It’s no secret that the 50 United States of America have a wealth of attractions for visitors. Here we present a varied itinerary of three must-see American cities: New York, Orlando and Miami.
New York
Manhattan is undoubtedly New York’s most famous district, renowned for its skyscrapers, bustling urban streets and cultural riches. To really soak up its unique atmosphere, what better than your own two feet to get around.
Look for hotels in New York that are central. This way you can explore much of the city without the need for transport. Right next door to Bryant Park, the Pestana Park Avenue hotel is about 10 minutes from cinematic landmarks, such as the Empire State Building and Grand Central Station, which has been the scene of countless goodbyes and rendezvous over the years. Meanwhile, the CR7 Times Square hotel is a stone’s throw from Times Square, as well as Broadway and Rockefeller Centre.
If you want to get a feel for the city’s cultural scene, start by visiting its best-known museums, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Solomon R. Guggenheim and the Whitney Museum of American Art. The next step could entail jazz clubs, stand-up comedy shows, theatres and the varied nightlife of a city that is known to never sleep.
Make sure you give yourself a day or two to visit the neighbourhoods of Harlem, Brooklyn and Williamsburg, as well as the Coney Island peninsula, south of Brooklyn, which is famous for its amusement park.
Orlando
Located in the state of Florida, the city of Orlando is a well-known tourist destination, renowned for its many theme parks. To get the complete experience, choose a hotel in Orlando with a strategic location that allows you to move between the downtown area and the major attractions around it. Knowing this, the Pestana Orlando Suites Lake Buena Vista certainly fits the bill: Disney and SeaWorld are around five kilometres away, while Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios are just ten.
Enjoy the world-famous theme parks, which include Walt Disney World (home to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom) and Universal Orlando Resort (divided among Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay). Don’t forget you can also visit the Kennedy Space Centre, SeaWorld and Gatorland, the latter being the perfect spot to discover Florida’s wildlife through a variety of thrilling shows and (very) close encounters with the local fauna.
In addition to maximum fun, Orlando boasts a rich gastronomy that reflects the city’s multicultural population. Check out the restaurants in the Thornton Park and Mills 50 neighbourhoods to get a real feel for the strong Latin, Cuban, Caribbean and Asian influences throughout the city. Don’t forget the food trucks, where you can find contemporary chefs experimenting with local and international culinary concepts.
Miami
Cosmopolitan, multicultural and facing the sea, Miami offers a perfect combination of beach and city. Located in the heart of Miami Beach, the Pestana South Beach Miami hotel is just five minutes from South Beach and a mere nine minutes from Lincoln Road, the famous open-air shopping centre.
Discover the classic American beach atmosphere on the nearby sands, enjoy a stroll along the iconic Ocean Drive and explore the Art Deco neighbourhood near your Miami hotel in South Beach. Known for its colourful buildings, the unique architecture reflects the timeless nature of the city’s glamour.
One of Miami’s more artistic and cultural areas is Wynwood Walls, which is rivalled by other great museums, such as the Pérez Art Museum Miami (contemporary art), The Wolfsonian-FIU (19th and 20th-century design, decorative arts and propaganda) and the HistoryMiami Museum (which tells the story of the city, as well as the state of Florida).
If still hungry after this feast of art, make your way to nearby South Beach’s trendiest restaurants and bars, many of them on the seafront.
American road trip
Get inspired by this itinerary through three unmissable American cities.