Julius D.
Yelp
I've heard of this place before, have even passed it a time or two while in Miami but having never stayed there, I kept my expectations open. It is a really nice hotel, you can tell they didn't really skimp in the decorating aspect, or the amenities. This of course directly correlates to how much you'll spend to stay there but overall, it is worth the expense.
The wedding we were in Miami to attend was to take place at this hotel and since I was in it, my wife figured we should explore options for staying there. I think I'm like most people in that I just want somewhere comfortable to stay, but since my wife and I got together, I've learned to appreciate the finer things in life. I've no issues with chain hotels of a lesser bent, like Holiday Inn or Marriott, but my wife generally won't stay anywhere that has 'Inn' in the name, or is a large chain. What're you gonna do, right? So, I go along. BTW, I've never had cause to regret that moving forward.
So we ended up staying in one of the Jr. Suites on the top floor; "junior" in that they are dwarfed by the honeymoon suite on the same floor which takes up a good bit of real estate, as it should. Our suite was nicely appointed, with a great city view with downtown Miami and the Bay as a backdrop. Facing east, we got some glorious sunrises- I'm assuming because we didn't wake up to view them! But who doesn't love a sunrise in the summer from a beach location? The layout of the room was well thought out; the "main" bathroom, complete with rainforest showerhead was separate from the "water closet/powder room" - so that if you need to use the toilet, you wouldn't have to kick anyone out using the shower or sink. Some people don't care about that sort of thing, but it is something I've gotten used to as my master bathroom is similar in setup, and it is a setup I have come to not only appreciate, but look for in lodging wherever we happen to be traveling to. We ordered breakfast via room service our first morning there and it was made to order and very decent - and naturally overpriced but you're paying for the convenience and I've no problem with that. Our room had a private sundeck/patio with a table and chairs, and a couple of chaise lounges- we ended up doing a fair bit of partying out there; my parents were in the other Jr. Suite just down the hall and their patio setup was identical, though there room was larger, which was great- everyone congregated over there so we were able to hold onto our relative solitude! We stayed for 4 luxurious days- it was almost like a mini-vacation/family gathering and we enjoyed every bit of it. We did not partake of all of the amenities; I know my wife wanted to do a spa day with our eldest daughter, also in attendance for the wedding but that never got realized. But they did enjoy the pool and the semi-private beach behind the hotel.
This hotel is in North Beach, maybe a mile or so from the more popular South Beach, which we did end up spending some time in just to hang out.
All in all, I'll definitely stay here again next time we're in Miami- wife's orders, it is now our home away from home whenever we plan to be in Miami.