there and Miami has provided them with that shelter with the many Miami hotels available.

Choose Carefully

When choosing a hotel, you should first visit the establishment before you book a room there. Of course, if you are traveling into Miami, or through it, and just need a place to stay for a night, then any one will do, as most Miami hotels are very nice and very inexpensive also.

However, if classy is what you're looking for, you may have better luck, if you have the time, to call information or to use the internet. If you can somehow get the phone number to one of the hotels that catches your eye, you should be able to tell right away what type of place that truly is. You can tell the class of a Miami hotel by the way you are treated by the staff as a customer. If customer service seems to be a top priority, that is definitely a hotel you should consider.

You should also consider the area when deciding on a Miami hotel, as you don't want to stay in a dangerous area, and there are some in Miami, but you should be able to tell the danger level of the area you're in by the look of the surroundings. Bottom line, if you don't feel safe getting out of your car, you may want to keep driving until you find another Miami hotel.

You're In Miami!

When you find the right one, however, you'll know it and you'll love the stay, no matter where you're at. After all, you're in Miami, it's not about the hotel, it's about the time you spend in one of the best cities in the United States.

Source : http://www.traveldir.org/

Miami Florida Hotels

Considered to be the most exciting city in Florida, its picturesque beauty can leave anybody intoxicated. An attempt to breathe in the beauty of the city in its entirety will leave you gasping with excess. What makes the city what it is, cannot be anything other than its people. The culture here is predominantly Hispanic and in some places the only language spoken and understood is Spanish.

Bookings to most Miami Florida hotels can be done online. On your vacation or business trip to Miami, you can experience the rare combination of the resort experience with the cosmopolitan city life. You can get your reservation done in an apartment suite of a seven star hotel or choose to live in a Jacuzzi suite by the beach in a smaller hotel.

A number of tourists and visitors to Miami, while sharing their personal experiences of the trip say that the hospitality services offered by most Miami hotels are far from satisfactory. The judgment as to whether one should still visit Miami though is unanimous. The beautiful landscapes and the beaches that seem to beckon you to their warm relaxing waters and golden sands are more than a reason enough to forget about a few unfortunate incidents that a couple of people might have encountered in the city.

It is, however, extremely prudent to conduct a survey of the facilities of the hotel you are planning to stay in, before making your reservations. A number of times you may end up getting none of the amenities that the pretty pictures in the hotel's online brochure promised to you.

The golden rues that one must follow before going to any holiday destination are true for Miami too. A carefully done reservation keeping all your requirements in mind will set you up for a grand and picturesque holiday.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/

Miami Area

Miami is one of the nation’s most wellrounded metropolitan destinations due to its arts scene, shopping, family attractions, and hotspot Miami Beach.

Vibrant and charged with the energy of Caribbean rhythms, Miami means big-city sophistication and seductive beaches to those who plug into its unique brand of electric charge. A railroad into the old Indian trading post started Miami down its path as Florida’s most dynamic city and a few works of modern engineering made Miami Beach a sudden hotspot of the 1920s. With a colorful arts scene, world-class shopping, watersports splendor, professional sports and a load of family attractions, Miami makes one of the nation’s most well-rounded metropolitan destinations.

The greatest influence upon the city’s modern-day personality came with the influx of Cuban refugees that began in the 1960s. They settled in an area dubbed Little Havana, where salsa music blares, men play dominoes in the park and breezes carry strong whiffs of café con leche. Miami’s overall cuisine and arts scene sway Cuban, blended with other local Caribbean influence. Floribbean cooking, a Miami invention, fuses Florida and island technique and products into one of the most popular styles to have hit in many decades.

Coral Gables, one of the nation’s first planned developments, was built almost entirely out of the coral limestone quarried there. The quarry itself was turned into Venetian Pool, an exotic swimming hole with romantic stone bridges and waterfalls. Gracious Spanish colonial-style homes line twisty streets vegetated lushly and sequestered aesthetically from the big-city world.

Key Biscayne holds popular tourist attractions, busy recreational marinas and fantastic beaches. Windsurfing and sailing are foremost along its windy causeway, known as Hobie Beach. Miami Seaquarium ranks as one of Florida’s first marine attractions, but keeps up-to-date with dolphin interaction programs and environmentally inclined exhibits. Nearby marinas offer everything from boat rentals to diving excursions. There are more ways to play at Crandon Park, a huge beach park with amusement rides, tennis and bike paths. At the island’s southern tip, a state park protects a historic lighthouse and the beach that fronts it.

Another of Miami’s old neighborhoods, Coconut Grove keeps up with the times as a lively shopping and nightlife scene. Visit a Gilded Age Italian-style palace at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and one of the state’s oldest science museums, which is next door but slated to move downtown in coming years.

The majority of celebrities live on islands along MacArthur Causeway, which leads to South Beach, a.k.a. SoBe, Miami’s acclaimed district for naughty and nice. Two family attractions – Jungle Island and Miami Children’s Museum – have also moved along the bridge’s causeway in the vicinity of Miami’s busy cruise ship port. Ocean Drive, SoBe’s much-photographed street, faces a wide, bustling beach and is lined with its historic Art Deco gems. Intimate, chic hotels have taken up in the jauntily painted masterpieces, their lively cafés spilling onto the sidewalk with hip clientele, wannabe fashion model servers, and Latin tunes. A block off Ocean, all-night clubs and drag bars pick up the tempo. Edgy art galleries and museums, chi-chi restaurants, and the most design-forward of restored hotels contribute to SoBe’s reputation as it follows Collins Avenue along Miami Beach’s Golden Mile and to the newly fashionable neighborhoods of North Miami Beach, Sunny Isles and, on the mainland, Aventura. Haulover Park offers scores of recreation and chic hotels, spas and golf resorts accommodate in style.

Trend-setting Bal Harbour Village, a barrier island at the northern tip of Miami Beach, is home to two oceanfront resorts, the Bal Harbour Shops (with 100 flagship stores such as Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Gucci) and a number of see-and-be-seen eateries.

At its southern extremes, the Miami area turns agricultural and natural in Homestead, tropical fruit capital and home to a grand new auto-racing speedway. Homestead is also gateway to two extraordinary national parks. Biscayne National Park introduces a world accessible by boat, a world best seen through a snorkel mask. A 40-mile road takes you through Everglades National Park and its subtle beauty, to Flamingo, where a modest lodge and scores of water and land adventure await. East of town, along Tamiami Trail, lies another Everglades access. Nearby, the Miccosukee Indian tribe attracts visitors with a modern casino and a cultural attraction that includes airboat rides to old-style clan camps.

Source : http://www.visitflorida.com/

Fantasy Island’s super-rich face upstairs, downstairs rebellion

It is America’s wealthiest postcode – 216 acres of tropical gorgeousness and palatial living reachable only by private ferry, yacht or helicopter.

Surrounded by sand imported from the Bahamas, planted with orchids and palms brought from the Indian Ocean and South Pacific, and a-twitter with the sound of caged toucans and macaws that enjoy daily outings with a bird walker, Fisher Island is known as Fantasy Island. So monied are residents of the enclave, three miles off Miami, it is said that if you waved at everyone you saw in a ten-minute drive there, you would have waved at more than $1 billion (£500 million

Rather, the employee passengers are forced to stand under an outside awning that fails to protect them from heavy rain, debilitating heat, severe wind and ship fumes in miami,” the complaint alleges. Seshma Sheth, of the Miami Workers Centre, said: “We are seeing two Americas, we are seeing two different worlds and Fisher Island typifies that. To get on that ferry, it’s basically taking a trip back in time. You are going back to a racist and backward time . . . We market Miami as a city of the future and then we have this island that’s just a throwback to our past.”

The island’s management says that it works hard to address workers’ issues. But in a protest staged at the weekend, 100 SEIU activists “invaded” Fisher Island’s exclusive beaches to protest against the community’s perceived social failings. “Because they are so isolated, Fisher Island residents think they can wall themselves off from the poverty they create,” Hiram Ruiz, an SEIU representative, said. “We set out to make a point: there should be only one Miami, not one Miami for the wealthy and another for the rest of us.”

Miami: Stopover City

Once little more than a trading station, this Florida port is now the major staging post for the Americas. Whether you want to laze or live it up, Paul Wade shows you how to make the most of the city.

Although thousands of British visitors fly in to Miami to holiday in southern Florida, the international airport is also a major staging post for holidaymakers flying on to the Caribbean and South America, as well as thousands more boarding cruise liners in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. About a 10-hour flight from Britain, Greater Miami is a fast-growing mixture of business-like skyscrapers and funky hotels, laid-back tropical days and non-stop night life. There is nowhere else like it in North America

Barely 100 years old, Miami was little more than a trading post until the east-coast railroad arrived in 1896. At first, affluent snowbirds from the northern states came for the winter sunshine, buying Mediterranean-style homes from developers in Coral Gables and Coconut Grove. In the 1930s and 1940s, the action moved to the long sandy barrier island of Miami Beach. Today's pastel-coloured art deco buildings are the legacy of that boom

Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Rediscover Renaissance hotels

Renaissance is reinventing itself with a $2 billion global makeover (2006 to 2008) that is infusing the brand with imaginative lobby, and room designs plus new savvy signature services.

The brand’s new direction was revealed today at the Renaissance Times Square, New York’s best view of the pulsing international landmark and newest showcase for provocative designer Jordan Mozer.

“We are establishing Renaissance as a worldwide category leader as our owners and franchisees enhance the brand through major renovations, property conversions and new construction,” said Rita Cuddihy, senior vice president, Renaissance Hotels and Resorts. “This eclectic brand of 140 properties offers travelers the body of a full-service hotel with the soul of a boutique."

As Renaissance continues to grow, guests are encouraged to experience the brand’s many unique destinations and discover the culture, art and style of each hotel and its surroundings. The brand is committed to enhancing the experience of travel through individualistic properties that embrace stylish design, attentive service, creative culinary, reassuring quality and sophisticated technology.

Renaissance’s position as an innovation leader takes a another step forward this fall with the global launch of “Cocktail Culture™,” a new twist on drink mixology that brings the guest into the creative process. Kicking off at top Renaissance bars in New York, London, Paris, Dublin, Shanghai, Toronto, Hollywood, Chicago and Washington, D.C., “Cocktail Culture™” delivers a total experience of fresh ingredients, signature cocktails, bartending techniques, music and lighting. “Cocktail Culture™” will be available at all Renaissance properties beginning in early 2008.
Source:http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_nshw.php?mwi=3715