Nikki Beach Miami

Commonly referred to as one of the "sexiest party spots" in the world we were expecting big things from this open-air day and night club.

 This oceanfront complex starts as an upscale restaurant during the day and transforms into a "see and be seen" club and lounge at night.  We chose to visit the afternoon beach soiree during the world famous Sunday Brunch we had heard so much about.  The crowd is a vision of mostly tourists lazily wandering up to the bar to order their next much needed Bloody Mary with expectations of mingling with the other gender.  Don't come expecting your average beach party, this party doesn't include water.  The white fabric lined cabanas and beach beds are located directly on the sand, situated under swaying palm trees.  There is a section of the beach within steps of the ocean waves designated to Nikki guests but the party and social scene remain back at the venue.


It’s hard to beat the sophisticated atmosphere here, the modern beats and minimal lifestyle is in every corner of the landmark jewel. The music brings out the crowd as resident DJ’s mix the latest and greatest with a house twist.  Most dance from their cabana, with the high cost of $300 a pop for a couple hours I wouldn’t stray far either.

If you are still recouping from the night before opt for the amazing variety of delectable brunch choices along with fabulous Mojito’s, Bloody Mary’s and Mimosa’s created with South Beach flair that Miami is famous for.  Trust me these are worth the sticker shock price.  Hey you’re in Miami; expect to throw around money like P. Diddy.

Do you label yourself as the ultimate VIP and want to impress your friends? Bring them here, and watch their eyes pop, as the chic SoBe experience with its rich and beautiful crowd showcases great people watching.  Throw back cocktails with the pretty people in one of the clubs tepees or signature hammocks.

In the evening the atmosphere changes, tiki torches are lit and club goers start to enjoy the sand as their dance floor and the sky as their roof.  Don’t even think about going casual just because you’re at the beach, dressing to impress is still a must.

Tip:  Order a Strawberry Margarita from one of the sculpted tan servers it was one of our personal faves.  

It's all about the Guinness in Dublin

We arrived in Dublin on RyanAir, the airline is as everyone I spoke to describes it, the bare minimum but when you are able to book fares for 5 cents who can complain?  I love that this airline holds these specials often via website, you only pay tax making travel throughout Europe extremely cost effective and compared to the Eurorail saves a tremendous amount of time.  Another airline to check out is Easyjet, they make Southwest look expensive.

Once I arrived at the airport, I had to go through customs, they were very welcoming unlike the ones we encounter at LAX, and once they noticed the last name on my passport had all kinds of things they wanted to chat about.  Being a McLaughlin does have its benefits in Ireland.  The Dublin Airport was extremely easy to get around and access to transportation into the city is just steps outside the entrance.  The Airlink Bus seemed to be the best deal and it was about a half hour ride into the city.

 

We checked into the Hilton Dublin which overlooks the Grand Canal, it’s not located in the heart of the city but offered easy access right outside its lobby entrance to a tram stop.  The Luas is a quick method of transport in and around the city, super clean and full of people going to and from work.  Buy a smartcard for the best deal.  The hotel staff was very friendly and helpful.  They offered us a happy hour complimentary which was a great surprise.  This consisted of beverages (alcoholic and non) and some traditional Irish appetizers.                 The Guinness cheese was our favorite!  

You can stay a bit closer to the city center, but I really liked the location of this Hilton as it was much quieter in the evening. The rooms were modern and much like that of a Hilton in the US. The hotel concierge was helpful and offered discounted tickets for the Dublin tour buses. 

We dropped our bags off and headed for our highly anticipated first stop, Temple Bar Pub.   I was told before the trip this was a must.  Established as the “friendliest watering hole” in Dublin, it seemed like a no brainer, the perfect place to drink our first Guinness in Ireland.  We ordered a pint and started people watching.  We noticed right away that majority of women were ordering Guinness with black currant.  Of course we followed suit and realized quickly it was a whole new side to the Guinness experience.  For us this was a great find and it became our new signature drink throughout the trip.  After chatting it up with the locals, we met Brian a college student that was eager to show us the cities offerings.  Our first stop on Brian’s city tour was the Arlington Hotel.  The hotel is famous for its Irish Dancing.  Dinner and a show run about 30€ per person but if you sit at the bar you get the show without the hefty fee.   On our way to the next stop we met a leprechaun.  

The next morning after an amazing traditional Irish breakfast we got ready for the day, it was going to be jammed packed.  We had a lot to fit in.  So the first stop had to be the Guinness Storehouse, the most visited site in all of Ireland, or so I was told.  Admission is 12.50€  which included a pint of Guinness after the tour to enjoy at the Gravity Bar which sits on top of the factory and has a 360 degree view of the entire city.  This is definitely a tour you have to arrive at early to avoid the crowds.  

The next stop, Trinity College/Book of Kells.  The setting of the college is beautiful, you enter this location through the campus store (good location to buy Trinity gear and remember to get a tax receipt, it can save you big money).  The admission fee was 8€, which doesn't seem bad, but once I went in, I found it a little over priced.  If you really want to visit this site, I strongly suggest you do some homework on the Book of Kells before you visit.  The final events of the day led us on a castle tour which we decided to use as the backdrop for our own personal photo shoot.   The scenery and ocean setting provided amazing pictures!