OverviewLocated about a 15-minute drive from Miami International Airport (MIA) and a 3-minute drive from the nearest Highway 836 on-ramp, the Holiday Inn Miami Doral is suitable for car and air travellers who require a hotel with easy highway access and a free airport shuttle.
This hotel has 120 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a desk, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Standard rooms offer one king or two double beds, while rooms with a separate living area, sofabed and a dining area are also available. Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available upon request. Both smoking and non-smoking rooms are available.
The hotel also offers an outdoor pool, a fitness centre, a business centre, meeting/conference space, a lounge, barbecue facilities, a gift shop, guest laundry and free parking. There is also a recreation and sports court on site.
A free round-trip airport shuttle departs the hotel every hour on the hour daily from 6 am to 11 pm. On-site dining is available at Changes Cafe, which serves breakfast and dinner daily. Pets are not permitted.
Miami International Mall is about a 9-minute drive southeast, while downtown Miami can be found 20 minutes eastward by car. The Miami Metro Zoo is roughly a 25-minute drive south of the hotel, and South Beach is a 25-minute drive east. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: July 1, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with praise going to the hotel's staff, rooms and location.
Numerous reviewers were pleased with the level of customer service they received, characterizing the staff as helpful, friendly and accommodating.
The hotel's accommodations were praised by many guests. They described their rooms as clean, modern, spacious, well maintained and quiet, with comfortable beds. It should be noted, however, that some reviewers had complaints about their rooms (see below).
Several lodgers enjoyed the hotel's location. They found it to be close to the airport, restaurants, highway access, shopping and a grocery store. A few guests did find it to be farther from the airport than anticipated, however.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were some common complaints about the rooms, noise transfer and airport shuttle.
While the majority of guests were pleased with their clean and comfortable accommodations, some reviewers had complaints about their rooms. They reported worn and dated decor, musty smells and no mini-fridge or microwave in the rooms.
Noise disruptions were mentioned by a few lodgers. They complained of noise from guests in the hallways, as well as noise from the restaurant next door and noisy in-room air-conditioning units.
A few guests were disappointed with the free airport shuttle's frequency and hours. They felt the shuttle should run more frequently than once an hour, and also found the 6 am start to be too late.
Expedia.com guest reviews rated the hotel 3.5 out of 5 with a 73% recommendation rate from 93 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #85 of 131 Miami hotels with an average rating of 3 out of 5 from 139 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 6.8 out of 10 from 34 reviews.
The author called the hotel on July 1, 2013 to verify some information.
