It’s official.  Zipping off to sunny Miami for a weekend from Islip airport is officially the easiest, most fun way to ward off the fast approaching winter blues that take over the Hamptons. Come along for the ride and you’ll find yourself at the best restaurants, beautiful hotels, pristine beaches, secret shops, and private small affairs with the most interesting people.  Here’s my HIT LIST of my favorite stops over the weekend.  Now book your flight!

While in Miami, I spent a decadent day at Richard LeFrak’s 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach [lobby, above].  I had breakfast at Beachcraft, followed by some tan time at their super chic roof top pool, which is South Beach’s largest rooftop pool and lounge.  Occupying an entire city block on Collins Avenue, 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach sits directly on 600 feet of pristine beachfront and offers unparalleled views of the Atlantic Ocean, Biscayne Bay and Downtown Miami’s ever-expanding skyline. Throughout the 426-room hotel the celebration of nature is evident, from the graceful twist of driftwood furnishings to the ever-present sounds of the ocean and abundance of living natural material, most of which is designed by Plant The Future, which has a stunning shop in the lobby of the hotel.

Plant The Future is a nature-inspired design firm and retailer based in Miami, Florida. The company was founded in 2008 by Paloma Teppa, a drop dead gorgeous industrial designer and artist, and her eco-entrepreneur husband, Yair Marcoschamer.  Their mission is to embrace and promote Biophilia by fusing design, architecture and art with nature.  KDHamptons has our own NEW mission: to get Plant The Future to open a Hamptons pop-up this summer!

Dining options at 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach include the fresh and organic signature hotel restaurant, Beachcraft, the lobby lounge bar, Tom on Collins, and poolside restaurant, The Sandbox from James Beard Award-winning chef, Tom Colicchio [below].

Next stop:  A private dinner catered by NOBU Miami at Eighty Seven Park, the new development by architectural visionary David Martin.  Amidst all of the exciting new developments happening in Miami, Renzo Piano’s Eighty Seven Park will be the most awe-inspiring project with his vision of creating a building “suspended above trees”.  Giving residents a “key” to a new city, Eighty Seven Park brings Central Park-meets-Gramercy Park living to South Florida. This will be the Pritzker Prize-winning architect’s first residential project in the Western Hemisphere.

Seventy apartments will sit atop two lush parks infusing Central Park living into Miami Beach for the first time ever − creating a botanical sanctuary.  Eighty Seven Park is a private, luxury beachfront condominium designed to seamlessly embrace the park and ocean in North Beach. The landmark building will bring together architecture, design and the natural landscape.  For Renzo Piano, there’s a serenity to be found in the tension between sky and earth − a serenity that Eighty Seven Park captures so eloquently.  If you want to live in the hottest building to hit Miami Beach, this will be it.

The morning after the party required some refueling at Athens Juice Bar [below], which has been around since 1937. It has the best juices and smoothies in Miami, and are known for their fresh fruit salads and acai bowls.  Their menu really leaves you energized for the whole day.

Finally a shopping blitz at Gee Beauty at Sunset Harbour is a MUST.  Beauty goddess owners and sisters, Natalie and Celene Gee have their own make up line and are famous for their eyebrow and eyelash artistry.  The duo curates a treasure trove of great products and potions that will turn you out like Jennifer Lopez before you leave the store.  Make sure to book their Oxygen Facial, an all-in-one facial that includes peeling, serums, and more. It takes about an hour and a half and leaves your skin feel rejuvenated and fresh.

Of course the most beautiful part about Miami is walking along the soft sandy beach, swimming in the warm water, and getting kissed by the sun. Until next time…