Budget travelers face post-boom reality

A Wall Street Journal test trip to Miami Beach this week found that $1,000 still buys an oceanfront mini-break—but only if visitors make sharp choices on lodging, transport and food. Reporters booked a shoulder-season room at a smaller hotel north of South Beach, used bike rentals instead of ride-hailing and hunted for weekday dining specials to stay under budget. Even so, taxes, resort fees and higher menu prices after the tourism boom of the mid-2020s ate into the allowance faster than expected. The paper found that the quickest way to blow past $1,000 was to prioritize location over flexibility: big-name beachfront properties now tack on charges for everything from pool chairs to “wellness access.”

The piece underscores a wider travel trend: destination prices have come off their 2023 peaks, but cities that invested heavily in restaurants, art districts and convention space are keeping rates elevated. For Miami, a wave of luxury openings and nonstop flights from Latin America mean the city no longer feels obliged to chase bargain hunters.

What smart travelers are doing instead

Locals and budget experts told the Journal that visitors should shift their spending to what the city does best—sun, architecture walks, Cuban and Caribbean food—while trimming back on nights in pricey clubs. Staying a block or two inland can shave hundreds of dollars over three days, especially when paired with Miami-Dade’s expanded trolley routes. Travelers are also leaning on booking sites that bundle hotel and airport transfers, then using saved cash for one “marquee” experience such as a boat tour or a meal in Little Havana. The takeaway is clear: Miami Beach is still doable on four figures, but spontaneity is what costs money now.