Back in May, one of my husband's cousins celebrated his Bar Mitzvah. It was quite the swell party and there was no way that we were going to miss the big event. Although the Bar Mitzvah and the celebration that followed were held elsewhere, a block of rooms was reserved for out of town guests at the Miami Marriott Dadeland.

Speaking of reserving blocks of rooms, we found that a better rate was available through the Marriott website than what was quoted as the group rate by the sales office. Whenever you make a reservation as part of a group, always check the regular rates first!

We found that the Marriott was quite conveniently located for our needs. The Dadeland Mall is only half a mile away. We needed to be there the night before the Bar Mitzvah for a wonderful Nicaraguan dinner. The synagogue in Kendall was also only a few miles away. This area was hit hard in 1992 by Hurricane Andrew but it has recovered quite nicely. You'll definitely notice residual damage if you drive out to the Miami Metrozoo (about 20 minutes away) or down to the Homestead Motorsports Complex (about a half hour away). The hotel is quite convenient if you're visiting the University of Miami, Key Biscane or Coral Gables.

The front desk staff was always incredibly efficient and very polite. They weren't effusively friendly but they weren't rude or cold either. The security officers in the lobby were also incredibly understanding when my toddler daughter, who had been cooped up in her car seat for a good part of the day, ran into an employees only area. We immediately caught up with her and removed her from the non-public area. Security was really nice about it.

Really, my only true complaint about the property is that you are forced to pay to park your car. This isn't a beachfront location. It's not in the middle of downtown but it is right on a Metro stop so I can understand why they charge for parking but it doesn't mean that I like it. We chose to self-park instead of having the valet take care of it for us.

The rooms were nicely appointed with pillowy beds, well-upholstered easy chairs and a spotless bathroom. The bathroom was a bit cramped in terms of size but other than that, I had no complaints. The usual phone, dataport, television, voice mail, desk, in room safe, coffeemaker, hair dryer, ironing board, and minibar were all present. On weekdays, you get a complimentary newspaper but no complimentary breakfast (continental or otherwise).

We found that dining was a bit of a problem on the first night we were at the hotel. We had already had our Nicaraguan dinner but my husband's parents were joining us later in the evening after a late flight. At 9:30, we found ourselves needing to go out to a nearby Denny's because there were no other options available to us. The coffee shop was closed for the night and the other restaurant was booked by a private party. Room service was an option but not one we liked.

On the weekends, this place is hopping. The bar/lounge was crowded and the ballrooms were busy. People were dressed to the nines for these parties. Even in a tea length silk dress, I felt out of place as everyone else I saw was in full evening wear.

The Miami Marriott Dadeland has an exercise room and a pool but we were there to visit with family and never had the opportunity to use any of these amenities.

Miami Marriott Dadeland
9090 S. Dadeland Boulevard
Miami, FL 33156
305-670-1035

Recommended: Yes