Fair point.. coming down with 4-5 guys who all went to college together. We’re all 27-32 years old and not necessarily looking to take the cheapest route, but don’t need to break the bank completely.
so I’d say we would like to party a bit, eat and drink at places that make Miami the awesome city it is. Would like to see the special places of Miami/south Florida. Hope that helps a bit.
So, like poster above, I too would stay away from South Beach unless you're just dying to stay near the beach. There are lots of really nice hotels, but pricey; also plenty of pretty terrible AirBNBs. That said, I would definitely make a trip down there at least for a few hours just to say you did it.
In terms of where to stay, I think you're primarily looking at the Gables (near Miracle Mile), the Grove, or Brickell. All of these spots will have plenty of restaurants and bars walking distance from where you are. Not sure what the rates are now (might be pricey), but I'd narrow it down that way. If you want to be near water, strike the Gables from your list. Brickell likely has the most high-end bars and spots but you'll pay.
You can do a day trip to the Everglades. It's a nice drive once you pass the Miccousoukees. Plenty of places offer the airboat rides.
I'd also do a day trip to the Design District. Lots of really cool shops, art galleries, restaurants, rooftop bars. Make it out to the Wynwood Walls.
As far as eats, I'll just give you my list in no order or by locale:
Eating House (hip heavily-Miami influenced gastropub in the Gables)
Michael's Genuine
MC Kitchen
Edge at Four Seasons in Brickell
River Oyster Bar
Ariete
Red (if you want an over-the-top steak spot)
KYU
Mignonette (if you want some oysters in a casual spot)
Stubborn Seed (best restaurant in Miami IMO but pricey)
Bachour (brunch is really good)
Lucali for pizza
As far as cheap eats, Palacio de los Jugos. There are lots of good restaurants in town. If you pick a spot, we can likely narrow down some choices nearby.