An enterprising Indian tribe has built a full-service family resort and casino in south Florida.
Miccosukee Resort, Miami is an excellent destination for parents or grandtravelers interested in gaming while still vacationing with the grandkids. The outlying Florida Everglades provide a host of outdoor activities for young and old alike, including air boat tours, nature hikes, and Native American villages.
A project of the local Miccosukee Indian tribe, the resort itself feels half-Las Vegas, half-South Beach. The lavishly flamboyant purple-and-green interior resounds with the chirping of 1,700 video pull-tab slot machines and the general hum of gaming activity. All told, the gaming services include the pull-tab machines, 58 poker tables, lightning lotto, and Bingo halls (which really fill up on the weekends!)
And don’t worry about the kids being bored or left alone while the adults indulge. Club Egret, the children’s program, is open from 12pm to at least 1am every day (opens 9am weekends), and offers 8,500-square-feet of managed daycare to newborns through age 13. Kids club activities include nature hikes, water aerobics, and supervised indoor games including a ball pit (very popular with the kiddies), a large indoor playground, interactive video games, and arts/crafts time. At my visit, some parents had to drag their kids out, they were enjoying themselves so much. The cost of this service is very reasonable.
For older kids and teens, there’s a huge and colorful video arcade. They can also enjoy canoeing, kayaking, bird-watching, and biking tours, which can be arranged through the fitness center in the surrounding wilderness.
Other adult amenities include a large, indoor heated pool, Jacuzzi, spa (offering superb massages) and beauty salon, fitness center, ballroom, and excellent meeting and convention facilities. The resort also offers its guests a deli off to the side of the gaming facilities, a buffet-style restaurant, martini bar, and an exquisitely exotic fine-dining restaurant which offers great service and some authentic Native American dishes.
Shuttles to local cultural sites including the nearby Miccosukee Indian Village and Museum (located at Mile Marker 70, US 41 Tamiami Trail in Miami), a monument to the courage and resilience of one of America’s smallest surviving Native American tribes, are also provided, as well as service to nearby malls. While Hurricane Irene spoiled most chances this reporter had to experience the outdoors, the opportunity to enjoy the beauty and observe the diverse wildlife of the Everglade’s swamplands should be exploited.
Resort accommodations include 46 one- and two-bedroom suites (recommended for families) and 302 deluxe guest rooms. All come complete with TV, in-room movies, Playstation, modem connection, and mini bar.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
