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Help me find a nice hotel........

klfhngr

By klfhngr,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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jerseygirl3

jerseygirl3

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I agree with the Holiday Inn Port of Miami. The location across the street from Bayside Market is great because you literally walk across the street to get there. If you request a bayside room on an upper floor, you will see the ships in the morning when you wake up. It is recently renovated, and while it's not a resort style hotel, it is certainly nice enough for a night or two precruise. And it's only a 5 minute taxi ride to the ship.

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nightingail

nightingail

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JERSEYGIRL3....I have to agree with Holiday Inn Port of Miami........I have suggested this one to several friends and they were all quite happy with it........You get a great view of the cruise ships, when you wake up in the morning...and Bayside is fun...Don't forget to go to Bubba Gumps.......lots of trivia and fun.........Nightingail.

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CruiseFever

CruiseFever

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The Hyatt, downtown, is our favorite in Miami. After a 2 day pre-cruise stay before our first Carnival Legend cruise we're hooked on the hotel AND on priceline.com. We got this $250 per night hotel for $30+tax! It's a great hotel. We chose to take a cab to Bayside ($2.50) but we could have walked. Right across the street and down a ways is a good Walgreens drug store for those last minute things you might need. Also, in the hotel is a nice gift shop, cafe and bar. The lobby is spacious and comfortable, not as nice as the Intercontinental but nice nonetheless. Our room had a nice view of the Port of Miami as well as the Miami skyline. Room service was good and prompt. I think next time, if we can get that same good rate, we will probably book 2 rooms one for us and one for the kids. But we won't let them drink the water, its $4.00 a bottle, and that's for the cheap stuff!

 

 

On our post cruise vacation after our 2004 Holiday sailing of the Caribbean Princess we stayed at the downtown Hyatt in Miami in two rooms we bought off priceline.com for $50 each. I think they would have sold for about $500 regularly. Quite a deal!

 

Check them out, here's a video tour of them

 

The Intercontinental is another option and a world class hotel. I suggest booking a club level room. This allows you to enjoy the concierge club on the 31st floor which features a complementary breakfast, snacks and goodies during the day and drinks (beer, wine and champagne- sodas for the kids) at night.

 

 

 

The view is great from the Intercontinental regardless of the view. Port view is great and city view is breathtaking. We were on the 30th floor and could see everything we wanted to...including a condo across from the port that I will live in some day! It's the same view you get from the Hyatt only closer to the action. The Intercontinental has a very nice pool and the spa/exercise area is world class. We enjoyed lunch by the pool one post-cruise day and found it so relaxing that we skipped our beach plans. The Cafe/Bar by poolside serves a great menu which you can enjoy by the pool or inside overlooking the port. Either way you are just steps away from a viewing area that lets you keep an eye on all the cruise ships in port. Of course we're looking for the Carnival trademark funnel, but the other ones are fun to look at too.

 

 

If you book a club level room on the weekend, when the club itself is closed, they give you coupons good for drinks at the bar and, best of all, admission to the breakfast buffet . You'll have to try pretty hard to beat this fine buffet. If you're an early riser (I mean REAL early) they put out a nice cart with coffee and danish in the lobby opposite this place. I think its for business people that have really early meetings because it's gone by 5:30 AM. But those are the best Danish of the day, fresh from the oven. I liked to have coffee and danish by the fountain in the lobby and recheck our plans for the day while the rest of the family is still in deep sleep and before the cruise ships come into port in the pre-dawn hours.

 

 

 

 

Another recommendation is the Best Holiday Inn Marina Park Hotel. This place is about as far down the list, price-wise, as I want to go. Its a decent hotel and the location is great. Its a little farther from the port but you can book rooms with port view pretty easily. I suggest room 911. Its a corner room so you get city view and port view in one.

 

While it may be farther from the port it is literally right across the street from Bayside Marketplace. The first thing we do when we get into Miami is make our way to the hotel then go eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. ( http://www.bubbagump.com/ ) Ask for Roley or Jason to be your server, if you're lucky enough to get him you'll have the best of times. The other servers are good too but Roley is our favorite. Tip: Watch the movie Forrest Gump at least 5 times before dining there. In a fun way, they like to quiz the guests on Gump-trivia. Its all in good fun, not uncomfortably in-your-face stuff like some places.

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mnsawyer

mnsawyer

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We stayed the Hyatt two years ago (March) in that we got it through Priceline for $27! It's a nice hotel but would prefer to stay closer to Bayside but at that rate, we were not complaining. There are a couple of places to eat there but it's very expensive. I believe coffee and danish were $10 per person the morning of our cruise! From the Hyatt, we walked to Bayside but took a cab back in the evening. Years ago, the Hotel Intercontinental used to be a pre-post Carnival hotel but no more. It's gorgeous and the views are spectacular of Biscayne Bay. I have heard there is a large building going up right beside the HI, so there isn't much sun?? The pool are is lovely but have read from this board that with the building blocking the sun, it may be taken out? Haven't stayed at the Holiday Inn but it is the best location! If we sailed out of Miami again, I would book the Holiday Inn unless rooms on Priceline were considerably cheaper.

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klfhngr

klfhngr

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Thank you all for your quick response... looks like we'll be staying at the Holiday Inn..... Also thinking of booking limo thru Larry's since our flight arrives in FLL and hotel is in Miami.. has anyone used Larry's before? Do you recommend them? Are their rates affordable?

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palmtre2

palmtre2

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I can vouch for TriCounty - they work out of the airport, a limo cost us $60 from FLL to the Holiday Inn South Beach which was a fine, inexpensive hotel at the north end of the south beach area and right on the beach, but always ask for a room in the new tower - the rest of the hotel is a bit worn.

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klfhngr

klfhngr

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We're staying at the Marriott Biscayne Bay - - $135 for a bayview room, breakfast for two, two complimentary drinks upon arrival and two transfers to the cruise dock. I think it's a great deal - - we'll see - - we leave on Saturday!

 

 

WOW! I BETTER CHECK THIS OUT..... HOLIDAY INN IS $110, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE TRANSFERS, NOR DRINKG OR BREAKFAST!! THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP, I'M CHECKING THEM OUT RIGHT NOW..

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klfhngr

klfhngr

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We're staying at the Marriott Biscayne Bay - - $135 for a bayview room, breakfast for two, two complimentary drinks upon arrival and two transfers to the cruise dock. I think it's a great deal - - we'll see - - we leave on Saturday!

 

Well, I just called.. you got a great deal... price in Nov. is $209 for the same package you got, PLUS tax! Thanks though for the info.....

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jerseygirl3

jerseygirl3

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Klf, the reason the other poster got such a great deal is because typically prices are rock bottom in September. BTW, the Holiday Inn has a Cruise Sailaway Special (go to their website and click on "specials") that is $99/night and includes breakfast for two (kids under 12 eat free), upgrade to bayside room, discount coupons for Bayside Marketplace, and two free tickets to the Millionaire Row's tour cruise or two free drinks at a place across the street at Bayside Market. Check it out.

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picktowncruzr

picktowncruzr

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Actually, when we first booked the rate was $209 - - I checked a couple weeks ago and saw that the price had dropped so I called them and told them I wanted the lower rate - - they were more than happy to accommodate. Guess they post the higher rate further away and then as they get closer and can't fill all the rooms they lower it!

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carni05

carni05

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Booo Hooo Holiday Inn Port of Miami sold out for my pre-cruise night. I would like to bid on priceline for something real close to Bayside Market, but have never bid and I'm not sure I understand the bidding process. I want to pay as little as possible- dont' care about amenities- just want a clean room w/i walking distance to the market. Any suggestions? Thanks

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klfhngr

klfhngr

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Carni05,

 

We are staying at the Radison. It is near the Marketplace. There is a shuttle service back and forth to the Marketplace right at the hotel. Price we got was around $145 for the night.

 

Thanks, I will give them a call or check online..

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