OverviewLocated about a 3-minute drive from the Miami Convention Center and a 3-minute walk from the beach, the South Beach Hotel is suitable for travellers who prefer a centrally located boutique-style hotel with easy beach access and extended kitchen amenities.
This smoke-free hotel has 51 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a desk, a hair dryer and an iron and ironing board. This hotel is Art Deco-style, and guest rooms boast a minimalist feel.
Standard rooms offer two double beds or one king bed, while rooms with a mini-fridge, a kitchenette, a dining area, a jetted tub and a living area with a sofabed are also available. Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available upon request.
The hotel also offers a sun terrace, 24-hour front desk service and an elevator. Charles St. Bistro is located around the corner, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, and will deliver to guest rooms. Pets are not permitted. There is public parking nearby, about a block away, for about $45 per night. A $6 resort fee will be charged to each room.
Downtown Miami is roughly a 20-minute drive west of the hotel, while Lincoln Road Mall can be found 4 minutes away on foot. Miami Beach Botanical Garden is a 10-minute walk westward and Miami International Airport (MIA) is about a 20-minute drive west. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, no on-site parking, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: July 3, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with praise going to the hotel's location, rooms and value.
Many guests were pleased with the hotel's location. They described it as central, and close to the beach, shopping, Lincoln Road, Ocean Drive, restaurants, nightclubs and a supermarket.
The hotel's accommodations were complimented by numerous lodgers. They described their rooms as clean, spacious and modern, with beautiful ocean views. It should be noted, however, that a few guests were disappointed with aspects of their rooms (see below).
Several reviewers thought the hotel provided good value, describing the rates as affordable and very good, especially for its South Beach location.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were some common complaints about the parking, the staff, the rooms and noise transfer.
Some lodgers were disappointed there was no on-site parking, although there is a parking lot within a block of the hotel and street parking available. They described the parking lot's fees as expensive (around $45 per night), and reported that street parking was not always available or available for limited hours.
While some guests found the hotel's staff to be friendly and attentive, the majority of reviewers reported poor customer service. They characterized the staff as rude, inattentive, unfriendly, unhelpful and slow.
Although the majority of reviewers were pleased with their clean and spacious rooms, a few guests had complaints. They reported inefficient air conditioning, poor Wi-Fi signals and no fridge or coffeemaker in their rooms.
Noise transfer was mentioned by a few guests, who reported street noise, plumbing noise and noise from guests in adjacent rooms and rooms overhead.
Expedia.com guest reviews rated the hotel 3.7 out of 5 with an 84% recommendation rate from 199 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 7.1 out of 10 from 157 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #144 of 199 Miami Beach hotels with an average rating of 3 out of 5 from 55 reviews.
The author called the hotel on July 3, 2013 to verify some information.