Hi, y’all! Bryan and I just got back from our trip to Miami and let me tell ya – WE HAD THE BEST TIME! We honeymooned at Cancun in 2018 after our wedding and always said that we wanted to go back for our fifth anniversary. Well, fast forward to 2023 and I’m 34-weeks pregnant with our third baby so an all-inclusive, adults-only resort in Mexico didn’t exactly make sense. We will save it for our tenth anniversary!
All we needed was a beach, the sun and good food so I started looking around places in Florida or Alabama. We landed on flying into Fort Lauderdale because I found flights for $88 per person round-trip with Spirit (YES PLEASE!!). From there, I looked about an hour north or south of Fort Lauderdale for a place to stay. Most hotels were about $250 or more unless we stayed more inland and off the beach, which wasn’t what we wanted. These days I’m a slow, lazy and don’t do physical labor (it might sound terrible but it’s just the truth) so that would put Bryan in a place of lugging all of our beach stuff from the hotel to the car, from the car to the beach and back. Not to mention, flying Spirit means that we needed to travel light so it’s not like we were in a position of packing extras like huge totes, beach chairs and umbrellas.
I found this blog and fell in love with the Grand Beach Hotel in Miami. THAT is how we landed on Miami of all places for our anniversary trip and third babymoon.
WHERE WE STAYED
The Grand Beach Hotel is BEAUTIFUL and I recommend this hotel to anyone with something to celebrate or for a weekend away! The top 3 reasons to stay there include:
- THE PRIVATE BEACH
- THE POOL OASIS
- THE FOOD
The number one thing for this trip was convenience and this hotel had just that. The best part was by far the private beach in the hotel’s backyard. I can’t even begin to tell you how stress-free it is knowing we could just get up, throw on a swimsuit and walk to the beach after coffee. The hotel also had beach towels available every day, beach chairs waiting for us at the beach, umbrellas if we requested them, food and beverage service on the beach and a rinse-off station for sandy feet.
When I tell y’all the pool oasis is immaculate, I mean it. Palm tress lined the family pools to give shade. Pink pool chairs and umbrellas were everywhere so there was no issue of finding a place to relax or a photo-worthy spot. The outskirts of the pool area had hammocks in the sand. IT WAS AMAZING.
Bryan and I ate lunch at the on-site restaurant every day and didn’t find a meal we didn’t like. I 10/10 recommend the Mykonos salad with shrimp if you go! We skipped the formal breakfast and opted for a small breakfast and coffee from the espresso gelato bar to eat by the pool every morning. They had plenty of options so that was perfect for us.
It’s also important to note that this hotel is very kid-friendly. While we didn’t have our kids with us, we saw lots of families there and the staff appeared to be very accommodating and friendly to those families. If this isn’t your jam, they also have an adults-only pool on the 7th floor!
Obviously, the hotel is amazing. The one thing to be aware of is that most things are extra cost. The beach chairs and towels are included in the service fee but any food (including breakfast!), snacks, drinks or spa treatments have a cost tied to them.
WHERE WE ATE
We ate out for dinners and chose 2 out of 3 of these places by simply doing searches on Google Maps and reading reviews. We had great experiences at all restaurants and loved most of the food. Two things to know before you go:
1) Miami loves their food and also charges for it. I was shocked at how much some of the meals cost at the restaurants. Not a terrible thing but something to be prepared for!
2) Tip was typically included with the meal on the receipt. Bryan double tipped a few times before catching on! Again, not the worst thing but just another thing to know before you go.
Havana 1957
The first night we ate at Havana 1957 on Espanola Way after touring around Lincoln Road, which is a pedestrian-only street with outdoor shopping and dining, for a bit. I had and loved the slow-cooked chicken entrée! There are tons of locations of this restaurant by the way.
Ole Ole Steakhouse
The second night we went back to Lincoln Road and ate at Ole Ole Steakhouse. The ambiance was amazing but, honestly, I wasn’t blown away by the food there. I’m sure there are great steakhouses in Miami but my suggestion is maybe don’t go to Florida to have steak if you’re from Texas 😉
Prime Fish
The third night we ate at Prime Fish and it was deliciooooous. Another couple staying at the hotel suggested this place and it didn’t disappoint. The dinner came with rolls and a seafood dip that was a chef composition. Bryan ordered and loved the tuna and I ordered and loved the cod with a baked potato on the side. The prices are steep but the meal is worth it!
Grand Beach Hotel Restaurant
We had lunch every day at the hotel and we loved every single meal. The cuisine is a Latin-American fusion and there are plenty of options for what you’re craving – salads, seafood, wings, pizza, pasta, dessert… they had it all!
STYLING THE BUMP
Night 1 Outfit
I wore a dress by Sexy Mama Maternity for dinner the first night. Their dresses are amazing for pregnancy because they’re so soft, stretchy and also great quality! This one has been with me through two pregnancies 🙂
Night 2 Outfit
Night two I found these trendy utility pants and linen crop top from Abercrombie and guess what?! Neither are maternity! The pants are versatile with the drawstring and can be wore high-waisted or low-rise for a more baggy look. I recommend both of these pieces for anyone!
Night 3 Outfit
On our last night I wore one of my FAVORITE maternity pieces from BUMPSUIT. They have a plethora of options for maternity wear and this ribbed dress is I wear on the regular simply because I can dress it up or down in so many ways.
Shop My Outfits
Shop my brown ribbed BUMPSUIT dress here. Try code SKYE for 20% off!
BEACHIN’ AND BUMPIN’
You can find swimsuits and swim cover-ups nearly anywhere during Spring and Summer but below are some of my favorite places for specific pieces. Scroll down to shop my exact pieces!
- Bikini Tops for Large Chests: Everything But Water (favorite style is the Brandi Bralette!), Athleta (look for “D-DD”), Abercrombie (specifically the “Curve Love” style), Target
- Low Rise Bikini Bottoms for the Bump: Billabong Fiji Bikini Bottoms, Abercrombie Tall-Side High-Leg Bikini Bottoms, Target Shade & Shore Ruffle Bikini Bottoms
- Swimsuit Cover-ups: Lulus for trendy and colorful options, Walmart for affordable options and Aerie for the good basics
Shop My Swimwear
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