Miami Boat Show Visitor’s Guide
Every year, yacht enthusiasts rejoice for South Florida’s premier boating event in February during President’s Day weekend, the Miami International Boat Show. The show debuts February 14-18, with the on-land exhibit located at the Miami Beach Convention Center and Pride Park. Meanwhile, the in-water components will display at Sea Isle Marina, One Herald Plaza, Museum Park Marina, and IGY Yacht Haven Grande at Island Gardens. The Miami International Boat Show is notorious for some of the most extraordinary designed boats, yachts, and superyachts from around the globe.
If you plan to attend the show this year and are visiting from out of the area, we have created the ultimate Miami Visitors guide for your stay in South Florida. Experience one of Florida’s most popular vacation destinations — from the art culture, stunning beaches, highly-rated dining options, and top attractions. Miami offers something for everyone! View our guide below for the best places to see and visit while in town for the Miami Boat Show.
Quick Links – Miami Visitor’s Guide
Best Places to Stay Near the Show
Top-Rated Activities & Attractions
Dining Hot Spots
Miami Yacht Show Information
Best Places to Stay Near the Miami Boat Show
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- The Guild Downtown
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- The Gabriel Miami
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- Hilton Miami Downtown
Chances are, you will not be able to make it through the entire show in one day. With that said, you will most likely need a place to stay for a couple of nights. Our Miami visitors guide shows the highest-rated hotels in the area for you to choose from; the best part of all, each one is within one mile of the yacht show.
4-Star Hotel | Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay (0.2 Miles)
This high-rise hotel is 3.8 miles from the Miami Beach Convention Center and 5 miles from South Beach, overlooking the marina on Biscayne Bay. Classic rooms offer floor-to-ceiling windows, Wi-Fi (fee), and flat-screen TVs. Plus, desks and coffeemakers. Executive rooms and suites offer access to a lounge with complimentary Wi-Fi, continental breakfast, and snacks. Suites also add living areas with pull-out sofas. Amenities include a heated outdoor pool, a hot tub, and an exercise room. There’s also a cafe, a restaurant with Bayfront seating, and a poolside bar.
5-Star Hotel | The Gabriel Miami, Curio Collection by Hilton (0.4 Miles)
This upmarket hotel is a 9-minute walk from the Pérez Art Museum and a 13-minute walk from the shops of Bayside Marketplace. Polished rooms provide free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and minifridges, as well as tea and coffee-making facilities. Some rooms feature balconies or terraces, some with bay views. There are two restaurants and a bar with terrace and city views. Other amenities include a spa, a rooftop pool, and an indoor pool, along with a fitness center and meeting space.
3-Star Hotel | DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay (0.2 Miles)
Located beside Biscayne Bay marina, this high-rise hotel complex is a 1-minute drive from Interstate 395 and a 12-minute drive from Miami Beach. Minifridges, 47-inch TVs, and WiFi (fee) are offered in each room, as well as modern decor and custom-designed beds. Suites add separate living areas and condos have washers and dryers. Some rooms have balconies and ocean or park views. Amenities include four on-site restaurants include Tony Chan’s Waterclub, a steakhouse, an upscale seafood joint, and a deli. There’s also a fitness center and an outdoor pool.
4-Star Hotel | Hilton Miami Downtown | (0.4 Miles)
In a contemporary tower overlooking Biscayne Bay, this upscale hotel features modern rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and upscale decor, plus custom-designed beds, flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi (fee). Suites add sitting areas and pull-out sofas. Not to mention, this hotel is a 4-mile drive from Miami Beach. Amenities include a relaxed bistro serving international cuisine, a laid-back lobby cafe, and a rooftop pool with a breezy bar and skyline views.
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Top-Rated Activities & Attractions in Downtown Miami
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- South Beach
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- Ocean Drive
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- Lincoln Road Mall
Turn your boat show visit into a South Florida experience by visiting top-rated attractions and activities in Downtown Miami. Our Miami Visitors Guide displays the areas most raved about hot spots you don’t want to miss.
South Beach (4.5 Miles)
Found at the southern end of Miami Beach is a local hot spot, better known as South Beach, the most popular beach in Miami and one of the top beaches in Florida. You can’t visit Miami without making the drive to South Beach to experience the aqua blue waters of the Atlantic and nude-colored sand beaches. Although the ocean may be too cold for a dip in February, you can still enjoy amazing sunrises and an afternoon walk along the stunning shoreline.
Ocean Drive (4.5 Miles)
Across from South Beach is Ocean Drive, Miami’s most iconic street, mainly due to the many movies filmed at this location. This stretch of land consists of many renovated hotels, shops, art galleries, plenty of dining options, and incredible architecture — especially in the art deco scene, which consists of uniquely designed buildings with an array of pastel colors and bright neon signs. The Art Deco District in Miami is considered an Art Deco capital and is home to the largest concentration of the 1920s and 30s resort-style architecture. Whether you are looking to grab a bite to eat or spend the day shopping, Ocean Drive is the perfect spot to spend your day exploring.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens (3.9 Miles)
This 28-acre Italian estate home featuring subtropical landscaping was previously a luxurious winter home of 20th-century businessman James Deering. Built-in 1916, this expansive mansion features 34 rooms organized around a central courtyard containing many original furniture pieces and artwork displayed for your enjoyment year-round.
Perez Art Museum (0.6 Miles)
The Pérez Art Museum Miami is a modern and contemporary museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting international art of the 20th and 21st centuries. The flagship art museum of Miami also allows for waterfront dining at their Verde Restaurant with beautiful views of Biscayne Bay; and a gift shop with a unique selection of art, books, furnishings and handmade items.
Lincoln Road (3.3 Miles)
If you are looking for the ultimate shopping experience while in Miami, Lincoln Road is the spot to be. This road spans for many blocks and features more than 200 national retailers, designer brands, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, and sidewalk cafes.
Bayside Marketplace (1 Mile)
Bayside Marketplace is a two-story open-air shopping center located in downtown Miami. The banks of Biscayne Bay wrap around the property with the City of Miami marina at its side. It is recognized by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitor’s Bureau as the number one most visited attraction in Miami. You can also enjoy bay ride tours, bike rentals, fishing charter ventures, and more at Bayside Marketplace.
Little Havana & Calle Ocho (3.8 Miles)
Little Havana, better known as Miami’s vibrant Cuban Heart, is a cultural community sharing Latin-inspired cafes, restaurants, venues, and markets that accentuate the many different backgrounds that take root in the neighborhood. Calle Ocho, the center of Little Havana, is where all the action resides. Enjoy quaint fruit stands, an array of shops and restaurants, and the scent of newly rolled Cuban cigars in Little Havana. Plus, on the last Friday of each month, Little Havana hosts Viernes Cultures, or Cultural Fridays, a monthly gallery night showcasing the cultural arts scene of the neighborhood.
Jungle Island (1 Mile)
Located in the center of Downtown Miami is Jungle Island, a South Florida landmark. Jungle Island is an intimate zoological park featuring some of the world’s rarest and most exotic animals. Enjoy engaging animal shows and informative exhibits while strolling by streams and waterfalls under a lush canopy of tropical trees.
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Dining Hot Spots – Miami Visitors Guide
One of the best things about Miami is the food! Everywhere you go, every corner you turn, a delicious restaurant or cafe is waiting for you. Don’t settle for ordinary cuisine or fast food during your stay. Our Miami Visitors Guide displays restaurants rated 4.5 stars and higher that prove to be Miami’s best in dining.
4.5 Stars | Mignonette Downtown (0.6 Miles)
Former 1930s gas station turned oyster bar/seafood haven, with luxurious and down-home options.
4.8 Stars | CVI.CHE 105 (3 Miles)
Nine-year award-winning Peruvian eatery with a lively atmosphere, delicious cocktails, and ceviche in a space highlighted with eclectic art, pisco bar, and a vertical garden. Known for their vast selection of creative and unique ceviches, among several other traditional dishes
4.6 Stars | Yardbird Southern Table and Bar (3.2 Miles)
Rustic outpost, enticing foodies with inventive farm-to-table Southern comfort food and bourbon bar. Enjoy farm-fresh ingredients combined with inviting southern hospitality and home-style dishes that will leave you feeling right at home.
4.7 Stars | New York Pizza & Restaurant (0.2 Miles)
Casual, relaxed pizza joint serving up the best in Italian eats, and of course pizza. Enjoy thin-crust pies & slices, plus hot sandwiches & pasta dishes.
4.6 Stars | NIU Kitchen (1.1 Miles)
Rustic cafe and wine bar with a Catalan-style menu of authentic and unusual Spanish small plates. This joint showcases an eclectic atmosphere, with a touch of eccentricity — mixing local with exotic and seasonal with sophisticated.
4.4 Stars | Vero Italian (1.4 Miles)
Contemporary Italian menu with pizza served in a warm, wood-filled dining room or on a covered patio offering the best of formal and informal dining options. Choose from a delicious Italian pizza or made-from-scratch pasta dishes.
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Miami Boat Show Information
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Experience the Miami Boat Show – VIP Style
Now that you have your bucket list full of activities to indulge in while visiting downtown Miami, talk to the experts for a boat show experience unlike any other. Set up an appointment by clicking the button below. We will set you up with one of our knowledgeable sales professionals to be your boat show concierge.
Our experienced yacht brokers can show you any brokerage yacht in the show including our exceptional brokerage line-up of yachts for sale. Enjoy the Miami Boat Show as a VIP guest — an experience that only a Galati yacht broker can offer.
Learn More About the Miami Boat Show
