SIPPING on a coconut cocktail after wolfing down a breakfast burrito, Miami was playing on all my vices.
And the city made famous by the small screen, silver screen and THAT Will Smith song was more than living up to its glitzy reputation.
Arriving at the Eden Roc Hotel, the luxurious lobby bar hinted to its star-studded past, when Elizabeth Taylor and Jerry Lewis were regulars.
Designed by Morris Lapidus in 1955, it has just undergone a £190million makeover — making for a chic welcome.
At its Malibu Farm restaurant, I grabbed a table with a view of the lilac-tinted sunset.
There’s perfectly cooked soy and ginger steak, broccoli empanadas or cauliflower pizza (trust me, it works), while I choose to believe that the addictive blue tortilla chip nachos were healthy . . .
Still there was room for virtue and in the morning I took on a fitness class. I know, I never used to be one of those people either, but they’re free for hotel guests so I booked on to a Surfset course.
Catching a sweat instead of waves, the new fitness fad had me trying to balance on a wobbly indoor surfboard while attempting aerobics.
Still, I felt I’d earned my full body massage at the Escencia Wellness Spa and a dip in one of the three swimming pools.
Venturing from the hotel I got a taste of Cuba in Little Havana, where I got a glimpse into the Caribbean island’s culture at Maximo Gomez Park, or Domino Park.
Players are passionate about the game, beloved in Cuba and there are strict rules. You have to be over 50 to join, no drinking and no swearing is allowed at the tables.
I saw cigars rolled at a specialist shop Guantanamera — not strictly Cuban, as imports to the US are still banned. And I enjoyed the Cuban style of coffee, a strong espresso with sugar — perfect for a caffeine fiend like me.
Then I stopped by Old Havana for a Cuban sandwich. They’re made with freshly baked bread from a neighbouring bakery, plus ham, pork, cheese and mustard.
I could have wasted the day away watching dominos, especially after a mojito or two at the Ball and Chain bar but a graffiti tour was calling.
There’s a huge graffiti scene in Miami, especially in Wynwood, and Miami Urban Adventures will give you a real insight into the area.
Walk, or better yet take a buggy tour around the district with “Ryan the Wheelbarrow” — he wouldn’t tell me where the name came from.
Ryan and Pedro run Miami’s Best Graffiti Guide, and are both artists themselves.
Wynwood is also where you want to go out-out. Brick House, is a thriving bar and we arrived on Latin night when the music was incredible.
But beware of the tequila shots, they’re at least twice the size that we get in the UK.
No trip to Miami is complete without seeing Ocean Drive.
The stretch of road, just over a mile long, is lined with candy-coloured art deco hotels.
Built in the 1930s and 40s they feature in the likes of the movie Scarface and TV’s Dexter.
You can even see the spot where Gianni Versace was shot outside of his mansion in 1997.
It’s now a hotel and restaurant, that retains its ultra-glamorous decor.
Join a tour with the non-profit Miami Design Preservation League (mdpl.org) for an in-depth run through the area’s famous history.
If you’re a carb-fan like me, then you’ll love The Local House restaurant, which has the fanciest take on lobster mac ’n’ cheese.
It was far from my regular comfort food I know, but I loved black squid ink spaghetti with whole pieces of lobster in a bechamel sauce — order one for “the table”.
And over at another Miami Beach restaurant, Stiltsville Fish Bar, the showstopper dish tastes a lot better than it looks — fried snapper fish, with teeth, tail and all.
But never fear, knowledgeable waiters expertly slice and serve it at the table.
Finally, go out with a bang with a meal at the famous Nobu restaurant.
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It’s housed alongside the Nobu hotel, inside Eden Roc. Co-owned by Robert De Niro, it counts numerous famous faces among its clientele, with outposts in New York, Vegas and London.
There were platters of fresh sushi, its signature black cod, and Wagyu steak dramatically flambeed on hot stones.
And while I didn’t spot any celebs on the night I was there, the incredible food, lychee martinis and service gave me a taste of the A-lister lifestyle, if for one night only.
The only danger now? Miami has left me starry-eyed, and reality just doesn’t compare.
Go: Miami
ONE night’s room-only at Eden Roc Miami Beach is from £91.50pp based on two adults sharing.
See edenrochotelmiami.com.
Return flights from Gatwick to Fort Lauderdale are from £305pp. See norwegian.com/uk.
For information on tours, see miamiurbanadventures.com; for excursion tickets, see attractionsticketdirect.com; for more information, see miamibeaches.com.
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News Pictures Stunning Eden Roc hotel in Miami loved by Elizabeth Taylor and Jerry Lewis will leave you starry-eyed
You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st
To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.
Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”
Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”
kim cattrall
Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb
SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.
Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
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