Corie A.
Yelp
1 Hotel South Beach markets itself very strongly as an environmentally-friendly, sustainable hotel, which would be amazing if it was true, however, after a week here, I've discovered it's just a lot of greenwashing - pretty marketing with not much substantive behind it.
The downsides: False advertising on the environmentally friendly bit. It's similar to every other South Beach resort, except with a blanket of "sustainability" marketing on top. There is a tremendous amount of single-use plastic and even if you ask for certain items to eat there (not to-go), you will still be served in a plastic container. Not only is the environmentally unfriendly, it is a bit much when you're paying $28 to get your over-priced greens in a plastic cup. The beach is covered in plastic cups, straws and plastic wrap. It's a micro plastic nightmare. To access the beaches you need wrist ties that are not recyclable or re-usable. Some containers are marked as "commercially compostable" but no composting is available so you have to throw them away and - newsflash! - commercially compostable materials don't compost in regular trash. The PlntShed advertises that it is "proudly straw free" and yet sits a large bucket o' straws within. few feet of the sign. If you're going to talk the talk, walk the walk, or just don't talk that talk. Some of the managers, such as Barak I., of the rooftop bar are unpolished, for lack of a better word, and seem like they'd be better off as bouncers at a strip club than managers at a luxury resort. Finally, even though they close a part of the beach for a few hours for the sea turtles to lay eggs, they then re-open the same spot, which is not safe for the eggs that were just laid. Again, talking the talk without walking the walk.
The upsides: Check in staff was lovely - courteous, professional and helpful. The overall decor is stunning and the rooms are lovely. The location cannot be beat although Collins Avenue has a plethora of luxury hotel options that are all quite similar, with various interesting nightlife options. The bars here are fabulous in terms of their creative cocktails but mixed in terms of the bartenders - some seem like they're quite unhappy to be there. The waitstaff, though, was 100% excellent with no waiter or waitress who wasn't absolutely attentive and pleasant. The gym, Anatomy, is marvelous. The machines are plentiful and kept in great repair. The group fitness classes are top notch. They also have some really great trainers there. 5 stars for the gym. Security is also very decent. Miami Police always seem to be close by and, when there were fights at the bars, security was always quick to respond. Also, the hotel is quite pet friendly. There were lots of adorable dogs and they were all well behaved. That part was very fun.
The middles: As noted above, the bartenders were a mixed bag: some great and some very grumpy. The manager of the hotel rooftop bar, Burak, is pretty trashy - it's a real trade off for pretty views but a seeming necessity for greased palms. Came off as low class. Clientele at the rooftop bar is also mixed - some fabulous fun nightlife nights and other really trashy evenings. Depends on the night you go. Housekeeping was generally quite good. The hotel is very busy during holidays and peak season so you may have to wait awhile for service sometimes, but it comes eventually. The beach is not as clean as I had expected but then again it was very busy so there was debris everywhere.
The SPA was middle of the road. If you just go for relaxation and only want light pressure, you will likely be happy; should you prefer a therapeutic massage, you might be disappointed. Tried two different massage therapists but had the same experience with both. A very light touch. It's a small space and fine but nothing special for the level of resort that this hotel is.
The FOOD is only ok. I would strongly advise going elsewhere for dining, especially for the price. Very processed, greasy, unhealthy overall, with the fruit and greens (healthier options) seemingly only available in single use plastic containers, which, if you're trying to avoid clogging your body with micro plastics, is not helpful. The bars, though, are good in terms of their cocktails.
In general, overpriced for what it was. Does not appear to service many locals. Mostly a foreign crowd.