Miami Beach is holiday ready

Miami Beach is holiday ready. Swapping snow for sun, travelers will find no other place in the world like Miami Beach for the holidays. From twelve miles of beautiful beaches to fabulous shopping from Ocean Drive to Lincoln Road, nightlife like no other and great restaurants and chefs, the city welcomes this season of celebration and invites travelers to share in the festivities.

“Who wouldn’t want to be in Miami Beach during the holidays?” asks Peggy Benua, Chair, the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority (MBVCA). “Our fabulous city is the cold-season getaway for millions of visitors seeking sun from across the country and around the world. Experience and celebrate the holidays with us as Miami Beach is truly like no other place in the world.”

“This has been an amazing year for the city of Miami Beach,” notes Grisette Roque, Executive Director, MBVCA. “Between our awards for World and North America’s Leading Tourist Board from the World Travel Awards, our Travvy and Magellan awards as well as the release of our innovative app, we have had so much to celebrate this year and we’re happy to do so with those who are here, or are planning, to spend the holidays on our shores.”

Visitors experiencing Miami Beach over the holidays from now until New Year’s Day will have a slew of places to stay, eateries to try and things to do as the city amps up its usual offerings with Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year-specific specials and events. See below for more:

Where to Stay:
The Confidante Miami Beach
Beach Bubbly and Bungalows Package – The Confidante Miami Beach is offering the ultimate last minute Holiday package with a bottle of champagne, late checkout, and a poolside bungalow, all designed to create the perfect Miami Beach experience!

FAENA Miami Beach
New Year’s Eve: A Night in Havana – Say “adios” to 2016 and ring in the New Year at Faena Hotel Miami Beach. Offering 3 distinct packages to celebrate: Dinner Package, Party Package, or Hotel Package, the FAENA is welcoming guests with the glamour and style of Havana’s golden age.

Where to Eat:
The Continental
Stephen Starr offers eclectic fare in a vintage-style eatery with a meal that takes its cues from the Japanese tradition of fried chicken, champagne, and chocolate cake for Christmas. The Continental is serving a Korean fried chicken special with a green salad and a slice of millionaire’s chocolate cake ($55).

Macchialina
For Christmas Eve, this beloved Miami Beach restaurant is offering Holiday guests a four-course chef’s tasting menu in addition to its à la carte rustic Italian favorites. The vibrant trattoria feast will feature a variety of dishes in each course – served family style – for $55 per person, with an additional wine pairing for $28 per person. Specials, such as osso buco and whole roasted fish with white wine and cherry tomatoes, will also be available.

Jaya at the Setai
Jaya, which means ‘victory’ in Sanskrit, will serve its signature Christmas-themed buffet brunch with two seatings, at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. ($125 for adults and $63 for children). Get in the holiday spirit with live jazz featuring Christmas carols and an appearance from Santa Claus. The buffet offers traditional holiday fare as well as an extensive seafood display. Top favorites include truffle-roasted Murray’s chicken, barbecued kurobuta Berkshire pork ribs, and Chinese dim sum. A variety of Asian-fusion dishes will also be featured, such as Indonesian beef rendang and traditional pad thai.

What to Do:
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at Miami City Ballet
Miami City Ballet proudly presents George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® – the perfect holiday treat for the entire family featuring dancing snowflakes, the Sugar Plum Fairy, an epic battle between heroic toy soldiers and mischievous mice, and a blizzard of snow!

Capital One Orange Bowl
The Capital One Orange Bowl game is played at the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, with locals and football fans from all over the country cheering on each team and millions more watching from their TVs. One of the most exciting college football matchups of the season, this year, the University of Michigan Wolverines hit the gridiron to take on the Florida State Seminoles on Friday, December 30 at 8 PM EST.

Miami Beach Bowl
The University of Tulsa and Central Michigan University will close their 2016 seasons in the third Miami Beach Bowl. The game kicks off on Monday, Dec. 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET, at Marlins Park. Since its inception, the bowl game has positively showcased the Miami Beach community nationally and internationally, while also ensuring the student-athletes, fans, and guests have an exceptional experience on and off the Beach!

About Miami Beach
Recently named 2016 North America’s Leading Tourist Board by the World Travel Awards and first place in the 2016 edition of the Travvy Awards, presented by travAlliancemedia in the category of “Best Wedding Destination, U.S. & Canada“ and a winner in the 2014 and 2015 Magellan Awards by Travel Weekly in the categories of “Destinations | Mobile App” and “Overall Spa Destinations| U.S and Canada” respectively, Miami Beach is a favorite destination among travelers worldwide. Renowned for its unparalleled culinary offerings, extravagant nightlife, rich culture, luxe shopping and plush hotels, Miami Beach is home to unique museums, the New World Symphony, Miami City Ballet, Miami Beach Convention Center, international festivals and art exhibitions, boat and auto shows, over 187 boutique and resort hotels and 12 public parks; it is no wonder the beautifully diverse city is one of the world’s most popular vacation destinations. Boasting seven miles of breathtaking beaches, Miami Beach is easily accessible from the Port of Miami and Miami International Airport. The City of Miami Beach has been named one of the top cities worldwide for ‘walkability’ and is equally easy to navigate by bike or boat. Known for its year-round sunny skies, the vibrant destination not only produces its own branded sun care line, MB Miami Beach Suncare, but has been ranked by TripAdvisor as number one in 2011’s Top Winter Sun Vacation Rental Getaway Destinations and was also part of Top 25 Beaches in the World and Top 25 Destinations in the U.S. Miami Beach is like no other place in the world!