A Travel Guide through South Florida
A few weeks ago, I took a much-needed mini vacation in South Florida! The weather here in Charlotte had been rainy and pretty cold almost every day. I was in desperate need of warm weather and sunshine. While there we stayed at two different hotels (both equally amazing) and I wanted to share my experience with you all today in case you’re thinking about planning a trip! It’s certainly not a time when you should be planning international travel given the Coronavirus, so I definitely recommend Florida as your next vacation destination!
First up,
Ocean Key Resort in Key West:
Experience
The location of this hotel couldn’t be any better. It is on the main strip of Duval and centered near the cruise ship dock at Mallory square. It’s rated the #1 hotel in Key West and #10 in all of Florida. The famous Sunset Pier is connected to the hotel, and I highly recommend you make a stop at this popular tourist destination while in Key West. The rainbow-colored pier is an absolute dream happy hour spot for appetizers and cocktails and live music.
Rooms
The rooms at Ocean Key Resort were very spacious, and I think would be perfect for larger families on vacation. We had a two-bedroom room which included a pullout couch. The space could have easily slept six people.
I especially loved the bright colors of the rooms. They were decorated in Key West tropical colors and it made me feel right at home on vacation. There was even an amazing tub in the master suite, perfect for relaxing. My favorite part was the large balcony overlooking Duval street!
Amenities
They have an incredible pool area with cabanas overlooking the ocean, I could have literally laid there all day! They also have a poolside bar and restaurant, Liquid Lounge, that serves drinks and lunch (best Pina coladas in town)!
Hot Tin Roof Restaurant (hotel restaurant) is where we ate breakfast every day. They also offer an option for delivery breakfast right on the balcony in your room if you’re looking to have a relaxing morning. We had the most amazing breakfast including omelets and French toast overlooking the pool and ocean. We also ate dinner here on the last night and had a delicious crab cake appetizer and surf and turf meal.
Last but certainly not least, I would highly recommend visiting their relaxing Spa as well. Jess and I indulged in a massage and facial service (I actually had my first prenatal massage), and it was an amazing relaxing experience prior to moving on to our next destination.
Service
I was highly impressed by the service personnel at the hotel. They did not hesitate to help us during our stay with anything we need. Keep in mind, the concierge offers a lot of activities and experiences that you can take part in during your visit, including the option to rent electric cars or bikes to get around and explore the city.
For more information of what to do while in Key West, see my blog post HERE
Next we traveled to…
Pelican Grand Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale
Experience
Pelican Grand Beach Resort is an incredible oceanfront resort with several restaurants and a lazy river. It’s everything you would need during a vacation without leaving the resort. The hotel is a full-service hotel with just about everything you could ask for: beach access, zero-entry pool, a lazy river, and great restaurant options. We spent most of our time relaxing on the beach or by the pool, so we could return from vacation feeling rested. Each morning I loved grabbing an iced coffee from the coffee shop and taking a morning walk on the beach.
Rooms
I loveddd the vibe of the rooms. They had a very beach-side chic vibe. They were very spacious and extremely comfortable. We had an incredible ocean front view overlooking the beach. It was so nice waking up to the view every morning and drinking our room service coffee. Pro tip: always setup room service coffee the night before so it’s ready when you wake up.
Dining
The O2K Lounge is the pool and beachside bar that’s great for ordering drinks throughout the day or grabbing a to-go lunch and eating by the pool. They had amazing bloody Mary’s!
We started every day with breakfast on the outdoor patio of Ocean2000. They had a great spread with a variety of breakfast options including green juice or smoothies for a lighter option. If you don’t want to venture out of the hotel for dinner, I highly recommend you grab dinner here as well. The menu looked amazing!
The Emporium Ice Cream Parlor is a must do as well. It is an adorable retro ice cream parlor located in the hotel!
Service
The hotel offered chair and towel service on the beach, as well as umbrellas at the pool!
There were also fire pits that were perfect for enjoying drinks at night and watching the sunset right by the beach! Stop by the concierge to take part in water activities, or visit some local restaurants recommended by the hotel.
While I am on the topic of Florida, I wanted to mention a product I recommend you introduce into your routine, especially if you’ve been struggling with dry, dull lips from winter, or sunburnt lips from vacation. I recently started using Miage‘s Bloom La Milpa Lip Treatment, and it’s made such a difference on improving my chapped lips over the last couple of weeks. It is a daily conditioning lip gloss that I used to help moisturize my lips while on the go. I use it day and night for best results, and my lips have never been softer.
To provide some more detail, it is a waterless gloss that doubles as a daily conditioner and an overnight treatment. It has a pink tint and mild shimmer that made my lips look and feel hydrated. It is made with Sesame Oil for deep healing, and I love that it could be worn alone or under my lipstick. I reached out to the company for a promo code so that you guys can get a discount to try it. Use code ‘Bailey15’ at checkout for 15% off.
You can never go wrong with a great pool and spa!