More about South Beach Plaza Hotel
Disaster
by A TripAdvisor Member
Disaster – I booked for a two night stay Jan 27th/28th and received two e-mails from the South Beach Plaza Hotel confirming my reservation. I also telephoned two days prior to arrival and confirmed my reservation verbally.
When we arrived at the South Beach Plaza Hotel tired after a long journey the staff at front desk told us the room we had booked and confirmed was not available – no explanation could be given as to why no one from the hotel thought to telephone and alert us in advance.
South Beach Plaza offered an inferior room in an other hotel – The Essex which only had one bed instead of the two specified in the reservation and a derisory offer of a complimentary breakfast. The impression received from the staff at the desk of the South Beach Plaza Hotel was that this lack of regard for guests was standard procedure.
We booked into the Delano and had a wonderful time in South Beach – despite the fiasco generated by the South Beach Plaza Hotel.
Obviously I would never consider the South Beach Plaza hotel for future visits to Miami and feel an obligation to point out to others how poorly the South Beach Plaza hotel is managed.
Cute place, good location and price
by TripAdvisor Member GreenMermaid
I researched many South Beach "boutique" hotels before selecting this one for a quick weekend one-night getaway. I found that most so-called renovations usually comprised a coat of paint, some cheap new bathroom fixtures, and a trendy-looking lobby. Getting a better quality hotel experience meant jumping into a significantly higher price category. Since we were staying for one night for quick weekend jaunt, I wanted inexpensive but cute. The South Beach Plaza Hotel really fit the bill.
The chic lobby and friendly staff were a welcome first impression. Rich wine red was a theme there as well as in the rooms. We had made reservations at the partner South Beach Plaza Villas, but because of availability they booked us in the nicer and larger rooms on the Plaza Hotel side for the same price.
Many of the other "renovated" boutique hotels had depressing hallways that made them look like they still were tenement buildings. The SB Plaza had a tropical motif going on that was bright,charming, and really worked.
There was a courtyard garden between the 2 buildings, with lounges and sand brought in to imitate a beach. Fabric umbrella tables were nestled amid the tropical trees and plants. I think they only served breakfast, since it seemed that no one was there in the evening, despite the romantic setting.
Our room was a standard king on the 3rd floor, with wine dark red walls and pleasantly modern bedding and furniture. Although the fixtures were new and had a nice aesthetic, the bathroom was very small and the sink miniscule. You had to kind of duck way under the cabinet to hold your head above the tiny sink while brushing your teeth,and mop up what spilled on the floor with an extra towel. Otherwise, everything worked fine and was functional. Our view was of the garden, where tall tropical trees reached up to our window for our privacy. And you could open the window to get the cool breezes -- a nice change from those institutional chain hotels.
Cute, comfy and inexpensive -- perfect for a short stay to enjoy the pleasures of SoBe.
Loved it!
by A TripAdvisor Member
I have to say we really lucked out! This was our first time to Miami and booked our trip through a "vacation package" website. When we got to the hotel we were upgraded to a suite! It had a full kitchen...stainless steel fridge, dishwasher and stove. A large couch, a dvd/cd player, flat-screen tv...the works. We had this one bellman that absolutely catered to us! Love Jose, such a sweetheart! The wait staff really took care of us. Absolutely no complaints...oh, maybe one. There is no pool. Would have been a nice feature but not a dealbreaker.
So/So
by A TripAdvisor Member
I stayed at this hotel with a friend for Sring Break in College. I found the hotel on the internet. The pictures looked nothing like the hotel. The hotel was nasty. It was dirty and there was no running water for the WHOLE DAY!! Truthfully, we were never in the hotel between the beach, bars, and restaurants, so it didn't bother us. I wouldn't go there with a boyfriend or a spouse though. I heard they renovated it, so the newly reviews aren't that bad, but haven't been there since the changed it.
Had a perfectly pleasant stay
by TripAdvisor Member JCtheEE
The hotel was clean and the room had clearly been recently remodeled. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom was sufficient. While prices at the bar were high by normal standards, they were completely in line with what is normally encountered in South Beach. After having stayed in a half dozen other hotels in the neighborhood, I wouldn't hesitate to stay at this one again. For the travelers who reported theft, while it's unfortunate, it's not a good policy to leave valuables unattended in front of minimum wage earners. Not everyone has the strength of character to resist temptation of that nature.
Oddly, the tips that I left for the maid each morning were left undisturbed through the end of my trip, by which time they had accumulated to a tidy little sum.
Steer Clear!
by TripAdvisor Member ChinaSaucer
Good location but thats where the good news ends!
On check in our room had a safe that did not work (A big concern due to some of the previous tripadvisor comments we had read re frequent thefts at this hotel). The carpets were dirty, the bath was mouldy, the sink porcelain was cracked, and they messed up our reservation - insisting that a 'Double' room was two small beds rather than the one large bed my girlfriend and I had expected. Also the TV did not work and we had staff back and forth to the room trying to sort it out (which they did in the end...but would be nice if they did this before the guest arrived!)
I am not a fussy traveller at all and could have forgiven most of this if the staff were concerned and helpful - but sadly they were neither. The reception staff we dealt with were sullen and not interested in helping. Seems like they have 'seen it all before'.
I would say this hotel is not worth more than about $100 a night (mainly for the location) but well over priced a the $180+ we were paying.
MDW at the Beach Plaza Hotel
by A TripAdvisor Member
Ok, I read the other reviews so the first thing I did was check the bed for bedbugs. There were none. Now, there is a moldy smell throughout the hotel. The walls are paper thin and you can hear water running, music, and everthing else. Our bathroom door was broken and the knob kept falling off. The beds were comfy and it was clean enough for its purpose. Hotel staff was exceptional! Very friendly and courteous; one guy even helped me to my room and gave me water (I was extremely intoxicated...lol).
Overall, this was not a bad stay. Not somewhere you would go for a vacation but rather to change, shower, and sober up. Oh yeah, the water was always hot. For the ladies, the mirror is small and placed too close to the sink so I kept hitting my head while brushing my teeth. Oh yeah, shoutouts to the bartender Andy, polite and cute!!
stay away
by A TripAdvisor Member
Room was advertized as a 4-star but in reality could only be graded as a 2 star at best. Rooms are small. Room was very dirty. The carpets were filthy, comforters were dirty, & the walls were dirty. The worst was the large roach in the bed when the covers were pulled back. The staff seemed concerned and did move us to another room but this room was more dirty than the first one. The management did cooperate when we requested to leave and not be charged for this nerve-wracking experience.
