IMAGE: 4CORNERS
No matter what the weather, a sunny sense of heady optimism always seems to pervade this sprawling oceanfront city, famed for its party vibe and pastel-hued art deco architecture. Locals exude a determinedly laid-back levity as dynamic regeneration continues apace — and not just around South Beach. Downtown, in Brickell, new hotels, celebrity-chef restaurants and bars are booming, while a gleaming new mall blossoms with big brands opening stores to rival the affluent Bal Harbour neighbourhood. Edgy dive bars and affordable walking tours are on trend in Wynwood and Little Havana, but elsewhere, as with any great city, there’s a price to pay. Expect cocktails in double figures, buffet breakfasts to inch into the $50 (£36) mark, and mandatory resort fees at beachfront properties to add $40 (£29) to your daily bill — and that’s before you get anywhere near a sunbed or umbrella. Yes, you’ll probably burn a hole in your pocket and wake up with a hangover, but stay in one of the city’s new lifestyle hotels and you can recover with spirulina shots, bootcamp beach yoga or order in some rehydrating vitamin IV therapy. Only in Miami…