BUILDING REVIEW: I was nervous about staying here after reading the reviews of others that had stayed in this building (not this particular unit). The elevators can be a pain but the wait wasn’t nearly as long as some reviewers had indicated. There are definitely certain times of the day where the wait is longer but no where near the times that were stated in other reviews. The lobby staff were all very friendly and helpful. The valet service was slick and handy. Other reviews complained of the beach chair/umbrellas being too far away from the building. False. It’s less than a 5 minute walk.
LOCATION REVIEW: The location felt very safe. The building has lots of security. Even the beach area which had public access felt very safe and was very clean. There is a 7-11 right across the street to grab some essentials as well as a gift shop onsite which was handy since the airline put our luggage on a different plane.
I thought I was booking a location near South Beach/Miami. Whoops, my fault. It would have been handier for us to fly into Ft Lauderdale instead of Miami. It’s a lengthy commute from the Miami airport and the traffic sucks!
There is a Walmart close by if you need to do a larger grocery/supply shopping trip.
AMENITIES REVIEW: as mentioned earlier, valet service was clutch. Loved the extras like beach chair/umbrella service and towel service at the pool. Gift shop saved us when airline sent our luggage elsewhere. Didn’t use the salon/spa but it looked nice. We used the gym daily and we were appreciative of that amenity. It is pretty spacious compared to hotel gyms. Free weights, kettle bells, smith machine, cardio equipment and more. The pool deck is beautiful but the spots fill up fast so you need to get there early.
Two restaurants onsite but we’re vegan so neither had options for us. One of the restaurants has a pool bar with a great happy hour though! Coffee shop in the lobby.
UNIT REVIEW: pictures are accurate. The view from the unit is breathtaking. You have both city view and ocean view. Beds were clean and so comfortable. Bathrooms are spacious. Kitchen has all of the basics you need to prepare some basic meals like spaghetti, tacos, etc. Has a k-cup coffee maker, ice maker in the freezer, dishwasher, microwave, toaster, washer/dryer, hair dryers.
We had no issues and no complaints.