Where a Working Trip Can Seem Like Pleasure for Those in Winter's Grip

www.nytimes.com By MARCI ALBOHER NUSBAUM

eing sent to Miami on business is usually a lot more like pleasure, especially when the rest of the country is enduring the big chill.

But brush up on your Spanish. Some frequent visitors say they have trouble even getting around the airport without a smattering of the language. And do not assume most Latinos in Miami are Cuban. While the Cuban population has the deepest roots and most political power, an influx of immigrants from Paraguay, Venezuela, Columbia and Mexico has brought the number of non-Cuban Hispanics almost equal to the number of those of Cuban ancestry.

AIRPORT

If your business has anything to do with Latin America, you can't avoid MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, which ranks third in the United States for international traffic. With only one terminal and an alphabet of concourses to navigate, make sure to leave ample time to get around, especially if you have a connecting flight. Built in 1959, when the traffic was 4.2 million passengers a year, compared with 31 million in 2002, the infrastructure has grown creaky. Advertisement

But there is hope. A $4.8 billion construction project is under way, and already two concourses have been transformed into sun-drenched, airy spaces with terrazzo floors embedded with shimmering brass inlays. And a new food court with a California Pizza Kitchen has won praise from business travelers grateful for a break from fried fare.

HOTELS

With refurbished Art Deco gems sprouting like mushrooms in South Beach, arguably the most chic stretch of beach in the country, deciding which one to book isn't easy. Monique Skruzny, senior vice president for investor relations at AOL Latin America, says the NATIONAL (800-550-0505, from $189) is a standout.

"While the SHORE CLUB or DELANO may win points for hipness, I prefer the home-away-from-home feel of the National, where I know I'm going to see the same faces at the front desk each time I visit," she said. Special touches abound, like free homemade strawberry-flavored lemonade at check-in, free Internet service in the lobby cafe and $9-to-$12 meals for the return flight home. Ms. Skruzny also recommends the wine club. "For $20 you can mingle with an international beach set of upscale professionals," she said.

One reason to venture away from the beach is the posh MANDARIN ORIENTAL on Brickell Key (305-913-8288, $250) in downtown Miami. The Mandarin's spa takes pampering seriously. Ask about booking one of the private spa suites with their whirlpool tubs, spa cuisine meals and indulgent treatments. AZUL (305-913-8254, $145 for dinner for two with tip and wine), the hotel's waterfront restaurant with its star chef, Michelle Bernstein, is a local favorite. If that is beyond your budget, the CAFE SAMBAL (305-913-8251, $80), the hotel's more moderate restaurant, lets you enjoy the Mandarin's ambience at a fraction of the price.

RESTAURANTS

When Joaquin F. Blaya, the chief executive of Radio Unica, the only Spanish-language radio network in the United States, entertains advertisers or bankers, he takes them to LA DORADA (305-446-2002, $100), known for its imported seafood. La Dorada's general manager, Beatrice Bajares, says the fish is hand-selected daily at the port in Malaga, Spain, and flown directly to Miami. "My guy calls me from the port each morning at 5:30 and I tell him what I want," she said.

For a more casual meal, try JERRY'S DELI (305-532-8030), a New York-style deli, open round the clock, with more than 500 menu choices ranging from standard deli fare to what Jerry's calls "high-energy California cuisine."

According to Tara Gilani, a local media personality known as "the trend tracker," Miami's elite — from politicians to fashion models — has made the PALM (305-868-7256, $150) in Coral Gables their haunt. "You know you've made it in Miami if your caricature is on the wall of the Palm," she said.

If you've just been promoted or are closing a big deal, Ms. Skruzy suggests NORMAN'S (305-446-6767, $150). For a more intimate setting, she likes ORTANIQUE (305-446-7710, $140) in Coral Cables with its "spectacular Caribbean food."

ON YOUR OWN

With 15 miles of sand, one pastime is obvious. But Miami has also developed a serious art scene. Two collections worth a visit are the BASS MUSEUM OF ART (305-673-7530) and the WOLFSONIAN-FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY gallery (305-531-1001), both in South Beach.

NIGHT LIFE

In a town where even Janet Reno has been spotted at trendy clubs, there is no excuse to turn in after dinner. For celebrity sightings, from Bill Clinton to Britney Spears, the place to be is LEVEL (305-532-1525, $20 cover charge), which Ms. Gilani calls a "banging disco palace, a huge cavernous place, but with enough nooks and crannies that good people can do bad things."

If exclusivity is the aim, then she would recommend MYNT (786-276-6132, $20 cover charge) "It's small and chic and hard to get into, like all good lounges should be," she said.