Pre-Cruise Miami Hotels

[IM4MU]

Am staying 2 days in Miami Pre-Cruise and am needing info. on hotels. Looking for inexpensive, convenient, clean and safe. Looking at either Atlantica Hotel, Villa Paradiso Hotel, or Governor Hotel in South Miami Beach or Holiday Inn Port of Miami/Downtown. Has anyone stayed at any of these hotels? What was your experience? Do any of them offer continental breakfasts? Free shuttles from the airport? Or have you had a better experience at another hotel? If so, which one do you recommend? The last hotel I stayed at was the Sheraton Bayside which is being torn down this June. So looking for a different hotel.

 

Thanks,

Janet

[irishgirl]

I've stayed at the Holiday Inn Marina Park twice. You can't beat the location, it's convenient to everything. Bayside Marketplace is across the street, and it's a 5 minute taxi ride to the pier.

 

Although you can get hotels on Priceline for less money, we travel as a group and always stay at the Holiday Inn.

[BrendaB1]

We got the Hyatt on Priceline for $57 for our Oct cruise.

[StacyandTim]

We are also staying in Miami pre-cruise for 2 days before our September 4th 2005 sailing and was curious to know the same thing! I'll keep checking back for advice!

 

Thanks!!

[barbemm]

Have stayed at Hyatt REgency 2 times(excellent) got it on priceline for $45

Radisson twice as well...also excellent and close to port ..bid on priceline and got the hotel for $35 in November and $37 in april This trip staying at the Sheraton...had to bid higher since it's during Easter week and many many hotels were already sold out and just booked yesterday..ended up bidding $70 and got it....also great hotel...would recommend all of them...short water taxi ride to Bayside...can't beat priceline..if you need help on bidding or how to get oneof those three hotels on priceline feel free to email me.

Barb

[tef43]

Gotta love the downtown Hyatt. Great location, and an absolute steal on Priceline. I've snagged this hotel for (depending on time of year) $35-57/night, plus I have seen reports of people bidding successfully as low as $27.

 

The Doubletree Grand is also nice for $44/night on Hotwire. It's farther north, adjacent to the Marriott Biscayne Bay.

[palmtre2]

We're staying at the Holiday Inn South Beach a 15 min cab ride from the port and a 10 min walk from the art deco district. Relatively inexpensive for the SoBe area.

[MamaParrotHead]

Miami for $60 on Priceline. It's conveinent, and I have yet to stay in a Courtyard that isn't decent. It's also conveinent to Bayside and the port, so I'm told.

[Randy & Carmen]

I had Marriott at Biscayne Bay this time last year and got it on PL for $45......it was awesome!:D

[CruiseFever]

Three favorites

 

Hyatt

Intercontinental

Sheraton (while it lasts)

 

make that four favorites and add

 

The Holiday Inn (it just doesn't come up on priceline though)

[mikvie]

If you want to see South Beach, Winterhaven is the Hotel!

[DCT61]

Intercontinental...Great rates on priceline...friendly staff...convenience to Bayside...staff usually willing to accomodate requests for views of the port (which are EXCELLENT)

[ltish23]

Have never bid on price line and any other sight. But, need 4 roooms for 16 people in November. Not sure how to do this?? Any help would be appreciated. Do you bid on a specific hotel or do you get a hotel they give you? Thanks

[IM4MU]

Well, my TA booked me at this one. It runs $89.06 per night plus the 13% tax. Wish I'd checked back to see what you all had to say before I booked. I haven't heard anything negative about this hotel, but looks like I could have gotten the Hyatt or something cheaper using Priceline. I've never used Priceline before, so didn't know you get those kind of prices! Oh well....maybe next time I'll go that route.

 

Thanks!

Janet

[DCT61]

You get the hotel they give you....but in the INTERCONTINENTALs case, its the only 4 star hotel in the downtown zone....so the hotel you are bidding on (in the 4 star catagory) is the INTERCONTINENTAL. You can check with http://www.bidfortravel.com for ideas on how much hotels are going for around the time you need a room.

[mathgal]

Well, my TA booked me at this one. It runs $89.06 per night plus the 13% tax.

 

I just booked the Holiday Inn for August at the $99 rate on their Sail Away Package. The website stated that no rooms were available for this package, but when I called the hotel directly I was able to get the rate. The package includes breakfast for two and your choice of two tickets for a Millionaire's Row sightseeing cruise on the bay or two daiquiris at Bayside Marketplace. Also states you get an "upgrade" to a room overlooking the bay.

 

This reservation will be my "back up". We have stayed at this hotel before and we really like the location right across the street from Bayside Markeplace. However when it gets closer to our cruise, I plan to see what I can get on Priceline. This past summer we used Priceline to get two rooms at the Radisson Hotel for $35/night. Not sure if I can get any rooms this year at that low of a rate, but I'll try!!

[pasto5]

We stayed here in January and would reccomend. We got it for $50 on Priceline. It has a nice breakfast buffet and atttentive front desk staff. We could see our ship from the balcony in the morning.

[Janhoggan]

Do any of the hotels offer free parking during the cruise or transfers to the Pier?

[kytten_kat]

My family and I are staying at the Hampton Inn and Suites Blue Lagoon ... There are 5 of us, all adults ... We are getting a suite ... has a bedroom with 2 queen beds, has a full kitchen and a living area with a queen sofa sleeper ... $109 ... they have a shuttle from the airport ... since there are 5 of us we will be renting a shuttle to go to the pier ...

[lrizit]

Loved the Hyatt. Close, beautiful, had everything we needed there.

[Cruisin Dave]

Got the Hyatt Regency DT for $57. Awesome! Right on the water with access to the water taxi's.

Dave

[MIsharona]

hi i never tried priceline. how do you do it. what area do you ask for? what if you absoutlty dont want to be downtown but by south beach? and have 4 people? kinda scarey isnt it? what if you get a nasty hotel downtown?

[barbemm]

hi i never tried priceline. how do you do it. what area do you ask for? what if you absoutlty dont want to be downtown but by south beach? and have 4 people? kinda scarey isnt it? what if you get a nasty hotel downtown?

 

 

First of all, if you bid 3* or 4* there are no NASTY hotels downtown, lol..those are all top hotels...(pinned hotels are 4* Intercontinental, 3* Hyatt, Raddisson, Sheraton, and Marriott....secondly if you bid on priceline you bid the area where you would like to stay...if you want southbeach, just choose south beach...(however, keep in mind the week you are traveling is during the Easter holiday week and many hotels are already sold out so you might have to bid higher than you see posted here for past pricing...last time I was at Hyatt I paid $37 and this time (I am sailing with you so I know the dates)..this time for a three star i had to go to $70 ...but the hotel was selling for $137 a night when i called it...so it is still good deal....

 

I suggest though before bidding you go to http://www.betterbidding.com and it will teach you everything you need to know..that's how I learned to get the hotels I wanted...last time we did an extra 5 days in miami after one of our cruises, I wanted to stay at the Fountainblue...rack rate was $309....I took a chance and bid resort area in Miami beach...(there are only three you can get...Eden Rock, Fountainbleu and the other name escapes me at the moment but all were over $300 a night so how bad could they be, lol..I bid $67 and got the fountainbleu...never stopped using priceline since then..great hotel....

 

If you want certain rooms, like smoking or non smoking, or certain bed types, just call the hotel direct after you win the bid and request it from their reservation department..I have never been denied my request and have used priceline about 8 times now..

 

Barb

[jerrymac]

Holiday Inn? You gotta be kidding! Meldew smell in there restaurant, no way!

 

Hyatt, Sheraton on priceline for half the price!

[barbemm]

Holiday Inn? You gotta be kidding! Meldew smell in there restaurant, no way!

 

Hyatt, Sheraton on priceline for half the price!

 

I agree, that Holiday inn is horrible..i stayed there once and wouldnt stay there again for free, lol...the night we were there it was windy, very windy and all night long the windows shook in the walls and air whistled through them all night and we didn't sleep a wink..on top of everything else the room was small enough to be a damn closet...the cabin on the ship was bigger than that room and it stunk to high hell in there...definitely the Hyatt, Sheraton, Raddisson, Marriot or Doubletree...

Barb