Miami airport hotel

[AtMaui]

We're flying out of Miami to Barbados on a 10A flight in January. We're getting in the afternoon of the day before so we won't have a lot of time to do anything. We'd like to stay at the airport and we usually stay at Embassy Suites. Maybe exploring in the afternoon and dinner at night. But there doesn't seem to be much around ES.

 

Any suggestions? Price would be no higher than $250. I've searched this board as well as looked at TripAdvisor but I thought someone would have a personal suggestion.

[JohninDC]

ES is isolated, but you could take the hotel shuttle back to MIA and catch the airport flyer bus to South Beach from there -- best $2.35 you will ever spend! ;)

 

http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/library/airport_flyer_brochure.pdf

 

January is high season so your $120 budget will not go far -- Check out hotels in the Blue Lagoon area near MIA (Hampton Inn, Sofitel, Homewood Suites and others) - free airport shuttles and shopping and dining options within walking distance.

La Quinta East near MIA (and the ES) offers free airport shuttles and also free breakfast; the hotel gets mixed reviews here and on Tripadvisor but seems good enough for lots of cruisers. Hotels west of MIA in the Doral area can be even cheaper, but I've never stayed out there.

Good luck! :)

[AtMaui]

Thanks for the response but the budget is $250 not $120.

[miamiyogi]

But there doesn't seem to be much around ES.

 

That's the drawback to airport area hotels. The area around the airport is mostly industrial/commercial.

 

At your budget you could stay in downtown Miami. Hotel Urbano and the Hampton Brickell come to mind, but you'll need to budget an extra $60 for round-trip cab fare. Once downtown you don't need a car and there are places to explore.

 

The other hotel that comes to mind is the Hampton Inn Doral. There aren't things to explore within walking distance, but it does have a free shuttle from the airport and to Dolphin Mall. There are various dining/shopping/entertainment options @ Dolphin Mall. I could easily spend an afternoon there.

 

If you pick the latter option, budget extra time on weekdays to get to the airport, with rush-hour traffic it could easily take an hour to the airport, even though its just a few miles away.

[JohninDC]

Thanks for the response but the budget is $250 not $120.

 

My mistake - sorry! :o

 

With that budget I would choose ES (free happy hour! :D) or Homewood Suites Blue Lagoon (free manager's reception M-Th afternoons :D) and take advantage of the airport flyer bus (via free hotel MIA airport shuttle) to explore South Beach. :cool:

 

Good luck! :)

[Capt_BJ]

get a room in Coconut Grove ... walk to plenty of entertainment and food ... figure $30 taxi each way. airport to grove and grove to port.

 

Area close to the airport stinks . . . . South Beach is over priced to put it mildly. The Grove is where the locals hang out.

 

Former Miami resident and frequent cruiser sends . . .

 

A lil while back I got a 2 bed room condo, 1 block off the 'strip' here for $100 a night ..... posted price was $900 a night. Search the web!!!