Travel Tuesday: Coconut Grove Miami

My wanderlust is always present, but little getaways do wonders to quell its nagging voice that tells me to keep adventuring. This past weekend we got to experience a long-awaited getaway to Miami, with a stay at the Sonesta Coconut Grove in Miami. In the interest of full disclosure, I work for Sonesta Hotels, so I am able to travel and get great rates at hotels in the collection. It’s definitely a huge perk of working in hotels!

Our winter-weary souls were thrilled to board a plane from Boston to Miami, but the flight definitely reminded me of one of my least favorite parts of travel, getting there. After only flying JetBlue and Virgin America on domestic trips for years, we flew American to Miami, and it felt like it was around 1995, as far as service and amenities went. The flight had no wine (what?!) and no TVs on the backs of chairs. To top it off, we had a snorer and a kicker behind us. And man, those seats are tiny. We literally ran off of the plane to our rental car, and once at the Sonesta, our holiday officially began.

For months I had been dreaming of sitting by the hotel’s 8th floor pool, overlooking the harbor, drenched in sun. We booked the trip back in September, knowing we would want to leave snowy Massachusetts for a little tropical r & r.  The Sonesta did not disappoint. The atmosphere at the pool is beautiful and incredibly relaxing. Food and drink service is available poolside, as are towels and refreshing cups of ice water. It is pretty much the perfect spot, and we spent a good deal of our time at the pool.

Views from the pool deck are stunning, with blue water and boats for as far as the eye can see.

Our room was just as relaxing, with minimal decorations and lots of light, along with a most amazing balcony.

Our room was a cityview room, but all we had to do was look right for ocean views. We spent a lot of time on our balcony, sipping wine we picked up at the nearby Fresh Market, a store I am obsessed with. When we travel, I always like to visit local grocery stores for snacks and drinks; it is an easy way to save money and to have a better selection.

The Sonesta’s Coconut Grove location was ideal for our purpose, which was relaxing and soaking up sunshine. Coconut Grove is full of cute restaurants and shops, with lots of quaint streets to wander and a gorgeous waterfront. It is not the party atmosphere of South Beach and other parts of Miami, but for us that was perfect. Good food, good drinks, and a slower pace in a new-to-us place made for the perfect long weekend. We might just make this an annual trip.

Stay tuned for more on Coconut Grove restaurants and sites from our trip!

And, if you are in the path of today’s snow, stay warm and safe! (Is winter over yet?!)