AlwaysRollin Posted August 7, 2022 Report Share Posted August 7, 2022 Hi group, we're sailing on Explorer out of Miami later this year and was wondering what are your preferred hotels for convenience to the port? Miami is a large city, we are going to fly in the day before, but the priority in hotel choice is for ease of travel to the cruise port. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan79 Posted August 7, 2022 Report Share Posted August 7, 2022 InterContinental Miami. You could almost walk there, on-site Starbucks, plus an excellent restaurant/bar as well. Give it a whirl and you will send me a Christmas card. Kimpton EPIC is also a great place that I would recommend, but is a pain to get in and out of. AlwaysRollin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlohaLivin Posted August 7, 2022 Report Share Posted August 7, 2022 We like the Hilton Hampton Inns - Brickell is very nice and near great restaurants (Including the one right next door), but a longer walk to a grocery or drug store (although definitely doable for most people). The one at a blue lagoon is also nice and directly across the street from my Publix and a TJ Maxx (and a block from CVS). There is fast food close by, not a ton of great dining however. Both offer airport shuttles and reasonably priced shuttles to the port (around 10-12 pp). sammy79 and AlwaysRollin 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted August 7, 2022 Report Share Posted August 7, 2022 Definitely Intercontinental Miami. No other hotel beats this view. AlwaysRollin, Ryan79, Matt and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScooterScott22 Posted August 7, 2022 Report Share Posted August 7, 2022 There are quite a few options and most are fine but would depend on your preferences. How much do you want to spend, how long are you staying (when does your flight arrive, is it a short overnight), and do you belong to any loyalty programs are just a few thing to consider. I have stayed at quite a few places there for work and once for a cruise so I’ll share a few thoughts. If you are doing just an overnight, and especially with a later arrival, the blue lagoon area mentioned above is a pretty good option. It should be a little less $ than downtown, convenient to get to from the airport and has a few things like dining and shops nearby. In the morning taxi or Uber down the expressway to the port. The Hampton mentioned above is really decent and probably the best value compared to the others in the area. Downtown is a better option if you have a full day or even maybe up to two days. It is usually a little more but closer to the port and there are a few more things to do. Bayside marketplace and the park are a very easy walk and there are some other options for sightseeing. Most of the hotels in the downtown area have been around for a while. They have been kept up pretty well but most are definitely not brand new builds. More to the south of the port area, the intercontinental is probably the best choice, the Hyatt is a few blocks back and is another option as well as the JW. North of the port area is a Hilton, Doubletree and Marriott. Those three are actually all connected via a little mall (and a walkway from the Hilton). They overlook the port and that little mall area has some dining and shops if you don’t want or need to venture out too far. if you have more time or plan to stay for a while then Miami Beach or other areas might be more interesting and have more entertainment and dining options. Happy planning. sammy79 and AlwaysRollin 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlwaysRollin Posted August 9, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2022 On 8/7/2022 at 10:24 AM, ScooterScott22 said: There are quite a few options and most are fine but would depend on your preferences. How much do you want to spend, how long are you staying (when does your flight arrive, is it a short overnight), and do you belong to any loyalty programs are just a few thing to consider. I have stayed at quite a few places there for work and once for a cruise so I’ll share a few thoughts. If you are doing just an overnight, and especially with a later arrival, the blue lagoon area mentioned above is a pretty good option. It should be a little less $ than downtown, convenient to get to from the airport and has a few things like dining and shops nearby. In the morning taxi or Uber down the expressway to the port. The Hampton mentioned above is really decent and probably the best value compared to the others in the area. Downtown is a better option if you have a full day or even maybe up to two days. It is usually a little more but closer to the port and there are a few more things to do. Bayside marketplace and the park are a very easy walk and there are some other options for sightseeing. Most of the hotels in the downtown area have been around for a while. They have been kept up pretty well but most are definitely not brand new builds. More to the south of the port area, the intercontinental is probably the best choice, the Hyatt is a few blocks back and is another option as well as the JW. North of the port area is a Hilton, Doubletree and Marriott. Those three are actually all connected via a little mall (and a walkway from the Hilton). They overlook the port and that little mall area has some dining and shops if you don’t want or need to venture out too far. if you have more time or plan to stay for a while then Miami Beach or other areas might be more interesting and have more entertainment and dining options. Happy planning. Thanks for the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlwaysRollin Posted August 9, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2022 Another option that I'm actually learning of here on the forum is the idea of flying into Fort Lauderdale instead. We're coming from DC and non-stops on our preferred airline are insane at the moment, about $1500 for 2 of us, it's a bit more affordable to fly into FLL, but not sure if the cost and hassle of Uber'ing from Fort Lauderdale to the Port of Miami would offset the savings of staying there vs the convenience of being in Miami. We are flying in the day before and will likely prefer to travel mid day in order to allow us time to check in, go get some dinner, and come back and relax before heading to the port in the morning. Also, we typically stay at Marriott but I'm not limiting myself to that as this is only for 1 night. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScooterScott22 Posted August 9, 2022 Report Share Posted August 9, 2022 FLL is definitely an option and traffic should not be too bad at the time you described, but anything can happen with Miami traffic. Sorry I can’t comment on prices or options since I usually have a car. Will add that FLL is probably my least favorite airport out of some 200+ or so I have been to over the years. Think of it as a mini - LAX, with all of the headaches, but no break for being smaller. It Is doable but may not be the easiest. Personally I would factor in some of the hiccups and frustration for FLL into the equation but I am biased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenna Posted August 9, 2022 Report Share Posted August 9, 2022 On 8/6/2022 at 10:05 PM, Ryan79 said: InterContinental Miami. You could almost walk there, on-site Starbucks, plus an excellent restaurant/bar as well. Give it a whirl and you will send me a Christmas card. Kimpton EPIC is also a great place that I would recommend, but is a pain to get in and out of. We are booked for the Kimpton next month and I'm optimistic! Hopefully won't be too much of a pain since the plan is airport -> hotel -> port without having to go anywhere else thats not in walking distance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottD Posted August 9, 2022 Report Share Posted August 9, 2022 We are flying in a day early and staying a day after, so we booked near the airport for the day before- Clarion Inn Miami airport, free shuttle from Airport and apparently 10 bucks a person for a shuttle to the port in the morning. For the day we return, we decided to stay downtown, not far from the port at the YVES hotel. Seemed like a pretty cool location and the price was good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted August 9, 2022 Report Share Posted August 9, 2022 We have always stayed closer to the airport, most recently in the Blue Lagoon area, but prior to that in the hotels just north of the airport. We like the Blue Lagoon area better due to how close it is to the airport after a long day’s travel, and the proximity of Publix and some restaurants. In the interest of full disclosure, we aren’t doing anything more than staying the night before boarding the ship, so sightseeing and being a tourist isn’t a factor. AlohaLivin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan79 Posted August 9, 2022 Report Share Posted August 9, 2022 1 hour ago, Brenna said: We are booked for the Kimpton next month and I'm optimistic! Hopefully won't be too much of a pain since the plan is airport -> hotel -> port without having to go anywhere else thats not in walking distance. It’s an amazing hotel! Try to get a high floor with a balcony. The entrance area is very small and busy for cars and there is lots of people coming and going, but you should be fine. My wife and I went to Little Havana for dinner and our poor Lyft drivers had a miserable time picking us up and dropping us off. As long as you are not driving or doing a lot of back and forth from the hotel, don’t let what I said scare you off. Again, high floor and balcony!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenna Posted August 9, 2022 Report Share Posted August 9, 2022 Fingers crossed! Not sure when you went but it seems all their rooms have balconies now as that was the biggest selling point for us over the Intercontinental We've got a water view booked for 2 nights and plan on getting some snacks & booze and otherwise staying near the hotel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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