How Will The Hotel Screw Up Next????
Written: Dec 13 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Most Employees Friendly, Close to MetroMover and Transit Station, Nice Rooms
Cons: Bad Breakfast Buffet, Many Issues, Not Much in Walking Distance
The Bottom Line: I got a great rate and a nice room. However the stay is best noted for the problems and the bad breakfast.
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| jdornoff's Full Review: Radisson Hotel Miami Downtown |
Background:
I was doing a presentation at Railvolution which was being held at the Loews Resort in Miami Beach. The convention’s room rate was over $200 which put it out of my range so I decided to find someplace a little more reasonable.
I went to Hotwire and found a hotel in downtown Miami for only $59.00 which was the best rate so I went to book it. By the time I booked it the rate had dropped down to $49.00 per night.
Once booked it turned out to be the Radisson Hotel in Downtown Miami which worked out great since it is only 20-minutes by bus to the Convention Hotel, and there is multiple bus routes from the transit center which is located only half a block from the hotel.
The Hotel:
Radisson Hotel Downtown Miami
1601 Biscayne Blvd Miami, Florida 33132
305-374-0000
When you arrive at street side, there is a small area for valet parking, bell hop, and Enterprise Car Rental. You then have to a take an elevator up several levels to the front lobby area. Then there are separate elevators to reach your room so anytime you want to leave the hotel from your room you have to take two sets of elevators.
The hotel is 21 floors (although 4 were closed for remodeling while I was there) and includes 528 rooms.
There is valet and self parking but you have to pay for both.
Check In:
Picture my check in:
I had flown all night on a red eye from Reno to Fort Lauderdale with plane changes in Los Angeles and Orlando. First; on my flight from Los Angeles to Orlando there was a poor baby screaming it’s lungs out for the entire flight. After getting off that plane in Orlando I saw that my plane to Fort Lauderdale would be at least an hour late. By the time I walked down to the commuter terminal the flight was delayed another 30 minutes.
The plane that was scheduled for our flight broke down and they had to fly another plane in, so instead of leaving at 7:00am it would be at least 8:50am. Delta offered us a flight to Miami so I went ahead and changed flights. They took our baggage information and guaranteed that it would be transferred to the Miami flight. Well I got to Miami and one of them did get transferred; the problem was the other did not.
Of course the one lost contained my rain coat and umbrella, since it was pouring rain when I arrived in Miami and did all day thanks to Tropical Storm Noel. By the time I arrived at the hotel at 3:00pm I was soaked to the core.
I went up to the counter, the friendly agent went to retrieve my reservation and the computer went down. They tried for several minutes to get the computers up but with no luck. Finally the manager came over and gave me a coupon for two drinks from the lounge so I found a table, set up my computer and started working.
After a while I was joined by a lady who was there for a big modeling event that was taking place in the hotel over the next couple of days. We both checked in a couple of times at the front desk but still no luck. Finally after 3 hours they decided to just give us room keys and let us head to our rooms and gave us a coupon for a free breakfast in the bistro.
The Room:
After seeing that the hallways are a very loud bright yellow I wondered what my room was going to look like. The room turned out to be painted in a dark red and brown which gave the room a very classy look.
As you enter the room there is a closet with two sliding doors made of wood slat. Across from the closet is the bathroom which has a long vanity counter with a single sink that also had an ice bucket, glasses, coffee maker, and cups. There was also a hair dryer on the wall above the coffee maker.
Across from the vanity were the full size tub and the toilet.
To the left was a door to the neighboring room, followed by an armoire with a 25” television and beyond the armoire was a desk that faced the armoire. To the right was the King-sized bed, it had a night stand to the right that hung on the wall and held a lamp and telephone. To the left of the bed was a two drawer dresser with another lamp on it.
The room did have size going for it, as it was very large with plenty of room to move around.
The window went from floor to ceiling but the view was not much to write home about. You cold see a line of new condo projects to the right but mostly run down buildings and empty lots to the left.
Day 3:
On day 3 I received an invoice under the door that said I owed them $700 for the two nights I had stayed here, even though I prepaid. So on my way out the door I stopped at the front desk and showed the lady the invoice. She was very pleasant and after a couple minutes asked if there was a Beth staying in my room. Well, if there was a Beth in the room she was either invisible or very clever at hiding.
I explained the situation at check in, and apparently the guy that gave out the keys on Friday switched the ones between the other lady that waited 3 hours, and me. I just shook my head thinking about paying $700 for two nights in this place.
Day 4:
I was in the process of changing clothes, after getting back from my big presentation in Miami Beach, when there was a knock on the door. Standing there was a hotel security guy who’s dressed up like a secret agent, with the ear plug and everything, telling me that if I didn’t come down immediately with him he was calling the police.
Can you guess I am really falling in love with this place? Not.
Secret Service wannabe talked on his little walkie-talkie as we proceeded down the elevator. We arrived at the front counter and the guy at the counter says it is taken care of and I could go back to my room. Neither the front desk clerk nor the security dude apologized for taking me out of my room like a criminal.
Breakfast Buffet:
For all our troubles while trying to check in they handed us a coupon for a single free breakfast buffet so I decided to go and enjoy it on Sunday. The Bistro looks up to the pool and has a modern industrial look.
They also serve a regular breakfast but for the “free” breakfast you get the buffet. The buffet did have eggs, hash browns, and pastries. While I like spices in many foods, when it comes to hash browns or mashed potatoes I like them plain. The hash browns had a variety of peppers and onions in them that made them virtually tasteless. In addition the eggs were runny and the cinnamon roll was stale.
In addition the waiter was not friendly at all. He was upset that I didn’t want coffee and he had to go get me an orange juice. He never approached my table again, or any other tables of the buffet people.
Needless to say the breakfast fit with the rest of my impressions of this hotel.
Fitness Center:
Like the Radisson in Whittier, California, it appears that Radisson took a room in the hotel and made it into a fitness center. It has a couple of treadmills, an exercise bike and weight station.
Business Center:
There was a business center behind the front counter that had 3 computers with printers that offered internet service but the price was high. The hotel also offered faxing services.
Nearby:
There was a Checkers and a Burger King across the street from the hotel. There is also a transit center with a Metro Mover station just a block away.
Beyond that there was nothing in close walking distance to the hotel.
Overall Impressions:
After my two visits to Radisson Hotels I am beginning to think that they are the Motel 6 of full service hotels.
While the staff was friendly, there were way too many mistakes made. In addition, the breakfast was bad, the wireless internet only worked in the lobby, they charged $9.99 per day for wired internet, and the hotel is not within walking distance to many other businesses.
I would have been very upset if I would have paid the same amount as the person who got the invoice that was under my door on day three. In no way, shape or form is this place worth that kind of money. It is barely tolerable for the $49.00 but I would not stay here again.
I would like to also thank Barbara (ifif1938) who gave me suggestions on what to do in Miami while I was there.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
jdornoff
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 in Hotels & Travel |
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Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Reviews written: 106
Trusted by: 94 members
About Me:
Retail Business Consultant
Freelance Photographer and Writer
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