More about Intercontinental Miami
Great Location, Great Service
by TripAdvisor Member BILLJ_GA
I stayed at the Intercontinental in May of 2005 for a business conference and had an enjoyable stay at the hotel. From the moment I checked in, to the time I left, I experienced no problems. Well.. only one thing and it was my fault, at checkout I noticed more things on my bill from the minibar. The reason is that they are using RFID technology on the items. If you take something out of the minibar to look at it and walk x amount of feet away from it, it charges it to your room. I used the bottle opener and it rang it up. However, at checkout time there were no issues at all getting the un-used items deleted from my bill. If you are looking to be closer to South Beach, this is not the hotel for you. There is also a nightly cruise around coconut grove that departs right outside the hotel grounds for 10-12$.
The only thing that could have been better was the elevator service. When attending a conference with a large group and a session ends and you want to run up to your room, it would take 5-15minutes for me to get on the elevator and make it up to the 29th floor.
Overall, if you are paying 140/night or less, it is a good deal.
Ok, Stay better last year
by TripAdvisor Member tt&oj
I have stayed here in May for the past 3 years, due to its ideal location to Bayside. This year we decided to arrive early to do the Sunday Brunch as it looked great the year before, but I had already eaten (bummer). Upon checking in I asked if they still did the Sunday Brunch, and was told by reception that she did not know (????) so I moved on and tried again this time I asked the nicely dressed man standing by the elevators he suggested I asked the restaurant manager (???). Went to my room hell bent on Sunday Brunch I went back to the lobby made a left and low and behold Sunday Brunch. Then disappointment, the Mimosa was made with the cheapest harshest champagne (it's complimentary so maybe I shouldn’t complain) so I just drank water. The omelets were excellent the fruit/salad/cheese bar was superb, the deserts looked excellent but I was so stuffed and could only look. On the other hand the rooms were great we had an excellent view of the Bay, the bathroom/dressing area was better than most. Well see you next year.
Beware!
by TripAdvisor Member wowfactor
As mentioned on earlier reviews this hotel overlooks Bayfront Park. When we stayed at the last weekend in May there was a reggae / hip-hop concert in the park. The music was so loud that you had no chance of sleeping. Hotel management were very dismissive of our concerns and advised us that it would finish at 11. It went on until the early hours. When we checked out we made a formal complaint and requested some form of recompense. Even a reduction on the valet parking would have been acceptable to recognise our disruption. Again the management were totally dismissive and said that the noise was not their fault. They also stated that they could not reduce the cost of the room as this had been booked through an internet agent and valet parking was a seperate company - even though it appeared on their bill. The duty manger was rude and had a sneering attitude although his smirk soon disappeared when I said I would put my thoughts on Trip Advisor! Otherwise nice hotel with great rooms and beds but make sure no concerts are planned during your stay!
Awesome stay!
by A TripAdvisor Member
Recently stayed at the Intercontinental on business 6/12-15. It was very convenient to the building where we were working (directly across the street). The minute we stepped out of the taxi, we were greeted by friendly hotel employees offering assistance with our luggage. We had club level rooms so check in was done on the 29th floor. The desk attendant was friendly, efficient and took less than 5 minutes to get us our rooms. My room was more than I expected; it was larger than any standard hotel room I've seen. There were two chairs along with a kingsize bed, a brand new TV, and an enormous bathroom with a large closet. Everything was immaculate. Turndown service included a card saying what the weather would be the next day. Hotel soaps and shampoos were really nice quality.
As I was working all day, I am not sure what time the maid service came, but each time I returned to my room, it had been cleaned. Our rooms included a free breakfast and happy hour on the 29th floor, so we definitely took advantage of that benefit. Breakfast provided everything like fruit, pastries and cereals, and happy hour offered standard hors d'ourves and top shelf liquor. It was a nice bonus to have this available during our stay.
We checked out around 5:45am to catch a flight out, and even at that time there were bellmen out front to get us a taxi right away.
This hotel was awesome, I have no complaints about my stay. Employees were friendly and helpful. I didn't hear any kind of noise while in my room (like other reviews have stated) from either outside or inside the hotel. It is located right on the water which provides beautiful views, and there are many shops/resturants nearby that are within walking distance. If you want easy access to South Beach, I wouldn't stay there b/c its a 15 min taxi ride, but if you are there for business or to just enjoy Miami, its definitely a great place to stay.
OK for one night... not a holiday
by TripAdvisor Member UKVisitor
We stayed here for one night prior to a cruise.
The room is very nice, quiet cool and well appointed.
The door staff were abrupt and no one opened doors for us like in the other hotels we stayed in on Miami beach and the Hilton at the airport.
They failed to give us the welcome letter from the cruise company when we checked in we had to go down and ask, they also failed to tell us we had to have our luggage out at 10 30 for transfer to the ship . We only found out when we went for a walk and saw the cases in the lobby.
The pool area was not very clean there was a lot of plastic cups , bottle and cigartette end blowing about and the pool was like ice.
Bayside Market place was 5 minutes walk away and was fun in the evening .
On the whole it was OK for less than 24 hours prior to a cruise but I would not choose to stay there if I was paying and certianly not for a holiday.
Service not worthy of the price
by TripAdvisor Member BMWUtopia
The Intercontinental is beautiful, rooms are nice, location is great (right near port if you are going for a cruise, and bayside shopping canter is 3 minutes away).
However, there were a couple of disappointments with respect to the staff. For example, when we asked the concierge for a recommendation to a decent (non-chain) restaurant, he directed us to Bayside. When we asked him again for something that wasn't a chain--he told us in his flippant, French accent that "...everything was a chain."
We hadn't been supplied with enough toilet, so the next morning after breakfast, we went to the front desk to ask for another roll. The young lady behind the counter acted smart --- and childish about our request (as if we were some bums off the street looking for a free roll of toilet paper). She said she would have someone send it to our room--but that never happened.
The two incidents that happened basically demonstrates unprofessionalism--which one would expect in a low-end hotel costing $40 a night--however, we're talking about a hotel that is +$300 a night!!
I still recommend the hotel, but if you are expecting a Ritz-Carlton or JW Marriott--you will be disappointed!!
Just okay
by TripAdvisor Member kmarsh99
My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Intercontinental for 2 nights pre-cruise. First of all, I thought I was getting a great deal through Hotwire for $98.00 a night. What they do not tell you is you have no choice but to use their valet parking service and it is $25.00 a night. I do not agree with $50.00 for a parking spot for two nights. The going rate for the room on the two nights we stayed there was $299.00 a night. If I had paid that I would have been furious. Our room was okay - the bed was hard as a rock and the pillows were about 1 inch thick. The decor was cute and trendy but that is ALL the hotel has going for it, I would not recommend this hotel unless you get an extremely good deal - even then you need to add $25.00 a night just to park your car.
My Best Room Ever
by TripAdvisor Member mshellokitty99
I love the Intercontinental in Miami. The room was GREAT, the view of the ocean was overwhelming. The service was great. I loved the bathroom, all marble. Very comfortable bed. Again, the view was beautiful. The price was GREAT, well below 100/night for Memorial Day weekend, that was unheard of (priceline).
Overall, I would stay here again and again. I love it.
