Where to stay in Miami

[KimV]

Looking for hotel ideas either by the port or by the airport.  Which location did you like best?  What are the best hotels at a decent rate that are clean and well maintained?

[Ryan79]

Intercontinental Miami hands down

[Traveling Mike]

its not a hotel and you have to carry your bags up some stairs but it is the right price for a good bed and shower.   I stayed at this AirBnB and it was half way from the airport and port.  I just took a Uber to the room and one to the port.  Was much less than the $300 they wanted for a hotel room in February.

Airbnb: Vacation Rentals, Cabins, Beach Houses, Unique Homes & Experiences

[Seafarer]

We stayed at the Hampton Inn Brickell last Feb and would recommend it. Arrived at 9am and was able to check-in. Walked around Brickell Key for a couple of hours.

Did run into some problems getting to the port due to the Marathon. So next year we are staying at the Homewood Suites Blue Lagoon, as luck would have it the marathon is scheduled. It's an expressway ride to the port from there, plus we're arriving in mid-day.

[Bob Burd]

4 hours ago, KimV said:

Looking for hotel ideas either by the port or by the airport.  Which location did you like best?  What are the best hotels at a decent rate that are clean and well maintained?

I was just looking for an answer to this question and you beat me to creating the post.  if I can add, is there any with free parking or free shuttle to the port?

[Happy Cruisers]

We stayed at the Kimpton Epic August 18-20.  Location relative to Port Miami is outstanding, but I have another thread on this forum where I was a bit critical of that Kimpton overall.  If you can get it at the right price (whatever that may be to you), it's fine for an overnight.  My quibbles were with service standards, not cleanliness. 

Next time, I'd probably stay at the Intercontinental (as @Ryan79 suggested) if I were looking to be close to port.  

BTW, I've learned from experience that the delta between the cost of a midrange hotel (e.g., Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn, etc.) and the cost of a full service hotel (e.g., Kimpton, Intercontinental) can be relatively negligible in south Florida around a cruise date.  I'm a frugal guy by nature, but sometimes ponying up the extra few bucks to move up to a full service hotel has been a good decision.  I'm sure others have differing experiences, that's only mine and is offered as fodder for consideration as you shop for hotels. 

[AshleyDillo]

1 hour ago, Bob Burd said:

I was just looking for an answer to this question and you beat me to creating the post.  if I can add, is there any with free parking or free shuttle to the port?

One with free parking is Comfort Suites Miami Airport North. They have a shuttle to the port as well, but not back to the hotel. I prefer to do my own ride to the port and not be on the shuttle's timeline.

[Kathleen]

We’ve stayed at the Hyatt Miami. Nice location and about a 10 minute Uber ride to the port. We love walking around the area around the hotel. 

[Xtentions]

We will be in the Courtyard Miami Brikell area for both our Nov and Jan cruises out of Miami.  Never stayed there but is close to the port and only costing me Marriott points

[Hutcherl]

10 hours ago, Traveling Mike said:

its not a hotel and you have to carry your bags up some stairs but it is the right price for a good bed and shower.   I stayed at this AirBnB and it was half way from the airport and port.  I just took a Uber to the room and one to the port.  Was much less than the $300 they wanted for a hotel room in February.

Airbnb: Vacation Rentals, Cabins, Beach Houses, Unique Homes & Experiences

I'll be traveling with a group.  Do you know if there are multiple rooms available or was it only one room? 

[KimV]

On 9/21/2022 at 11:06 AM, Traveling Mike said:

its not a hotel and you have to carry your bags up some stairs but it is the right price for a good bed and shower.   I stayed at this AirBnB and it was half way from the airport and port.  I just took a Uber to the room and one to the port.  Was much less than the $300 they wanted for a hotel room in February.

Airbnb: Vacation Rentals, Cabins, Beach Houses, Unique Homes & Experiences

We have looked at an Airbnb but the check in times do seem to be until 4 PM...we arrive in Florida at 10 AM....not sure what to do with our luggage during that time.

[KimV]

On 9/21/2022 at 12:28 PM, Seafarer said:

We stayed at the Hampton Inn Brickell last Feb and would recommend it. Arrived at 9am and was able to check-in. Walked around Brickell Key for a couple of hours.

Did run into some problems getting to the port due to the Marathon. So next year we are staying at the Homewood Suites Blue Lagoon, as luck would have it the marathon is scheduled. It's an expressway ride to the port from there, plus we're arriving in mid-day.

We stayed there in February 2020 (right before the world shut down) and had a wonderful experience.  However, pricing is now pushing $500 for one night...hard to justify spending that kind of money for one night.

[Traveling Mike]

On 9/22/2022 at 11:37 AM, KimV said:

We have looked at an Airbnb but the check in times do seem to be until 4 PM...we arrive in Florida at 10 AM....not sure what to do with our luggage during that time.

Most of the time I have found Airbnb people willing to work with you.  The one I used in Fort Lauderdale picked me up at the airport and then took me to the port the next day for a small fee.  I have had ones let me come to the house early before check-in and hang out and watch TV until the room was ready.  You never know what they are willing to do until you ask.

[Traveling Mike]

On 9/21/2022 at 5:59 PM, Hutcherl said:

I'll be traveling with a group.  Do you know if there are multiple rooms available or was it only one room? 

The one with the link I supplied was multiple rooms.  When I was there, I had one room and another group of young people had the other 5 rooms.  I liked this place because it is separate than the owner's house.  It was just a bedroom, two shared bathrooms, a setting room and a kitchenette.  The only issue was it was on the second floor and you had to carry your luggage up the stairs.

[AlohaLivin]

We most  often stay at the Hilton Hampton Inn at Blue Lagoon since they are so friendly and there is a free airport shuttle (plus it is only 10pp for the shuttle to the port). Their Brickell property is also very nice (although pricier and further from the port). But for our post Thanksgiving B2B this year we have lost our minds and have booked an oceanview room at the InterContinental Miami (since we will fly in this time 2 days prior and wanted something a bit nicer for the longer stay). 

[Mike n Ky]

We have stayed at the Staybridge Suites at the Miami airport and it was reasonable, but it really depends on when you are going as rates vary so much in Florida depending on the season. That said, if you are getting there that early and don't want to spend the day in the hotel airport hotels aren't near anything.

[markinct]

3 hours ago, AlohaLivin said:

We most  often stay at the Hilton Hampton Inn at Blue Lagoon since they are so friendly and there is a free airport shuttle (plus it is only 10pp for the shuttle to the port). Their Brickell property is also very nice (although pricier and further from the port). But for our post Thanksgiving B2B this year we have lost our minds and have booked an oceanview room at the InterContinental Miami (since we will fly in this time 2 days prior and wanted something a bit nicer for the longer stay). 

We stayed at the PanPacific in Vancouver the night before our Alaska cruise. There is definitely something to be said for a pre-cruise splurge for a hotel. Your vacation starts when you leave your house, why not enjoy the time before you board?

[AlohaLivin]

1 hour ago, markinct said:

PanPacific in Vancouver

We have stayed there before our Alaska cruise in 2018, a splurge indeed. But we also stayed in a 2 BR suite at the Landis afterwards for a week and it was amazing (and ideally located for that very walkable city!)