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.
Let’s talk about when to actually book that Dubai trip you’ve been pinning for two years. I get asked this constantly, so here’s the honest breakdown: October through April is your window. Anything outside that and you’re basically touring in a sauna!
October and November give you warm days and cooler nights, which is basically the sweet spot for wandering around without melting. December through February is peak season: gorgeous weather. March and April are the quiet insider pick, right before summer heat shows up and ruins everyone’s plans.
Saving this for later? That’s what it’s here for. Full breakdown linked in bio.
If you’re chasing energy, beaches, nightlife, and nonstop luxury, Dubai takes the crown. If you’re craving culture, iconic architecture, and meaningful landmarks at a slower pace, Abu Dhabi shines.🤍
My advice? Base yourself in Dubai and do Abu Dhabi as a day trip! The perfect balance of excitement and culture in the UAE.
Want the full breakdown? Check out my Dubai and Abu Dhabi guide for tips, itineraries, and must-sees!
I do not like seafood. 🐟 So when I booked a tasting menu at a restaurant built around aquarium walls at Atlantis The Palm, I was nervous.
Ossiano sits underwater fish gliding past the whole meal, moody lighting, the kind of room that makes you lower your voice without meaning to. It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. You’re paying for the entire experience.
Here’s the honest part: they have a vegetarian tasting menu, and I assumed it would be an afterthought. It ended up in my top five meals of all time. Course after course, the same care and precision as the seafood-forward menu everyone comes for. They even swapped in a steak for the main and it still felt cohesive with everything around it.
By course four you’re full. They bring out three more breads anyway. I ate all of it. No regrets.
Small detail that stuck with me my dress was black, so they swapped my napkin from white to black without me asking. That’s the kind of thing that tells you everything about a place.
Full breakdown of the menu, the vegetarian option, and what to expect linked in bio.
Dubai is all skyline until you drive an hour into the dunes and it goes completely silent. Bab Al Shams was that shift for us: slower, quieter, more intentional than anything we did in the city.
If you want nightlife or walkable everything, this isn’t your stop. But if you want a night that feels like a reset, it delivers, polished service, food I’m still thinking about, and a setting that never tries too hard.
Full review (and whether it’s worth adding to your Dubai itinerary) is linked in bio. 🏜️
I flew @emirates economy to Dubai fully expecting to just survive the flight. We booked seats by the exit row — @bradplummer1 got the legroom (he’s 6’7”), I got a normal seat right next to him, and it saved us money over booking two extra-legroom seats. Smart trick if you’re traveling with someone who needs the extra space and you don’t.
The food alone earned this post. Warm chicken, a Waldorf salad that actually tasted fresh, real butter on the roll, and a breakfast spread that put most airport brunches to shame. Add in the twinkling-star cabin lighting once dinner wrapped, and it felt less like a flight and more like the trip had already started.
Not everything was perfect — the wifi didn’t work for me at all, so if you’re planning to get work done in the air, download what you need beforehand. But that was the only miss in an otherwise excellent long haul.
If you’ve got Emirates lounge access in Dubai, use it. Showers, buffets, quiet corners to nap it makes the layover feel like a reset instead of a slog.
Full review seats, food, lounge, and the wifi situation is on the blog. Link in bio. ✈️
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
