Leia R.
Google
We were extremely disappointed with our stay at Circa 1939, and unfortunately, I cannot recommend this hotel based on our experience.
We had just gotten off our cruise ship, exhausted and hoping to check our bags and possibly do an early check-in. We understood that early check-in isn’t guaranteed, but we were told they would notify us when the room was ready. Since nothing nearby was walkable and the weather was cold and overcast — definitely not beach weather — we took an Uber to a mall in South Beach for a couple of hours.
We never received any notification from the hotel, so we came back around 1:30 p.m. to check in, even offering to pay an early check-in fee. Instead of any explanation (short staffing? late checkouts?), we were simply told to sit by the pool and wait. There was barely any lobby seating — another group was also waiting — and while the pool area is cute, it was LOUD due to traffic and nearby construction.
Over the next three hours, more and more guests came in experiencing the same issue, which tells me this isn’t a one-off situation but an ongoing problem with their operations and customer service.
We were not allowed into our room until 4:01 p.m. — no apology, no courtesy, no acknowledgement of the inconvenience. Just keys handed over after hours of waiting.
While the hotel itself has some dated charm, the lack of hospitality made every flaw more noticeable. Parts of the room were poorly maintained — the bottom of our bathroom door looked chewed up — and overall the space felt far from what you’d expect from an IHG property.
If even the slightest effort had been made to make us feel welcome or to apologize for the delay, I wouldn’t be writing this review. But this was genuinely one of the worst experiences I’ve had with an IHG hotel. Even the budget brands manage basic customer service better than this.
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend staying at Circa 1939 based on this experience.