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A few months ago I was added to a WhatsApp group where 236 people from around the world gathered and mapped out what debauchery they'd get into for Art Basel.

State of play: I'd never been, but as an art enthusiast and a house music lover, I decided I wanted to experience it. 

So, on a whim a few weeks before the art fair, I changed my return flight from a vacation in Mexico to my home in North Carolina to include a one-night layover in Miami.

Yes, but: One night is nothing in Art Basel time. A full-send Art Week includes at least five nights of parties, as many in my group chat did.

Here are a few things I learned for next year.

My night in Miami was spent primarily at Soundtuary's event at Jungle Island, running from 7pm to 3am, featuring DJs Jan Blomqvist and Rony Seikaly, among others.

There were only a few souls on the grass-covered dance floor when my partner and I arrived at 8:50pm.

Around 11pm, a couple folks I knew from the group chat started to arrive.

On Monday at 8am — while I was starting my work day — the group chat was buzzing with folks looking for tickets for Space's sold-out Basel closing party, which will still be going by Tuesday morning.

"Pro tip: take Monday and Tuesday off," the club wrote on its ticketing page.

Event tickets, hotels and flights are significantly cheaper if you book months in advance. Don't be like me and pay $220 for a motel.

Day-of scrambles to find the best party is common. And with such a big production, a lot can go wrong, so be flexible and have fun.

4 things I learned from my Art Basel group chat

Lessons from a WhatsApp group where people from around the world mapped out what debauchery they'd get into for Art Basel.

The calm before the storm (literally and figuratively) at Soundtuary's Wednesday night event at Jungle Island. Photo: Emma Way/Axios

A few months ago I was added to a WhatsApp group where 236 people from around the world gathered and mapped out what debauchery they&#x27;d get into for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Art Basel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2022/11/03/art-basel-miami-beach-what-to-see" data-vars-content-id="1c9c4759-e860-475c-a605-d1e4fa82e27d" data-vars-headline="4 things I learned from my Art Basel group chat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2022/11/03/art-basel-miami-beach-what-to-see" target="_self">Art Basel</a>.State of play: I&#x27;d never been, but as an art enthusiast and a house music lover, I decided I wanted to experience it.

Things to Do

The Goodtime Hotel is a trendy new(ish) South Beach hotel with a rooftop bar owned by superstar producer and singer/songwriter Pharrell Williams, Axios’ Emma Way writes.

The big picture: Everything about the 266-room, seven-story hotel matches its cute pastel color palette and art deco design.

Cost: Perhaps one of the best parts of The Goodtime is the price. When the hotel first opened with a celeb-studded party in 2021, Travel & Leisure reported rooms started at $548 a night.

Yes, but: On a work trip visiting the Miami team in October, our editors paid just $130 each for a Tuesday night.

According to scans on various booking sites like Hotels.com and Google Travel, a one-night stay ranges from $120 to $300 (except for Art Basel weekend when prices are $600+).

The front desk of the hotel. Photo courtesy The Goodtime Hotel

What to expect: The rooms offer views of the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. They're compact, but make good use of space with fun details like the miniest (and pinkest) fridge I've ever seen, and a waterproof tote you can take by the pool.

The expansive pool is free for hotel guests to use, and locals can book a cabana, too.

Attached to the pool is a bar and restaurant that's open to the public. I loved the $17 spicy jaja margarita with mezcal, mango and habanero, and the $26 octopus salad with gigante bean, cherry tomatoes, arugula and salsa verde.

Just inside is a public library space decked out in pink that's ideal for getting some work done and soaking up air conditioning.

Details: Find the hotel at 601 Washington Ave.

Related Axios story: Treat yourself to a luxury spa day for $109+ during Miami Spa Months

The library. Photo courtesy The Goodtime Hotel

bright orange cocktail with garnish lime and flower

Spicy jaja margarita with mezcal, mango and habanero. Photo: Emma Way/Axios

Check out this cute Miami Beach hotel for $130 a night

The Goodtime Hotel is a trendy new(ish) South Beach hotel with a rooftop bar owned by star rapper and singer/songwriter Pharrell Williams.

The Goodtime Hotel is a trendy new(ish) South Beach hotel with a rooftop bar owned by superstar producer and singer/songwriter Pharrell Williams, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios’ Emma Way writes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2022/11/07/miami-south-beach-hotel-cute-cheap" data-vars-content-id="a8d76e93-0286-4835-b906-df49bdee83ee" data-vars-headline="Check out this cute Miami Beach hotel for $130 a night" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2022/11/07/miami-south-beach-hotel-cute-cheap" target="_self">Axios’ Emma Way writes</a>.The big picture: Everything about the 266-room, seven-story hotel matches its cute pastel color palette and art deco design.

Food and Drink

Little Havana's Café La Trova added another accolade to its collection this month with the recent release of The World's 50 Best Bars, an annual list celebrating the very best of the world's beverage industry.

Why it matters: Only eight bars in the U.S. made the cut this year, and just two of those are outside of New York City.

This is the second year the Cuban restaurant and bar from legendary cantinero Julio Cabrera and James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein has earned this distinction.

La Chancleta cocktail is really served on a sandal. Photo: Alexa Mencia/Axios

Background: Café La Trova opened in early 2019 with a party that drew local A-listers, and it's continued its streak as a Miami hot spot ever since.

Primetime dinner reservations are booked out weeks in advance.

Find a reservation (and even pick your exact table!) via Café La Trova's website.

Thought bubble: Café La Trova lives up to the hype. The Axios Miami team took me here while I was visiting from North Carolina, and the restaurant and bar gets everything right — from its rum-forward cocktails to addicting jamon serrano croquetas to its buzzing atmosphere with a live band.

an array of dishes of food at a restaurant in miami

Only about half of what we ordered, including the ceviche, two types of empanadas and the octopus. Photo: Emma Way/Axios

What to expect: Tucked across the street from a Dollar General and Taco Bell, the restaurant is cozy yet lively.

If you're waiting for a table, or you just enjoy sitting at the bar, this is the place to do it. I ordered the Periodista ($15) with rum, apricot liqueur, dry curacao, lime juice and pomegranate syrup.

For dinner, order a bit of everything to share. Our favorites were the aforementioned croquetas ($10), the Cuban sandwich empanadas ($10), the lechon sliders on focaccia from Sullivan Street Bakery ($14), and the ropa vieja ($26).

This isn't a good dinner spot for soft-spoken folks. You'll have to shout a little over the music and occasional cowbell celebrating birthdays, but we didn't mind one bit.

band playing to a dining room in a restaurant

The band going strong at 10pm on a Wednesday night. Photo: Emma Way/Axios

Details: Find Café La Trova at 971 SW 8th St. near East Little Havana.

On weekdays, it's open 4pm-12am. On Fridays and Saturdays, it's open 4pm-2am.

Miami's Café La Trova named a best bar in the world for second year

It lives up to the hype. Here's what to expect.

The bar was packed at 8pm on a Wednesday night. Photo: Emma Way/Axios

Florida

Little Havana&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Café La Trova" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cafelatrova.com/" data-vars-content-id="aab868c3-1a96-43af-917d-d8f34b34d092" data-vars-headline="Miami&#x27;s Café La Trova named a best bar in the world for second year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cafelatrova.com/" target="_blank">Café La Trova</a> added another accolade to its collection this month with the recent release of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The World&#x27;s 50 Best Bars" data-vars-click-url="https://www.worlds50bestbars.com/list/1-50" data-vars-content-id="aab868c3-1a96-43af-917d-d8f34b34d092" data-vars-headline="Miami&#x27;s Café La Trova named a best bar in the world for second year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.worlds50bestbars.com/list/1-50" target="_blank">The World&#x27;s 50 Best Bars</a>, an annual list celebrating the very best of the world&#x27;s beverage industry.Why it matters: Only eight bars in the U.S. made the cut this year, and just two of those are outside of New York City.

J Wakefield Brewing in Wynwood is designed for adults who are kids at heart — and who like a good craft beer.

What to expect: It's not your average brewery. Every wall is covered with Marvel and Star Wars art, and the menu is full of hyper-local and comic(al) puns, including a brown ale called 24th Street and a saison called Rainbow Road, a nod to the popular Mario Kart game.

What we tried: While Axios Local editors Emma Way and Alexa Mencia were in town, they tried Haterade, a seasonal Berliner weisse that genuinely tastes like Gatorade but better, and Tinker, a sour and funky IPA.

Details: J Wakefield Brewing is at 120 NW 24th St. It's open 12-11pm on Monday-Thursday, 12pm-1am on Friday-Saturday, and 12-10pm on Sunday.

Sip on Haterade at J Wakefield Brewing in Wynwood

The brewery's walls are covered with Marvel and Star Wars art, and the menu is full of hyper-local and comic(al) puns.

Two sour, red-tinted beers sit full on a metal bar in J Wakefield Brewing in Wynwood.

Tinker (left) and Haterade. Photo: Emma Way/Axios

Beer

J Wakefield Brewing in Wynwood is designed for adults who are kids at heart — and who like a good craft beer.What to expect: It&#x27;s not your average brewery. Every wall is covered with Marvel and Star Wars art, and the menu is full of hyper-local and comic(al) puns, including a brown ale called 24th Street and a saison called Rainbow Road, a nod to the popular Mario Kart game.

Emma Way

Featured stories

4 things I learned from my Art Basel group chat

Check out this cute Miami Beach hotel for $130 a night

Sip on Haterade at J Wakefield Brewing in Wynwood

Miami's Café La Trova named a best bar in the world for second year