Sabrina B.
Yelp
This review is delayed by several months. I wanted to take my time writing it because the hotel and the staff made our stay incredible.
Due to a family emergency, I looked online for a room in Miami Beach the day before arriving. My brother and wife and I were headed down last minute to visit my father in the hospital. My brother is tall so I wanted to find at least a queen bed for him at a reasonable price.
When this showed King beds (double Kings in our case) it was a no brainer. Truth be told, I didn't even look at pictures. I saw the address, the distance to the hospital, the bed size and booked it!
After a long day of travel, we pulled up in one of the short term spots near the entry and I headed to the front desk to check in. I saw the message on the window of the entry door and giggled to myself - nice touch. Stepping into the lobby I was immediately greeted by it's charm. Tasteful, comfortable decor. Great use of space. The desk clerk, Angel, was extremely friendly. Asking what brought us to Miami I answered, mumbling and emotional, that my father was in the hospital up the street. Angel immediately expressed concern and well wishes. He also offered to help with anything we needed - just to ask. I was quite emotional, as we had not been to the hospital to see my Dad yet, and simply said thank you and headed to the room.
We settled our items in the room and I loved the space and decor. The decor is minimal but extremely tasteful. Everything about the decor and signage and well, everything, is truly tongue in cheek. My brother, wife and I are quite sarcastic, snarky humored folks so this was a perfect fit for us.
Amidst the depth and gravity of the reason for the trip everything about this hotel was perfect. We were physically comfortable in the comfy beds, spacious room, meticulously clean and appointed room... but we were emotionally comfortable too.
Many times, amongst my travels, I am concerned about acceptance being a gay woman dressed in characteristically masculine attire. I felt so at ease here. Smiles. Kind greetings. Acceptance.
With so much stress and emotional chaos due to my fathers health, stepping back to the hotel after being at the hospital all day was a breath of fresh air and a warm hug.
Several nights we stepped down to the bar to grab a drink and take a break. The first night we headed to the bar my brother and I met Robbie, the bartender. Robbie asked what brought us to the bar and we said we were guests of the hotel. He immediately said he knew why we were there, he was sorry and the drinks were on the hotel. What? Why? The owners were told by Angel why were visiting and wanted to make us comfortable.
So much emotion. So much kindness.
It may sound simple, but a cocktail is not just a cocktail when it comes with a dose of kindness and empathy. Especially when my emotions were at a raging high!
A few nights later there was a trivia night downstairs at the bar so we went down for some laughs and fun. I learned Alex, one of the owners, was hosting / DJing the event. During a break, I stepped up to thank him for his kindness - both of he and his staff. He was so kind and receptive and continued with the well wishes and reminders they were available to help with anything.
If you need a place to stay - you can stay anywhere.
If you want a place to relax and feel genuine acceptance and comfort - you stay here.
The messages on the shampoo and conditioner. The first aid kit in the room. The rabbit masks. Those are constant sources of entertainment and hilarity.
The people, the rooms, the vibe - those are constant sources of comfort and acceptance.
5 Stars will never be enough to say thank you for being exactly what I needed - even though I didn't know I needed that from a hotel. It was like staying with friends and I will be back to visit my friends again, as soon as possible.