OverviewOverlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Miami's South Beach area, Loews Miami Beach Hotel is suitable for travellers who prefer a full-service hotel with on-site dining, a spa and direct beach access.
This smoke-free hotel has 790 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering cable TV, a CD player, a coffeemaker, a bathrobe for each guest, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Standard rooms offer one king bed and a sofabed or two double beds. Additional amenities such as a separate bedroom, a jetted tub, a kitchenette, a dining area, a fitness room and/or a wet bar are available in some rooms.
Wi-Fi is available in guest rooms at an additional $14.95 per 24 hours. Valet parking is available on site for $42.80 per night, while self-parking is available at a public lot across the street at an hourly rate. Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available upon request, and pets are permitted for $100 per pet, per stay.
On-site recreational amenities include children's activities, an outdoor, oceanfront pool and two hot tubs plus several water sport options. Fitness facilities are available and cost $10 per person, per day to access. There is also an on-site spa, business centre, meeting and banquet space and gift shops. This property provides direct access to the beach. Concierge staff are available to assist guests in planning their activities.
On-site dining is offered at Sushi SoBe (serving dinner daily), Preston's (serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily) and Nautilus Bar and Grill (serving snacks mid-morning to early evening, weather permitting). The hotel also offers a lounge, an ice cream parlour and a coffee shop. The lounge, Hemisphere, also provides nightly live entertainment.
Miami Beach Convention Center is about a 13-minute walk northwest of the hotel, while Lincoln Road Mall offers shopping 2 minutes away by car or 10 minutes from the hotel on foot. Miami Seaquarium is roughly a 25-minute drive south of the hotel, and Miami International Airport (MIA) is a 20-minute drive westward. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Wi-Fi $14.95, valet parking $42.80/day, pets permitted for $100/pet/stay, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: June 8, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's location, rooms and staff.
Many guests were pleased with the hotel's location, finding it to be close to Ocean Drive, Lincoln Road, restaurants, bars, shopping and highway access. One reviewer remarked, "Great place if you want to stay a bit away from the crowds but still close enough to walk to all the good restaurants and Miami South Beach life".
The hotel's accommodations were praised by numerous lodgers. They described their rooms as clean, spacious and well equipped, with comfortable beds and great ocean/city views.
Several reviewers were pleased with the level of customer service they received, characterizing the staff as friendly, helpful and professional.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were some common complaints about the cost and noise transfer.
Several guests found the hotel to be expensive. They were disappointed with the extra fees for in-room Wi-Fi, the fitness room, parking and the beach chairs/umbrellas. The cost of food and drinks and the restaurants and bars were also described as overpriced and expensive. Guests may want to check out the hotel's promotional packages, as some of them offer rates that include some of these amenities.
Noise transfer was complained about by some guests, especially during holiday weekends and special events taking place at the hotel. Noisy and drunken party guests were reported late at night and into the morning. Reviewers also reported hearing noisy guests in the hallways and adjacent rooms.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #28 out of 199 Miami Beach hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 2,124 reviews.
Hotels.com guest reviews rated the hotel 4.4 out of 5 from 579 reviews.
Expedia.com guest reviews rated the hotel 4.4 out of 5 with a 91% recommendation rate from 483 reviews.
The author called the hotel on June 8, 2013 to verify some information.
