I arrived with my wife and two sons at Miami Airport at 10:30 AM for a 5:30 PM flight to Boston (long story, poor planning on my part). We tried to get an earlier flight, but we could not. We checked in for our flight and checked our luggage, leaving us each with one carry-on bag. I suggested that we could take a taxi to some interesting part of Miami and stroll around, or that we could check the hotel board, find a nearby hotel, and try to negotiate a price to use the pool, fitness center, and changing rooms. My wife noticed that the posting for the Miami Airport Intercontinental Hotel indicated it to be inside the airport ... not nearby, but right inside, at Concourse E. We strolled over from Concourse C. Sure enough the lobby entrance was right there inside the airport, across from the check-in desks. I asked about rates for pool and fitness center use and was informed that the price was $8 per person ... incredibly reasonable for a fairly fancy hotel right inside the airport. I also asked about a daytime room rate. The receptionist informed me that the rate was $115 for four people. I must have looked a bit disappointed and she quickly offered that she could give me the two-person rate of $95 ($106 with tax). I accepted and handed her my credit card. I made this choice primarily because we had all been up late on the previous night, especially my older son. It was the best and smartest hundred bucks I've ever spent. We left our bags in our room and headed straight for the 8th floor rooftop pool. The pool and hot tub were clean and well-kept, as were all the tables, chairs and lounges on the rooftop sun-deck. Towels were provided. There was also a jogging track around the perimeter, and a fitness center that was small but appeared completely adequate. Snack bar and cocktail lounge were also conveniently located there on the 8th floor. After about an hour or two, we went to our room. We watched TV, read, relaxed, and napped. My wife went out into the airport and brought back Burger King food for our sons. I strolled down to the Sushi bar at the lobby entrance to the hotel. My older son got a much-needed 3-4 hours of sound sleep. The room was comfortable, quiet, and fairly well-appointed. Because we were a short walk from our departure gate, we relaxed comfortably in our room until just a few minutes before our boarding time. We strolled to our gate. Our flight ended up being delayed an hour and a half, with a long wait for our baggage in Boston. This put us at our home at close to midnight, which made us even happier with our decision to rent a hotel room and get some rest earlier in the day. We did not ask about overnight rates. However, if you're ever stuck in the Miami Airport for an extended period during the day, you should definitely keep the Intercontinental Hotel in mind. Pay a very reasonable price for pool and fitness center privileges, or be a bit more extravagant and rent a room (daytime room rate good from 9 AM to 6 PM). Either way, you'll continue your travel in a much more relaxed and refreshed condition ... and that's a rare treat in today's hectic airport environment.

Recommended: Yes