On Your Own on South Beach

The rooms are relatively small, but very clean with comfortable beds. That's really all you need because you will not spend much time in your room anyway.

The best highlight of the hotel is the social scene for people traveling alone. The free drinks at the bar draw out a diverse group of guests, and before long, it turns into a party.

You cannot beat the location either. The hotel is an easy block from the beach. You will walk past many of the hot spots and restaurants of South Beach as you explore the area.

If you can forgive a few eccentricities, you will want to stay here again and again.

This place is a trip. Great pizza served by super models 24 hours a day. They cut fresh, hot pies behind the glass, and you pick your slice as you go through the line. Fast, cheap, and delicious - what more do you want?

Walk to the News Cafe from your hotel for a comfortable and relaxed breakfast. You can see the last of the late night clubbers scurry past squinting at the sun, while the morning tourists start to poke their heads out for the day.

This is a great place to kick back, read the paper, and enjoy a tasty breakfast. You can take your time and no one will rush you out the door. I love to sit by the sidewalk and look over the top of my newspaper to watch the people go by while I sip my coffee refills.

Good price, good breakfast. Great place for a bloody mary too.

I stayed at the Whitelaw Hotel a block away and received my scuba certification over the weekend with South Beach Divers. My class included students from five nations, with a good mix of singles and couples.

This small operation will teach you what you need to know and give you a good time in the process. I felt connected to the South Beach community walking from my hotel to the dive shop. It was a terrific weekend.

The dive shop is small with limited retail, but the equipment included with the certification class is modern and well kept. You will have to travel to the dive sites. If you are from outside the area, you will be pleased with the locations.

How often do you travel on business and end up watching Jay Leno in a box shaped hotel near the airport? It happens too often to me, so a couple of weeks ago I decided to have some fun.

I exited I95 on I395 Eastbound and headed out to South Beach. I turned left on Collins avenue and within 10 minutes of leaving the highway, I was in the middle of South Beach.

I had stayed in the area before, and I knew about a group of hotels on Collins Avenue that are operated by the same owner. The Whitelaw is the best of them. I called and asked for a walk-in rate and before I knew it, I was in the small elevator heading for my room.

This was the start of the best business weekend of my entire career. I ended up with some new friends, some great memories, and a scuba certification.

Sure beats Jay Leno.