Help me stay in Miami for cheap

[CrimsonCruiser]

Hi friends,

It's been a while since we've left out of Miami and the airbnb we last stayed it apparently no longer exists.

So I've come to pick the collective's brain.

Please give me your Miami stays that TOTAL around $130 a night (so probably around $115 before taxes). We don't need much; comfy beds, clean rooms, free airport shuttle and some kind of breakfast. A plus would be walking distance (aka 10 minutes) to a Walgreens or the like.

If you don't have suggestions, I also come seeking reviews for:

• Staybridge Suites at Miami Airport
• Ramada Miami Springs
• Best Western Plus Miami Executive Airport Hotel & Suites

As always - many thanks!

 

(PS, I do also have some Airbnb's on deck but I know squat about Miami areas and would hate to end up in a bad one)

[Matt]

I would like at Priceline Express Deals.

@JennaRCB outlined the strategy I use here: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/02/27/8-easy-strategies-i-used-royal-caribbean-cruise-save-money

[smokeybandit]

Sleep on the beach.  Hunt some seagulls for breakfast.

[Pattycruise]

I’ve stayed at Ramada Miami Springs. It has a restaurant on site, reasonable prices-I’d call if pub style good. Walking distance to mcDonalds and a gas station with a convenience store that sells wine, some of it good labels!

their breakfast has choices, waffle station, breads/toasts/muffins, fruit, eggs, sausage and bacon.  Free shuttle to/from airport. $10 shuttle-separate company -to the cruise port.  It’s a shared van with an enclosed luggage Uhaul in the back. If any difficulties with luggage ask for 1st floor, there is no elevator to the second floor but they do offer to store bags you don’t want to carry up.

also has a decent outdoor  pool if you are looking for one

[bobroo]

If you are willing to do an El Cheapo hotel when sailing out of Miami, I think the sweet spot is any of the El Cheapos on NW 36th St on the north side of the airport/ some might call the area Miami Springs.

The area has some bright spots of things that I'd be looking for. Airport Cafe and Liquors is a great pace to pick up "one bottle of wine per one adult, per cabin" and you'll be surprised by the amount of others dining there--it's because their Cuban food is super good. The Old Tom's Sports Bar consistently sees some my money and I 100% guarantee you won't be the only embarking cruiser who is there. The iHop? Well... it's an iHop and IMO sure beats any of the free DIY waffles you can get at your El Cheapo. The real plus is that all these places are a walkable distance.  I think my average Uber or Green District Taxi is about $20 to the port and co-incidentally takes about 20 minutes.

There are some notable downsides to staying on 36th St, but if you are looking to do a Miami Quick N' Dirty; then spending the night on 36th is a solid option.

[CrimsonCruiser]

15 hours ago, bobroo said:

If you are willing to do an El Cheapo hotel when sailing out of Miami, I think the sweet spot is any of the El Cheapos on NW 36th St on the north side of the airport/ some might call the area Miami Springs.

The area has some bright spots of things that I'd be looking for. Airport Cafe and Liquors is a great pace to pick up "one bottle of wine per one adult, per cabin" and you'll be surprised by the amount of others dining there--it's because their Cuban food is super good. The Old Tom's Sports Bar consistently sees some my money and I 100% guarantee you won't be the only embarking cruiser who is there. The iHop? Well... it's an iHop and IMO sure beats any of the free DIY waffles you can get at your El Cheapo. The real plus is that all these places are a walkable distance.  I think my average Uber or Green District Taxi is about $20 to the port and co-incidentally takes about 20 minutes.

There are some notable downsides to staying on 36th St, but if you are looking to do a Miami Quick N' Dirty; then spending the night on 36th is a solid option.

Looks like the Best Western and Ramada are along that strip so that's 2 positive points to the Ramada. woot.

[AandD]

15 hours ago, bobroo said:

If you are willing to do an El Cheapo hotel when sailing out of Miami, I think the sweet spot is any of the El Cheapos on NW 36th St on the north side of the airport/ some might call the area Miami Springs.

The area has some bright spots of things that I'd be looking for. Airport Cafe and Liquors is a great pace to pick up "one bottle of wine per one adult, per cabin" and you'll be surprised by the amount of others dining there--it's because their Cuban food is super good. The Old Tom's Sports Bar consistently sees some my money and I 100% guarantee you won't be the only embarking cruiser who is there. The iHop? Well... it's an iHop and IMO sure beats any of the free DIY waffles you can get at your El Cheapo. The real plus is that all these places are a walkable distance.  I think my average Uber or Green District Taxi is about $20 to the port and co-incidentally takes about 20 minutes.

There are some notable downsides to staying on 36th St, but if you are looking to do a Miami Quick N' Dirty; then spending the night on 36th is a solid option.

We have stayed on the North Side at the Best Western Miami Airport Noth 3 times. Nice place, good breakfast. Maybe more expensive than the others. Ping House Chinese is just down the street, and they deliver. 

[asquared17]

my only recommendation would be just to be careful where you book, location wise. some of the more affordable places (not necessarily the you listed) are in perhaps some less desirable parts of town, so bear in mind the safety element.

[monctonguy]

I don't think their are any or many hotels in that price range in Miami. I have stayed there before a few cruises in the past, and am currently looking for hotels in Feb of Next year. right now, the average would be over $200USD.

 

The Best Western is not near the airport or the cruise port, so not sure why you listed that as an option.

 

The Ramada one is nice.  rooms are fairly large, and Tom's restaurant and bar attached is nice. And there are a few places within walking distance as well which is nice. (mcdonalds, dennys etc) But again, never stayed for the prices you are looking for. Breakfast was pretty good too if I remember correctly...pre-covid of course.

 

Good luck!

[steverk]

I stayed at the sleep inn Miami Springs and liked it. 15 minutes to the airport if you avoid tolls. 

Checking a random Saturday night, the price is $155 + tax.

There's a clarion hotel for $120, but I have never stayed there so I can't give an opinion 

[AshleyDillo]

I have stayed at and would recommend the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Miami Airport West/Doral. You can walk to the CityPlace Doral that has a Fresh Market and lots of places to eat. There's a CVS near CityPlace as well. When I stayed there it was pretty close to your price range but prices have skyrocketed since then it seems.

[IRMO12HD]

I stayed at the Comfort Inn and Suites on Mokena Drive in October 2021 as a solo traveler.  Free airport shuttle to/from the hotel.  My cost for a standard room (one occupant) was $101 (I think before tax) and I had a really nice, spacious room on the third or fourth floor overlooking the airport.  There were a couple of restaurants nearby; the Airport Cafe and Liquors had delicious food, and was about 3-4 blocks away from the hotel.  

[ScottD]

We stayed at the Clarion inn right across from the airport upon arrival, about 130 bucks a night through priceline. Then we used Yve hotel which is right across from the port on our return for almost the same price...next time we will do that the other way around...makes much more sense to be near the port when boarding...not departing! 

[Biaggio]

The days of hotel prices you are looking for are gone, unless you want to sacrifice safety, location, or a clean room. Inflation and travel demand is a killer.

[CrimsonCruiser]

Thanks all for your help! I ended up choosing the Ramada Miami Springs. It is on NW 36th right next to the airport, has a free airport shuttle, a diner and mcdonald's next door and sports bar restaurant inside. Free continental breakfast. Paid cruise shuttle. I've been sufficiently warned about the lack of elevator, so when it gets closer to my sail date I will call and request and then call and confirm that we have a first floor room.

For a double room with an AARP discount it was 102 before taxes and about 115 after.

I will do my best to come back here with updates after stay.

[ScottD]

1 hour ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

Thanks all for your help! I ended up choosing the Ramada Miami Springs. It is on NW 36th right next to the airport, has a free airport shuttle, a diner and mcdonald's next door and sports bar restaurant inside. Free continental breakfast. Paid cruise shuttle. I've been sufficiently warned about the lack of elevator, so when it gets closer to my sail date I will call and request and then call and confirm that we have a first floor room.

For a double room with an AARP discount it was 102 before taxes and about 115 after.

I will do my best to come back here with updates after stay.

Nice, yep- my hotel was right next door to this one. We walked right over to McDonalds and grabbed some breakfast sandwiches to bring back to the room before we headed out to the port. The little gas station right next door also has a nice little store for snacks (and the bottles of wine for the ship if you choose  to do so) 

[Ampurp85]

12 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

I have stayed at and would recommend the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Miami Airport West/Doral. You can walk to the CityPlace Doral that has a Fresh Market and lots of places to eat. There's a CVS near CityPlace as well. When I stayed there it was pretty close to your price range but prices have skyrocketed since then it seems.

I stayed here in Jan for my cruise. It is a very nice and clean hotel but the cost was something like $230/n. We went to the Fresh Market for wine and I discovered they had bomb mac and cheese and roasted brussels sprouts. 

[bobroo]

5 hours ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

Thanks all for your help! I ended up choosing the Ramada Miami Springs. It is on NW 36th right next to the airport, has a free airport shuttle, a diner and mcdonald's next door and sports bar restaurant inside. Free continental breakfast. Paid cruise shuttle. I've been sufficiently warned about the lack of elevator, so when it gets closer to my sail date I will call and request and then call and confirm that we have a first floor room.

For a double room with an AARP discount it was 102 before taxes and about 115 after.

I will do my best to come back here with updates after stay.

While driving today I was thinking this is a really good thread for the blog. There are a lot of people who fly to MIA for a cruise and are looking for a cheap place to flop. As a person who has flown to every cruise I've been on, where to stay the night before is always a very strategic decision. Transportation, entertainment, restaurants, wine purchasing, buying forgotten items, and nearby bar choices are all high valued criteria. The price of the room is actually about the 7th or 8th thing I look at when I'm trying to figure it's value. Price is important, but not necessarily the most important detail. The rooms value can often exceed its' price.

Please get back to us Ampurp, we'd like to hear your experience of the Ramada and the area you've chosen. I think a lot of people are going to learn from your experience.

[Paid4c4]

On 3/1/2023 at 1:31 PM, CrimsonCruiser said:

Hi friends,

It's been a while since we've left out of Miami and the airbnb we last stayed it apparently no longer exists.

So I've come to pick the collective's brain.

Please give me your Miami stays that TOTAL around $130 a night (so probably around $115 before taxes). We don't need much; comfy beds, clean rooms, free airport shuttle and some kind of breakfast. A plus would be walking distance (aka 10 minutes) to a Walgreens or the like.

If you don't have suggestions, I also come seeking reviews for:

• Staybridge Suites at Miami Airport
• Ramada Miami Springs
• Best Western Plus Miami Executive Airport Hotel & Suites

As always - many thanks!

 

(PS, I do also have some Airbnb's on deck but I know squat about Miami areas and would hate to end up in a bad one)

I always suggest reading reviews about the places you are considering.  I never read the reviews on the hotels website.  Instead go to TripAdvisor.com put in the place you're considering and read the reviews.  Some hotels have less than honest reviews while TripAdvisor provides by people who have stayed at the properties and has no connection.  

Bill

[CrimsonCruiser]

16 minutes ago, Paid4c4 said:

I always suggest reading reviews about the places you are considering.  I never read the reviews on the hotels website.  Instead go to TripAdvisor.com put in the place you're considering and read the reviews.  Some hotels have less than honest reviews while TripAdvisor provides by people who have stayed at the properties and has no connection.  

Bill

I spend so much time reading reviews on trip advisor, expedia, booking.com AND google. I have spreadsheets! I never want to be even a little bit surprised.

[JasonOasis]

Take into account your personal safety, also take into account location location location especially if you intend to go out partying the night before your cruise departs.  You don't want to be in a questionable part of town trying to save a few dollars on a hotel coming home at 4 am from a night of partying in South Beach.

Then there is the question of cleanliness and I don't even want to go down that road.

I just did a cruise on Symphony and out hotel which was in Brickell cost us $340 dollars for the night. Sometimes we will stay in Brickell other times we'll stay in South Beach but the reality now and for the foreseeable future is Miami is expensive and is  going to continue to be expensive. 

[Ampurp85]

@CrimsonCruiser I know you were looking at Grandeur out of Miami, did you book a much better ship......looks like your signature says Harmony in Aug. I take it the land-based vacation didn't work out? 

To share I had to cancel two of my land-based vacations this year because of a scam and some shady business practices. I was able to book a cruise for one but still have a September opening now. 

[NotPayinExtra]

For me if it's just a place the night before a cruise it's about clean, clean, and oh yeah clean. I don't need frills on a one night stay, but I don't need to bring bed bugs on my cruise either. Much rather spend a few more and start my trip off safe.

[CrimsonCruiser]

15 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

@CrimsonCruiser I know you were looking at Grandeur out of Miami, did you book a much better ship......looks like your signature says Harmony in Aug. I take it the land-based vacation didn't work out? 

To share I had to cancel two of my land-based vacations this year because of a scam and some shady business practices. I was able to book a cruise for one but still have a September opening now. 

Grandeur is out - there just wasn't anything about it that made us happy and for the same price we got a Jr suite on Harmony so a win there.

Land vacation is postponed. It ended up being really really REALLY expensive (upwards of $5,500 for the two of us just on flight and lodging) and we just don't have that kind of money this year. But I say it's a good change. This will be our first time at all 3 ports, we FINALLY get to see the new CocoCay AND despite my thoughts when we said goodbye to Allure last year we're BACK on an Oasis class AND we're Diamond. So it's an overall big win I think.

[Ampurp85]

16 minutes ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

Grandeur is out - there just wasn't anything about it that made us happy and for the same price we got a Jr suite on Harmony so a win there.

Land vacation is postponed. It ended up being really really REALLY expensive (upwards of $5,500 for the two of us just on flight and lodging) and we just don't have that kind of money this year. But I say it's a good change. This will be our first time at all 3 ports, we FINALLY get to see the new CocoCay AND despite my thoughts when we said goodbye to Allure last year we're BACK on an Oasis class AND we're Diamond. So it's an overall big win I think.

Yes, we ran into same "really expensive" issue. We were renting an RV to road trip, prices quoted last year with rental contract, not honored. Instead, we were sent a corrected invoice/contract at 1.5x the price; imagine going from $1,400 to $3,560. Owner didn't realize that just because you change things in a email thread, doesn't mean they change on my end. 

I enjoyed Harmony, so have a blast. Also wow that a GS/any suite on Grandeur is close to a JS on Harmony.

[Paid4c4]

1 hour ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

I spend so much time reading reviews on trip advisor, expedia, booking.com AND google. I have spreadsheets! I never want to be even a little bit surprised.

I have been researching for a stay in Tampa this August and found this review; "when I spotted the first roach I told my dh that we were leaving!" I didn't have to read any further......

[steverk]

5 hours ago, Paid4c4 said:

I have been researching for a stay in Tampa this August and found this review; "when I spotted the first roach I told my dh that we were leaving!" I didn't have to read any further......

Haven't you ever heard the saying about roaches in the south?

If you keep a dirty house, you'll have dirty roaches. If you keep a clean house, you'll have clean roaches!

[deButler]

We’re at the Hampton on 42nd Ave. next week before TA on Symphony. Was a little cheaper a few months back but needed the close proximity to the airport for Mom and her sister traveling in together before us. Now, thanks to this thread, I am really stoked to have late lunch at Airport Cafe & Liquor !!  Looks amazing. Thanks @bobroo for the tip on them. Love hitting family owned, local cuisine, hole-in-the-wall type places while traveling.  NO CHAINS allowed. 

[bobroo]

3 hours ago, deButler said:

We’re at the Hampton on 42nd Ave. next week before TA on Symphony. Was a little cheaper a few months back but needed the close proximity to the airport for Mom and her sister traveling in together before us. Now, thanks to this thread, I am really stoked to have late lunch at Airport Cafe & Liquor !!  Looks amazing. Thanks @bobroo for the tip on them. Love hitting family owned, local cuisine, hole-in-the-wall type places while traveling.  NO CHAINS allowed. 

Dude, you just perfectly described Airport Liquors and Old Toms!