OverviewOverlooking the Blue Lagoon, and located a 3-minute drive from the nearest Dolphin Expressway on-ramp, roughly a 5-minute drive from Miami International Airport (MIA), the Sofitel Miami is geared toward travellers who require a hotel with easy airport and highway access and on-site dining.
This hotel features air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a desk, a bathrobe fore each guest, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Standard rooms offer two queens or one king bed, while suites with a separate bedroom and wheelchair-accessible rooms are also available. Rooms are decorated in the Art-Deco style.
Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool, fitness facilities, a tennis court, a business centre, meeting/conference space, a bar, a coffee shop, a gift shop and guest laundry facilities.
A complimentary round-trip airport shuttle departs from the hotel every 30 minutes and must be pre-booked. On-site dining is offered at La Riviera, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. The Lobby Bar serves drinks daily between 11 am and 1 am.
Self-parking is $9 per night, and pets up to 30 lbs are permitted in some rooms free of charge.
Dolphin Mall is located about a 13-minute drive west of the hotel, while Miami Springs Golf and Country Club can be found roughly 15 minutes north by car. Cafe Polonia is about a 7-minute walk northeast of the hotel. Downtown Miami is an 11-minute drive eastward, and the University of Miami is a 15-minute drive south. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, self-parking, $9/day, free round-trip airport shuttle, pets up to 30 lbs stay free, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: June 7, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's staff, location and rooms.
Numerous lodgers praised the hotel's staff, finding them to be accommodating, helpful, friendly and professional. The staff were also praised for their recommendations and knowledge of the area.
The hotel's location was convenient for many reviewers, who described it as being close to the airport, Port of Miami, the freeway, shopping, downtown and several fast food restaurants.
Several guests were pleased with the hotel's accommodations. They described their rooms as clean, well equipped and spacious, with comfortable beds and nice views of the Blue Lagoon. It should be noted, however, that a few guests had complaints about their rooms (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few common complaints about the prices and the rooms.
Some guests felt the hotel's prices were too high. They complained about the hotel's prices for food and drinks, the extra parking fee and the charge for early check-in.
While the majority of guests praised their clean and comfortable rooms, a few reviewers were disappointed with aspects of their accommodations. They reported worn decor, stained carpets, old furniture and slow Wi-Fi signals.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #21 out of 130 Miami hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 1,424 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.2 out of 5 with an 87% recommendation rate from 1,315 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.4 out of 10 from 490 reviews.
The author called the hotel on June 7, 2013 to verify some information.
