POM - Bayside Hotel or Beachfront?

[keishashadow]

newbie to POM need advice

 

hope to have SWA credit (if summer flight prices ever drop;)); so need to book flight into Ft Lauderdale

 

plan was to take taxi (appears as though a shuttle or even a towncar cheaper for the 3 in my party) to Miami & stay 1 night before departing on Carnival Glory in December

 

family is lobbying for hotel on the beach, sticker shock:eek:priced out the Loews & decided to checkout the bayside offerings...

 

can get Holiday inn (which appears to be a fav here) for less than $200 including tax

 

family (pa & 16 y.o. son probably hoping to scope out the bathing beauties) r still lobbying for the beach:rolleyes:

 

Have read the Days Inn & Continental properties r 'dumpy', any suggestions for reasonable 'modern' hotels on the beach that'd be family friendly, Im def not looking for party atmosphere of south beach:p

 

TIA:)

[cruisingrightalong]

Well at the Holiday Inn (and we stay there) you won't be scoping the babes on the beach!!!! But you will be scoping out the fun and people watching at Bayside directly across the street. Plenty to do there from take a tour of the Stars homes to eating to Hooters (there you go...scope the babes there!)

 

For beach, head to South Beach....we stayed at the Marriott Courtyard at the "far end" of the Miaimi Beach area...rooms are a bit tight but directly on the beach for $159 (this was in January this year).....South Beach will be pricier...but you can walk down the beach on the sidewalk from one end to the other about 2 miles total. Parking is the premium especially at the hotels...so taxi or shuttle.

 

Lou

[martinchem]

There is street parking a little north.

[eandj]

You might want to look at Doubletree Surfcomber. A really good location but moderate priced...for Miami.

 

By the way if you are talking Dec. there won't be too much happening on the beach unless it is unusually warm that day! It was 40 degrees at the end of Dec, early Jan this past year!

[BlueHerons]

newbie to POM need advice

 

hope to have SWA credit (if summer flight prices ever drop;)); so need to book flight into Ft Lauderdale

 

plan was to take taxi (appears as though a shuttle or even a towncar cheaper for the 3 in my party) to Miami & stay 1 night before departing on Carnival Glory in December

 

family is lobbying for hotel on the beach, sticker shock:eek:priced out the Loews & decided to checkout the bayside offerings...

 

can get Holiday inn (which appears to be a fav here) for less than $200 including tax

 

family (pa & 16 y.o. son probably hoping to scope out the bathing beauties) r still lobbying for the beach:rolleyes:

 

Have read the Days Inn & Continental properties r 'dumpy', any suggestions for reasonable 'modern' hotels on the beach that'd be family friendly, Im def not looking for party atmosphere of south beach:p

 

TIA:)

\

 

Your dates are over Art Basel Weekend so everything will be expensive. If you stay Bayside, remember you will still have a $25 cab each way to the beach and back so your $200 hotel has gone up to $250.

 

Stay at a hotel on the beach. Bayside is a big fat yawn.

 

Temps in early December will more likely be mid to upper 70s than cold.

 

Have you checked out the Newport Beachside Resort?

[Langley Cruisers]

Stay at a hotel on the beach. Bayside is a big fat yawn.

 

hehe... that's so funny... someone else who feels like I do. :D

 

I fully understand the draw to the Bayside Marketplace, but it's really just a Mall with outdoor entertainment. I wish people wouldn't plan their pre or post cruise around Bayside; it's a nice place to kill a few hours, but it's just not "all that". :p

 

Holiday Inn POM is not all that great (sorry, all you fans!). There is one small pool surrounded by concrete walls. It's just not a great place. There are other, better hotels.

[cruisingrightalong]

Unfortunately price drives this port location. We were lucky to get the Courtyard on Miami Beach for $159 when everyone else was in the $200's. Lots of people have luck with Priceline but I haven't used it. Some good homework on whether someone wants the beach or scenery or some fun.

 

December is "in season" in Miami isn't it????

 

Lou

[beta98beta]

hehe... that's so funny... someone else who feels like I do. :D

 

I fully understand the draw to the Bayside Marketplace, but it's really just a Mall with outdoor entertainment. I wish people wouldn't plan their pre or post cruise around Bayside; it's a nice place to kill a few hours, but it's just not "all that". :p

.

 

 

Well that depends on who you are traveling with. My mother is a senior citizen (she would kill me if I told her age) and she loves to do Bayside the day before the cruise. Its not a lot of walking yet she can eat a decent meal, do a little shopping, and see a little entertainment. So it works for her and I'm happy to oblige as well let's face it, we don't have them forever, so its best to indulge them while we can. :o It also works for people traveling with a lot of littles ones and just want to entertain and feed them for a couple of hours before putting them to bed at the hotel.

 

To the OP, I haven't checked the Dec. prices, and since there is a special event going on this may not help you but.... someone here turned me on to easyclicktravel.com. I was able to get the Intercontinental Hotel Downtown on Chopin Plaza for $100 less than the best available rate listed on their website and other websites for April.

 

It has very good rating both here and on other travel sites. They offer bay and city views, but you have to call and request the view a few days after booking, and of course there is no guarantee you will receive the view requested, but with the cost savings who cares. My understanding is its 8 blocks or 10 minute walk down the street from Bayside (in my mother's case that will mean a short taxi ride :D)

 

Also a lot of people seem to be having luck getting the Hilton downtown via priceline for low prices but the reviews, while mostly positive, have been mixed on that one. See the priceline sticky thread above.

 

Hope this helps!

[deepnite10]

this past jan..we got into the Holiday Inn thru Priceline for $160 per night..and the hotel was more than we expected..you can check out

my slideshow..there are several pictures from our room overlooking

Bayside and the cruise ship s..

 

we arrived 2 day s early and booked an excursion thru the hotel..

and each night had dinner at Bayside..first it was Bubba Gumps..and the

next we went to Knife s ..and breakfast at Holiday Inn..

 

we did enjoy the night time activities going on at Bayside and spent alot

of time at their Starbucks using up gift cards..

[cruisingrightalong]

Intercontinental is kinda "attached" to Bayside...just a block of walking really. She should be able to make it. Also the hotels have complimentary wheelchairs.

 

At least the Holiday Inn does....I checked for my dad when he was going once. And can walk fine...but gets tired.

 

Lou

[BlueHerons]

Well that depends on who you are traveling with. My mother is a senior citizen (she would kill me if I told her age) and she loves to do Bayside the day before the cruise. Its not a lot of walking yet she can eat a decent meal, do a little shopping, and see a little entertainment. So it works for her and I'm happy to oblige as well let's face it, we don't have them forever, so its best to indulge them while we can. :o It also works for people traveling with a lot of littles ones and just want to entertain and feed them for a couple of hours before putting them to bed at the hotel.

 

!

 

You could do a lot better at Mary Brickell Village, Cocowalk in Coconut Grove, Lincoln Road Mall or Espanola Way in South Beach, or the Miracle Mile in Coral Gables just to name a few places that are a lot nicer than Bayside.

 

You could oblige your mother in an actual residential neighborhood.

[gracie65]

I just booked Newport Beach Suites. After reading reviews here & on tripadvisor it seemed perfect for us. We usually stay at an Embassy Suites but FLL is 369.00. Planned on airport ES but ran across Newport. Doesn't sound like the rooms are anyting special but are clean & for one night I read the location is worth it. I then booked SAS shuttle from FLL airport to Newport for 12.00pp then Newport to Port of Miami next day for 10.00pp.

[mnsawyer]

We have stayed at the Richmond Hotel on South Beach. One of very few hotels actually on the beach. While it is older, (like most on SB), we found it to be very convenient and the pool area and grounds lovely. It's about 1 1/2 blocks from Lincoln Road (tons of dining) and the same distance to a Walgreen's and CVS.

 

Location..location..location. Stay on SB if you can.

[keishashadow]

\

 

Your dates are over Art Basel Weekend so everything will be expensive. If you stay Bayside, remember you will still have a $25 cab each way to the beach and back so your $200 hotel has gone up to $250.

 

Stay at a hotel on the beach. Bayside is a big fat yawn.

 

Temps in early December will more likely be mid to upper 70s than cold.

 

Have you checked out the Newport Beachside Resort?

 

didn't see it, will dig a bit more, had some trouble finding rooms to sleep 3, many old skool tiny rooms/art deco & all;)

 

at least i know now why the rates r so high that date, darn it

 

im from PIT, 70 degrees will feel tropical

 

here's what i found (standard, cancellable rates all non OF) basically same ballpark...dug a round on tripadvisor, yet anybody want to rate one over another so i can book something?

 

$200 Best Western Atlantic Beach, 4101 Collins (ive not had much luck w/their properties in the past)

 

$225 (as rec above-thank u) Holiday Inn, 4333 Collins

& Four Points Sheraton, 4343 Collins

 

$240 Courtyard Marriott OF hotel, 3225 Collins

 

$270 South Beach Marriott, 161 Ocean Drive, ltd OV room

appears to be walking distance to beginning of South Beach area:confused:bonus as we won't have a car

 

Doubletree @ 1717 Collins is sold out

 

dark horse:

 

$110 HoJo Deezerland 8701 Collins (looks quite some distance north, state they have a free shuttle to SoBe & Lincoln Mall)

 

fyi, the Holiday Inn bayside is $170 & once the cabfare is added, SoBe could be less $

[cruisingrightalong]

We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott on Collins....rooms were nice but small...used to be the old Continental hotel. Lobby is huge... restaurant attached. IF you walked towards South Beach it would be about 2 miles to Jerry's Deli and some more blocks to South Beach but you can walk down the boardwalk/sidewalk on the beach side.

 

I got the rate of $159 this past January.

 

Lou

[keishashadow]

thanks:)

[keishashadow]

update

 

the booking site mentioned above didn't produce my dates, did see some things bayside

 

noticed another place now sold out overnight, went with the Marriott SoBe; 161 Ocean Drive:D

 

called hotel, they promisded an OF room (via AAA & marriot reward info) & stated they will store our luggage & have in room safes:cool:. this was an issue in that area, most seemed to be lobby only.

 

now to figure out the area, thanks for all the help; almost excited about exploring here for a night as the cruise:p

[Sea Born]

deepnite10 - glad to hear that the HI was to your liking! I didn't see the pictures that you were talking about? I just booked a room there for our May 17th cruise. I actually called them direct and got a better price than on line. I also got an AARP discount (ok, so don't like to admit that I belong) for $152.00 per night. Well, sometimes it does pay to be old --- er! It is always hard to make a choice of where to stay if you haven't ever been to the particular city. We (my daughter & I) will be flying in, so we won't have a car and didn't want to stay somewhere that there wasn't anything to do within walking distance.

[BlueHerons]

update

 

the booking site mentioned above didn't produce my dates, did see some things bayside

 

noticed another place now sold out overnight, went with the Marriott SoBe; 161 Ocean Drive:D

 

called hotel, they promisded an OF room (via AAA & marriot reward info) & stated they will store our luggage & have in room safes:cool:. this was an issue in that area, most seemed to be lobby only.

 

now to figure out the area, thanks for all the help; almost excited about exploring here for a night as the cruise:p

 

You'll love the Marriott South Beach!

[canner]

I have stayed at Holiday Inn Port of Miami, and yes it is not the newest, savviest hotel. But it was clean, friendly and in a great location for us. Taxi from Airport was a flat rate of $24, that is the rate whether it is 1 person or 5, total of $24. There were lots of taxis waiting outside the hotel because this is a popular hotel for cruisers. From hotel to port was same rate for taxi.

 

Hotel itself ... location as stated, is across from the Bayside Marketplace. It is older and there is the normal wear and tear one would expect. It is clean and the staff is very friendly. There was a bellhop there to help with our luggage when we got there which was a treat for my folks. They offer a breakfast special rate that includes up to $20 per room. We were able to order from the menu or get from the buffet. They also gave us cups so that we could take coffee with us when we had finished with our breakfast.

 

My favorite thing about the hotel is that I had requested a room as high as possible facing the bay, which they were able to honor. There was an RCL ship in port that we were able to watch leave the port. It was rather late leaving and if I remember correctly it was after 10pm that it left. I was overly excited about cruising and knowing that I could see the bay and port, I was up and down from 2am on and watched 3 ships come into port including our ship. To me, this was worth the fact that the business center needed some updating of carpet and paint. Was worth it even though the elevator was dark and had that faint old water smell.

 

In fact, my family and I will be staying there for our May cruise.

 

This is just my opinion of course and others look for other things. However, if you are looking for a clean room, nice staff, shopping and people watching, view of the bay and cruise ships, then this is a great hotel.