first off, i’d like to say that we made do with what we had, and given the incredible location (walk right onto the beach, access to rooftop hangout area and pool, hot tub, tons of amazing bars and restaurants within walking distance, super nice staff) we had an amazing trip. however, the next guests could probably use a couple heads up…
- paid over $200 for a cleaning fee, but when we arrived, the floor was covered in sand and dust, the shower was obviously not wiped down or cleaned (there was hair in the shower before we even went in it), which would’ve been manageable if we hadn’t paid that much for cleaning services
- we got 6 towels, and no way to wash them, which for 5 girls for 7 days was kind of horrible — bring extra towels!!! (or buy at publix/walmart)
- there were no blankets on either of the pullout beds, which should’ve been a given, so we ended up having to use the ones we brought for the planes
- we also got one roll of toilet paper, which, again, 5 girls, 7 days, didn’t work out. when we asked the front desk for more, they were not kind. (cheap tip — grab toilet paper rolls from wherever u go)
- toaster was broken, but oven worked
- the shower wouldn’t turn on when we got there, fridge door was also broken and wouldn’t close and the top of the fridge wouldn’t stay cold. however, i called staysol the first day to get someone to fix the shower, and a man came right away. he only spoke spanish, but was super nice and helpful and tried for like an hour to fix the fridge but didn’t have the right parts so came back later. although we had pretty basic spanish skills and him english skills, we had a conversation with him and he told us some cool places to go and what to do in miami. (p.s. if you don’t have some basic spanish skills, hollywood/miami area might be somewhat difficult — uber/lyft drivers along with a lot of the staff and people you’ll encounter will speak mainly spanish)
now for the pros…
- overall, the people in this area were super nice and willing to help
- the security guards at the hotel!!!! we spoke with two , rafael and glauber, and they were extremely helpful and we had some great conversations. especially if you’re a group of young girls traveling alone like we were, this was the best we could’ve asked for. everytime we got in a late night uber (sometimes with some guys we’d met..lol) they watched us carefully and made us feel super safe.
- amazing location…broadwalk has a ton of chill restaurants and bars, and its like a 2 minute walk to margaritaville where they have live music wed-sun. some of our recommendations…
— Ocean Alley restaurant: literally right outside the hotel, pretty good food and a great view of the sunset, good margaritas and our waiter was hilarious
— TACO SHACK!!!! probably a 5 minute walk from the hotel. we went here like 4 times in our 7 day stay..literally. the most amazing food i’ve ever tasted, and they make their drinks strong. also live dj most nights, and we learned how to salsa dance with some of the staff! in general a super cute place too if you’re looking for that
— Margaritaville restaurant: not the greatest burger i’ve ever tasted, but the nachos were good and the place was pretty cool
— Giorgio’s Bakery and Bistro: you can literally sit right on the water in the bay and watch the yachts and sailboats…open early and a great place to start your day (or end ur night as we did lol) super peaceful and good food, strong coffee
— the coffee shop adjacent to the north tower (cant find the name but its right there) incredible iced coffee and good breakfast food, and absolutely the cutest place ever, like somewhere you’d catch an influencer
— Joe’s Market and the liquor store next door…joes had like minimal stuff but if you need something quick your best bet is to stop there first, also had a good selection of seltzers and 40oz that the liquor store didn’t have, liquor store was clean and had a pretty good selection, nice people
ultimately, if you’re super picky and demanding about your room and such, probably not your place to go. however, if you’re a more it is what it is make the best of it kind of person, this would be a good place. again, the location is completely unbeatable, and thats what we were really looking for. hopefully they’ll get some of the stuff fixed by the next stay, but take your chances!