WHAT HOTEL IN MIAMI?

[CRUZFOOLS]

We're flying to Miami the day before our cruise and would like info on where to stay. We want to stay in a place where there are things to do. How do we get from the airport to hotel; hotel to port; and port to airport? It's hard to know where a hotel is located when we've never been to Miami. Would love any info that you could give.

[alopez2000us]

I'll answer your questions, giving you a unique perspective from a person that lives in Miami.

First of all, there are basically three main areas where tourists stay, in Miami.

DOWNTOWN (closest to cruise port)
-Intercontinental
-Sheraton Biscayne
-Hyatt

The Sheraton Biscayne seems to be the most economical. They are all nice hotels though, and all are within walking distance to the main entertainment hub, Bayside, which is an outdoor entertainment, shopping, and eating venue, right on the bay (it comes to life at night).

BEACH
-Fountainbleau Hilton
-Wyndham
-Loews

Those are the top picks, but they do tend to be pricey. Only the Loews is within walking distance to anything (basically to South Beach, the entertainment capital of Miami).

AIRPORT
-Hilton
-Radisson
-Marriott

They seem to be nice, but aren't close to any touristy areas.


--Getting around Miami is basically by taxi, or Super Shuttle. Some airport hotels offer free shuttles to the hotel. The rate from the airport to the beach and downtown are established, so you won't be on a meter. It is about 5 minutes from the airport to most airport hotels, about 30 minutes to downtown and beach hotels. From the airport hotels to the cruise port, it is about 30 minutes. From downtown to the cruiseport it is about 5 minutes, and from the beach to the cruiseport it is about 15 minutes (traffic permitting, in all estimates, of course).

Well I know that this may seem confusing. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

[Matisse05]

Cruzfools, hope this link helps... Great info on Miami hotels. :)

[url]http://www.biddingfun.com/page2.html[/url]

[ferge]

I stayed at the Sheraton in Nov,03. I did not like the hotel. I got a good deal on priceline, but the room was dirty. The bedding was terrible. The food in the resturant was not worth the price. They also had problems with their hot water. My room did not have any, and I was on the first floor. So I would recomend staying away from them. I did contact the front desk, and they did send up a clean blanket, and they told me to run the water for a half hour. I did that, and ot didin't help.
Bobbi-Jo

[llanning]

What about the Radisson at Bayside?

[CRUZFOOLS]

Thanks for the info. There are still a few decisions that 10 of us have to make. I would like to try Priceline for the first time and hope for double beds but some of my fellow travelers are leary about bidding. I like chances but we would need 5 rooms to be on the safe side and all you can bid for is 4. So.............do I take the chance that one of the rooms will have double beds??? Will have to think on that one.

[jdmss]

I booked through PriceLine (first timer) and got this hotel for $42. We are arriving late with friends the night before we leave for our cruise. We are counting on two double beds and I really dont think it will be a problem. I will be emailing or phoning a couple of months in advance requesting the double beds. I have read other reviews and no one seemed to have a problem with the hotel denying them the two double beds. Hope that helps !!

[CRUZFOOLS]

jdmss: Tell me how you went about bidding thru Priceline. Did you use certain amenities to get a certain hotel. What price did you start bidding at and how long did it take to get accepted. Just wondering what price I should bid. We're cruising April, 05 out of Miami. Thanks for the info.

[Lilylady]

[quote name='llanning']What about the Radisson at Bayside?[/QUOTE]
[font=Fixedsys][color=blue]The Radisson is downtown, not far from Bayside and is a nice hotel. They have a shuttle to the port for a nominal fee. This hotel comes up often on Priceline in the 3 star category.[/color][/font]

[llanning]

How far is not far from Bayside? Can we walk there? We need to get to the Ft. Lauderdale airport. What is the best way for four people? Thanks for your input.

[CoachTerry14]

Does any one know how good or bad this place is? My brother-in-law is staying here because it has a free airport and cruise shuttle.

[jdmss]

[quote name='CRUZFOOLS']jdmss: Tell me how you went about bidding thru Priceline. Did you use certain amenities to get a certain hotel. What price did you start bidding at and how long did it take to get accepted. Just wondering what price I should bid. We're cruising April, 05 out of Miami. Thanks for the info.[/QUOTE]

To get all the help with bidding on Priceline, I went to: [url="http://www.betterbidding.com"]www.betterbidding.com[/url]
and read all that I could on Hotels - Florida and just followed all suggestions. It is a little intimidating at first, but it was EASY and I got a great Deal! Definately worth it! The host Thereuare is also a great help. Good Luck !!!

[vossjemi]

Our first time in miami, we stayed at the blue moon in sobe. $195/night. Good Location if you've never been to sobe. I'd recommend the news cafe for breakfast!

Thought we'd try downtown our next time. So, we will be staying at the holiday inn at the port. It is the closest hotel to the port and to bayside marketplace. Its around $100 night. Its also about $21 taxi from mia to downtown.