Miami International Airport: where to stay, areas and recommended…

Miami is a city you have to cross: downtown is 13 km away and the beach of South Beach even further, so anyone leaving with little margin has a concrete reason to stay next to the terminals. The only hotel inside the airport suits overnight layovers and pre-dawn flights; for those landing in the evening and leaving the next day, a hotel with a shuttle may be enough. With two or more days, the choice is between Brickell, convenient because the Metrorail starts at the airport, and Miami Beach, further away but with the sea in front. At weekends the Orange Line runs a reduced service and requires a change.

At the airport

The Miami International Airport Hotel is inside the terminal, on the second level of Concourse E: check-in desks and gates can be reached without leaving the building.

Best for: One-night layovers and dawn departures, with check-in a few steps from the room.

Pros

From the room to check-in with no taxi or shuttle
Soundproofed rooms with blackout curtains, useful for sleeping by day
Reception and room service open around the clock

Cons

Only one hotel, so little choice and limited availability on busy days
Inside the terminal there is nothing of the city: to go out you need the Metrorail or a taxi
For gates far from Concourse E, allow for internal transfers

Recommended hotels in this area

Miami International Airport Hotel: The only hotel inside the airport, above Concourse E: 260 soundproofed rooms with windows and blackout curtains, round-the-clock reception.

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Airport area and Blue Lagoon

Airport area · The Tru by Hilton Miami Airport South Blue Lagoon is in the Blue Lagoon business park, about two miles from the airport, with a free shuttle to the terminals.

Best for: Those who land late and leave the next morning without wanting to pay for a hotel in the city.

Pros

A few minutes from the airport, with no reliance on trains or the motorway
A free shuttle instead of a taxi for every trip
A few more hotels to compare than the only one inside the terminal

Cons

Only offices and fast roads around, nothing to do in the evening
The shuttle runs on a fixed timetable: check it for the earliest flights
For Miami you still need the Metrorail or a taxi

Recommended hotels in this area

Tru by Hilton Miami Airport South Blue Lagoon: Free shuttle to the airport, rooms with lake views and a breakfast praised in reviews; budget range.

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Brickell and downtown

Near the airport link · Free MIA Mover (4 minutes) to the Metrorail station, then the Orange Line to Brickell in about 17 minutes on weekdays; at weekends you need to change at Earlington Heights. Taxi or app: 15-20 minutes.

Best for: Business or city stays, with restaurants and the Metromover on foot.

Pros

Metrorail and Metromover connect Brickell to the airport and the rest of downtown
Brickell City Centre and many restaurants are within walking distance
Taxi or app back to the airport in a quarter of an hour

Cons

At weekends the Orange Line is limited and the transfer takes longer
In the evening the neighbourhood is lively around the bars, less so on side streets
Rooms in urban brands, such as citizenM, are compact

Recommended hotels in this area

EAST Miami: A 2015 tower with 352 rooms in the heart of Brickell, a few steps from the Brickell City Centre Metromover stop; four outdoor pools.
citizenM Miami Brickell: Compact but well-kept rooms, bar and restaurant in the Brickell City Centre area; Tenth Street Metromover stop a minute's walk away.

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Miami Beach

Neighbourhood · Taxi or app in about 25-35 minutes; alternatively the Metrobus 150 Airport Express leaves from the airport's Metrorail station every 30 minutes, from 5 to 23.

Best for: Those who choose Miami for the sea and accept a longer transfer.

Pros

Beach and Lincoln Road on foot, no car needed
Metrobus 150 saves hiring a car for those travelling light
All price ranges, from small Art Deco hotels to large resorts

Cons

With Julia Tuttle Causeway traffic the taxi can take over half an hour
Bus 150 runs every 30 minutes: not suited to early-morning flights
In the evening the Ocean Drive area is very crowded and noisy

Recommended hotels in this area

The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach: On the seafront, a few steps from Lincoln Road, in an Art Deco building with a pool raised above the ocean; upper range.

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