Miami Seaplane Base is not somewhere to look for lodging near in the usual sense - this small seaplane facility on Watson Island has no accommodation of its own, so the honest question is really where to stay in Miami, the city surrounding it.
Watson Island sits just off Downtown Miami, connected to the mainland by the MacArthur Causeway, which makes the seaplane base genuinely central rather than remote. From there, Downtown and Brickell offer the city's dense cluster of high-rise hotels, ranging from mid-range business stays to premium towers, walkable or a short ride from the causeway and well connected to the rest of the city by road and public transit. A few minutes further across the causeway, Miami Beach delivers the resort side of the city: a spread from smaller boutique-style stays to premium oceanfront properties, better suited to travelers prioritizing sand, nightlife, and the Art Deco district over skyline views.
On price tiers, Downtown and Brickell lean mid-range to premium with a business-city character, while Miami Beach spans a wider range from guesthouse-style boutique stays up to premium resorts, with pricing and availability shifting noticeably by season and event calendar.
Book well ahead for winter, roughly December through April, when snowbird and tourist demand peaks, and around major event weekends such as December's art fairs or the boat show, when both Downtown/Brickell and Miami Beach rooms fill fastest and rates climb accordingly.
Seasonally, Miami's hot, humid summers coincide with hurricane season, roughly June through November, while the milder, drier winter months draw the biggest crowds and the tightest lodging availability across the city. Either way, Watson Island's causeway location keeps both staying areas genuinely close at hand, whichever side of the city a trip is built around, and neither commute adds meaningful time to a typical Miami itinerary.