Last year, we took our first trip to Miami as a couple, and loved our time at the Confidante so much that we knew we wanted to come back.  As someone who loves exploring new places when we travel, it takes someplace truly special to make me actually want to hotel repeat.

We arrived well before the check in time on a busy Saturday, so our room wasn’t ready, but from the moment we walked in, the laid back atmosphere of the hotel felt like it was welcoming us to Miami.

The front desk staff pre-checked us into our room to save us time, and offered to store all our bags and coats: There was a snowstorm in NYC when we flew out, so I arrived carrying my bright red puffer coat – getting that off my hands made it feel like we were finally on vacation.

So unburdened (literally and figuratively), we strolled along Lincoln Road for a bit before stopping for delicious smoothies (I highly recommend the passion fruit smoothie at Pasion del Cielo – conveniently located at the end of the main shopping drag on Alton Road).  Lincoln Road is basically an outdoor mall, and was honestly a bit uninspiring this trip, but I did love seeing some quirky Miami character on the way, like this over-the-top embellished house.

When we got back to the Confidante, our room was ready and oh so welcoming.  The eclectic decor is a laid back take on Art Deco, and the floor to ceiling slider windows let the light flood in.  And the bed – oh the bed!

It was a challenge to take these pics first and not just dive into this comfy coziness.   We booked the Partial Ocean View King room, and our room had sweeping views of the pool and ocean.  A much needed nap to the sound of ocean waves commenced mere minutes later 🙂

wire sunglasses / Man Ray lips clutch / black sunglasses

The high ceilings and natural light make the rooms feel spacious, and there is plenty of room to spread out and unpack.  I hung up my clothes in the closet, set up my makeup and skincare in the modern marble bathroom, and made the desk my accessories base.   The rooms even have big full length mirrors, perfect for outfit selfies.

crop top / flared mini skirt / patent leather bra / strappy block heels (similar)

Rested and relaxed, we were ready for a Saturday night out.  Our intended first stop was Bodega for their nightly taco happy hour, but the hidden back bar area was closed for a private event.  Fortunately, the store front section was still open, so we sated our taco craving then went to check out the Ricky’s happy hour next door (touted as the “longest happy hour on the beach”).  The cocktails were delicious and strong, and a great deal at 50% off.

We ended up staying at Ricky’s longer than expected – the happy hour lasted til 10 pm (!!!) and there were lots of cocktails to try.  Their twist on a Moscow Mule was my favorite.

After some more bar hopping, we were ready for another snack, and ended up at the much-lauded Yardbird.  We were actually trying to find Yard House originally for their late night happy hour, but this Google Maps mix up ended up being our favorite mistake.  We ordered a few apps and sides because we weren’t hungry enough for a full meal, and everything was fantastic.  The blackened Brussels sprouts were one of the best things I ate on this trip.

We also got a sweet surprise on our dessert after we mentioned we were celebrating our anniversary.  The “mini Nutella beignets” are not mini in any way, BTW!  Yardbird has officially been added to our Must Eat List for future trips.

It was a good date night out <3

The next morning, we woke up briefly to watch the sunrise from our balcony, but couldn’t resist the allure of the bed for long.  A couple of hours later, we headed down to the lobby for a new Confidante amenity I am very fond of: Free coffee every morning (and it is good coffee too)!

The pool area is so pleasant that we decided to take in our caffeine on loungers in the shade.

Our coffee view

Awake and refreshed from our room’s rainfall shower, we changed and headed to the Wynwood Art District.  If you aren’t familiar with Wynwood, it is an area where almost every wall is covered with art, from elaborate graffiti to large scale murals.

This was one of my favorites.

It is basically a giant open air museum, and full of gorgeous inspiration.  It is also blogger wall heaven 😀

Even on the walk from the cab to the restaurant, we found great backdrops.

We expected to have a wait at Wynwood Diner (as we did last year), but apparently the early bird gets brunch without a wait (we arrived right around 11:00).  We were seated immediately and only waffled over all the delicious choices for a few minutes before deciding on the brioche French toast and the croque madame (both excellent).  We also got the Brussels sprouts for an appetizer, which were quite good, but honestly paled in comparison to the perfect ones we had at Yardbird.

The decor and the vibe at Wynwood Diner is great as well, and definitely turns into more of a party as the day goes on.  It also has a pretty garden area that I’d love to come back to for drinks.

We resumed exploring the Wynwood Walls post brunch, and strolled around the shops and galleries in the neighborhood.

While stopping in front of a mural that felt made for my Rachel Roy dress, we got a surprise visitor.

We named him Steve.

Steve was utterly unfazed by our presence – he had bugs to eat! – so we carried on with our shoot.

My husband may or may not be making fun of my blogger poses 😛

I call this one invisible maracas

According to every local, the high 70’s temps were just barely warm enough, but after an hour or so in the glaring midday sun, both of us New Yorkers were ready to cool off.  So when we spotted enthusiastically happy customers coming out of Cielito, an artisan Popsicle spot (#WynwoodisBrooklyn), we decided to give it a shot.

There were over 20 interesting flavors to choose from, but between waking up to ocean waves and meeting a friendly lizard, we were having serious honeymoon nostalgia, so we kept the vibe going with our favorite honeymoon flavor: Passion Fruit.   A++ would get again.

There’s even a blogger wall inside the shop 🙂

We managed to take in more art before giving in to the siren song of the hotel pool.

Ironically, it was Miami sunshine that ended the art walk for this New Yorker.  

I changed into my new look from the new Lane Bryant Escape Collection.  These semi-sheer striped beach pants are a dream, and I will definitely be wearing these as regular pants when NYC weather permits.

This criss cross suit is true to size and surprisingly supportive, especially considering the fun strappy neckline.

This look is perfect for a walk down Miami’s boardwalk (which runs directly behind the Confidante), but in keeping with the extreme relaxation theme, we just settled down at the pool.  The poolside drink service may have been a motivating factor as well.

I burn so easily, so we tended to head to the pool after the harshest rays were over (post 3:00 pm).  There was still sun available around the pool, but we were happiest in the shade, and thus had our pick of seats.  One thing I really appreciate about the Confidante is the laid back vibe extends to the pool areas (particularly the adults-only pool, where we spent all of our time).

Of course, that didn’t stop me from embracing my inner child and ending up on the popsicle float (non-artisan this time).

I made friends with this flamingo too!

As the sun started to dip, we headed back up to our room and watched the clouds change colors over the ocean from our balcony.   Something about the vibe of the Confidante is just so wonderfully chill and a much-needed change of pace from our hectic life in NYC.  This was just the end of our first full day at the hotel, and we already felt more relaxed than we had in ages.  It was about this time when we decided that this trip really was feeling like a second honeymoon, and made the decision to come back again next year.