Spending 5 Days at Fontainebleau Miami Beach is the easiest way to do South Beach without overcomplicating it. The resort is massive, the food is amazing, and you’re in one of the best locations in Miami Beach. You can go full glam. You can go relaxed. You can do both in the same day.
Here’s exactly how I’d do five days.
If you’re still deciding whether to stay here, see my full review of Fontainebleau Miami Beach before you book.
If you’re flying in, I always compare flights on Skyscanner so I can land early enough to actually enjoy day one instead of wasting it in transit.
Fly into Miami International Airport.
A few quick tips that will save you money and stress:
When you land, check Uber prices before booking.
If it’s over $60, wait a few minutes. Surge pricing usually drops.
Don’t request your ride until you physically have your luggage.
Always double-check the license plate before getting in.
It’s about 20–25 minutes to the resort depending on traffic.
If you prefer having your own car (especially if you plan to explore beyond South Beach), renting a car makes this much easier — you can browse options with Discover Cars and compare pricing before you land.
If you already know you want the Fontainebleau experience (and you should), you can check current availability and rates here and plan ahead — especially if your dates are flexible.
Official check-in is typically 4pm, but they’ll often accommodate early arrivals if your room is ready. If it’s not, store your bags and start enjoying the property instead of hovering around the front desk.
Grab lunch, walk the grounds, and just look around for a minute. The place is big, polished, and very “we’re in Miami now.” The arrival feeling is my favorite part — everything is new and exciting.
You really don’t need to leave the property tonight.
Hakkasan – Upscale Chinese. Dim sum, crispy duck, great cocktails (so I'm told). A great choice!
Prime 54 – If you’re in steak mode, this is it. I like this so much that I usually come here even if we aren't staying at the hotel.
Arcadia Grill – Burgers, casual energy, good for a low-key first night.
Unpack. Eat well. You’re officially in vacation mode.
Start with pastries and coffee at Chez Bon Bon inside the resort — yes, the croissant is worth it — then make your way to the pool and beach. Fontainebleau has multiple pools, plenty of loungers, and direct beach access, so it’s easy to settle in without planning much.
The pool scene has energy but it’s not chaotic. You can people-watch, read a book, float for a bit, wander down to the ocean, and come back again whenever you feel like it. Hydrate, reapply sunscreen, and call that a productive day.
Two good options:
Stay on property at La Cote for Mediterranean-style lunch with an ocean view.
Or head to Naked Taco on Ocean Drive. It can get crowded, but the cowboy steak taco is excellent and the fried doughnuts are elite. If you leave without ordering those doughnuts, that’s on you.
Walk over to Lincoln Road for shopping and dinner. It’s lively with plenty of choices for shopping and dinner.
Highly recommend:
Mister 01 – The coffee pizza sounds strange. It is insanely good. Trust me.
Salt & Straw – Their ice cream flavors are unique in the best way.
Most spots don’t require reservations, which makes this night easy. You can wander, decide, and eat without stress.
Pastries at Chez Bon Bon. Pool. Beach. No notes.
This is where 5 Days at Fontainebleau Miami Beach really shines — you’re not rushing around the city. You’re enjoying the property you’re paying for.
Head to Taquiza if you want something casual, consistently good, and authentic.
If you want more details before you go, learn more in my post about Taquiza Miami North Beach. It’ll help you know exactly what to order.
Dinner at Barton G. The Restaurant.
It’s expensive, dramatic, and very extra — but that’s kind of the point. The presentations are huge, the portions are big, and half the fun is watching other tables’ food come out.
If you go, order the Dollar Dollar Bill Y’all dessert. It’s completely unnecessary and absolutely over the top, which is exactly why you should get it.
If you want a wild breakfast situation, go to Bacon Bitch.
The food is good. The music is loud. The energy is aggressive. It’s not calm — but it’s entertaining.
If that’s not your thing, stay at the resort and keep your morning peaceful. There is no wrong choice here.
Spend the day enjoying South Beach:
Walk the boardwalk
Rent bikes and ride to the pier
Stop for photos along Ocean Drive
Pop into little shops
This is your classic Miami afternoon.
If you want to book a guided bike tour or another activity instead of doing it solo, you can browse South Beach tours here to see what fits your timing.
Circle back to:
Hakkasan
Prime 54
Mirabella
Or just stay poolside with drinks. No pressure.
By this point in your 5 Days at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, you know your routine. The pastry order is locked in. The pool chair strategy is set. No need to reinvent anything now.
If you want something off-property before you leave, stop at Rosetta Bakery for pastries and coffee.
It’s quick, reliable, and a solid final Miami carb moment.
Head to the airport and leave extra time for traffic. Miami can surprise you.
Flight home. Slight sadness. Immediate urge to rebook.
Staying at Fontainebleau makes this itinerary easy because:
You don’t have to leave the resort for great dinners.
The pool and beach situation is strong.
You’re close enough to Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive.
It balances luxury with classic South Beach energy.
You can dress up for Hakkasan and be barefoot at the pool a few hours later. You can go big at Barton G one night and eat a burger the next.
That’s why 5 Days at Fontainebleau Miami Beach feels balanced instead of exhausting.
If you’re planning a shorter trip, check out my One Day in Miami guide to adjust this into a tighter schedule.
And if you’re ready to plan your own 5 Days at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, you can find hotels near South Beach here to compare options and start locking things in.
Pack your bags... ✈️🧳My hiking and road trip gear shop just got a refresh, and this is everything that actually earns a spot in my bag. The dry bag pulls double duty for beach days and trail days, the Osprey backpack is the one I grab for anything motorcycle or day-hike related, and the GoPro comes with me literally everywhere at this point.
Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
Filing this one under “go now before it gets cold.” Bonneville Hot Springs is one of those trips where fall access is honestly the sweet spot the campground road is open, the hike in is short, and you skip the snow-and-gate situation we dealt with when we went in March.
September and early fall mean clearer trails, easier parking, and pools that are just as good without the extra mile of hiking to earn them. Fewer than 10 people out there when we visited, a rustic changing booth, zero amenities, and pools that range from “relax” to “actually scalding” until you move some rocks around and mix in river water. Small waterfalls feeding in, mountains in every direction, not polished, and that’s exactly the point.
Full breakdown on parking, what to pack, and timing it right is linked in my bio.
Summer’s not even over and I already have the itch. Fall hiking season is calling and I am answering.
Save this if you feel the itch too.🍁
Columbus hotel roundup because “just find something downtown” isn’t a strategy✈️
I stayed across the price spectrum on this one so I could actually compare notes. Hotel LeVeque is the splurge Art Deco lobby, marble bathrooms, and a restaurant (The Keep) worth visiting even if you don’t book a room. If you want to walk everywhere, Le Méridien puts you right in the Short North with murals and shops outside your door. And if budget’s the priority, Aloft gets you clean and modern near Ohio State without the markup.
Want a full escape from the city instead? Hocking Hills lodges and Gervasi Vineyard are both an easy drive out and worth the detour.
Not every hotel on this list is for every trip... that’s kind of the point. Full breakdown by neighborhood and budget, link in bio 🍂
Thousands of motorcycles, decades of history, and one very hot infield. 🏍️
I went into Mid-Ohio Vintage Motorcycle Days expecting a bike show. What I got was closer to a small town that pops up once a year camps stretched across the hills, swap meet tables piled with parts I couldn’t name, and bikes older than some of the people admiring them parked next to restorations that looked showroom-fresh.
Fair warning: this is not a quick stop. Give yourself the whole day, wear real shoes, and don’t skip the racing watching pre-war machines and modern superbikes share the same track is worth the sunburn.
Ohio keeps surprising me. Full recap on the blog link in bio. 🔗
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