More about The Standard Miami
Shame.....it could be so much more.
by TripAdvisor Member Nosda
The Standard Miami is a converted old hotel that could be and should be cool but it's not quite there yet. The rooms are ok, the food is alright, the bar is lame but, I will admit, the do it yourself spa is very cool and the infinity pool is amazing. For the price, I would have expected the rooms to be at least slightly more plush (the hooded robes were great though). The patio is good for some extra space; however, the gauze sheet doesn't offer anything by way of privacy. Nothing special.
One thing I must say though, the check in was beyond deplorable. I was treated horribly and embarrassed. The story is far too long to tell but I'd be huffing over this service at a campground - should NEVER have hapened at a 'Standard' Hotel.
Overall, The Standard Miami should be so much better than it is. For the money, there are a vast number of equally cool hotels in Miami Beach. I'd try my luck at one of those before I'd stay at The Standard Miami again. ...my 2 cents.
Sub-Standard - Very poor
by A TripAdvisor Member
Disappointing - we actually had to leave. My wife and I have stayed in Miami many times and decided after reviewing the new website for the Standard, we would give it a try. We opted for the best room - the Large, Wet room with the "private outdoor deck with soaking tub. We approached the hotel and noticed that there were several cars jammed into the turn around at the door. This is because there was no valet and no bellman - at all. They werent busy - there were none. We got our luggage out and took it to the front desk through the shabby front doors and past the dismal landscaping. After checking in, we were directed via map to our room and lugged our bags there as if we were staying in a motel. After getting to the room, which looked as if it were furnished from IKEA, we were completely disaapointed. The "Garden view" was a peek at a fence from the door. The outdoor soaking tub was a joke. There was no privacy as the only thing separating you from your neighbor was a totally see through cheap drape. The tub is right next to your neighbors door! I guess you could wave as others were checkiing into the room. After 10 minutes of trying to get used to it, we gathered our things and left. Dont do it.
Greattttt Hotel
by TripAdvisor Member Tcastronovo
Excellent hotel, from check in to check out . When i checked in my reservation was lost, but they said not to worry and that there were open rooms. After small talk with the beautiful and really nice check in woman, she upraded my room from the cheapest missionary room category to one of the most expensive, Wet medium. The room was great, not too small great shower nice outdoor porch, and even a bathtub that was put to use. The pool was really nice and big, sun tanning area was good on the dock and the dock side resturant was a nice place to relax. Also the garden with many different seating areas was beautiful and relaxing. The location is not horrible but not the greatest, while it has great peacefull views of the bay, it is about a 15 minute walk to lincoln road shopping and dinning area. Which was a nice walk. There was also a shuttle service to the Raliegh. Which is about a 5-10 minute drive. But, gave the best service ever. He drove us anywhere we wanted in south beach, and even gave us his cell phone number to pick us up from where we were and drop us back off at the hotel. Great Service, he was awsome. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone who wants to relax by day or night but still be close enough to all the action. GREAT HOTEL.
Why the bad reviews?
by A TripAdvisor Member
We came so close to canceling our reservations to the Standard after reading some of the negative reviews on the site. To be honest, we don't quite understand where some of the bad reviews are coming from. There was even one reviewer who wrote about kids being able to see you through the curtains when the hotel doesn't even allow kids. In any case, we really liked our stay at the Standard.
We booked two rooms (a dry medium and a dry large) which were decorated very similarly except that the dry large was a good deal larger (especially the bathroom). The smaller room, however, got a better view (which really didnt matter since we were at the pool or the spa for the most part). The furniture had a swedish feel to it (hence the ikea reference in some of the reviews) but they were quite comfortable. One negative about the room is the lack of dvd's to watch. There was a dvd/cd player plus an LCD tv, but there was no dvd library as advertised on the website. A tip from us: take advantage of the reasonable prices of the mini bar.
The spa experience at the Standard was quite interesting. The place had a very voyeuristic and sensual feel to it which some may find a little uncomfortable. But the numerous facilities were very nice and after a while, it was easy to forget that other people were there. Service was OK except that the spa desk folks do try to get you to have attendant treatments (more expensive) when you were entitled to use some of the rooms by yourself (do-it-yourself approach).
The pool area was awesome. Despite the bad weather while we were there, we found enough things to do around the pool. Food was great too (the fries were so good!).
Location could be better, but there is a shuttle to the Raleigh/Lincoln rd. All in all, a good hotel slash spa experience.
My new favorite spot in South Beach!!!
by TripAdvisor Member dalairoma
Ok--if this is your first time to South Beach don't stay here because you'll feel left out of the activities on Ocean Drive. However, if you are a regular South-Beacher this is YOUR PLACE!!! My husband and I go there very often and want to stay away from the 'tourist' attractions and not be far from our south-beach favorites....LINCOLN RD., Nicer Hotels, nice pools, etc..... I am definitely going to stay there from now on!! The turkish bath house---see LUBA----was to die for!!! I was so impressed by their spa services & facilities. The staff was great, we were able to go swimming late night, the food pool-side was yummy, and our guests were able to hang out with us at the pool without problems.... I LOVED IT....WILL DEF GO BACK THERE FROM NOW ON!!! And can't beat the prices!!!!
also, don't stay here if you love to jump into the ocean. You are on the bay side so you'll see dolphins, the famous Miami houses, boats, and jet skiiers.......
Heaven in Miami
by A TripAdvisor Member
This place is amazing..
The pool is incredible,a perfect place to relax.
You can see dolphins at the bay..And a sunset absolutly gorgeous.
Mud Bath is a most.
Food was incredible..Try the Tuna Nicoise Salad,and the famous mini burgers.
Wine list was very impressive.
The Lido Restaurant was so cute..Great New York Strip steak..
And also doesnt hurt that the staff is very good looking..
Wonderfull place!!
Elegant, Eclectic, Outstanding
by A TripAdvisor Member
If you are looking for elegance, incredible service and a suberb, quiet location to the otherwise overrated hotel options and generally noisy and overpriced South Beach district of Miami Beach, then stay at The Standard on Miami Beach. I recommend this hotel without any reservation (pardon the pun).
This hotel is conveniently and quitely located on the Biscayne Bay side of Miami Beach, off of the Venetian bridge Causeway. The Standard's shuttle conveniently runs regularly to its sister hotel The Raleigh on South Beach so you can be to the beach or anywhere (Lincoln Road Mall, for example) in no time. (Less than 5 to 10 minutes).
This adult-focused hotel is beautiful, comfortably serene and minamalistic (no, not sparse or lacking in any way) with a staff suberbly trained to make every guest feel incredibly special. (By "adult-focused hotel" I mean there are no small children allowed under age 15 or so and therefore none of the usual child-oriented distractions during your stay at The Standard. I do not mean it is a nudist free-for-all.) The spa area is co-ed so bathing suits are the norm and there are no pancakes in the shape of Mickey Mouse if this assists in my definition of "adult-focused" hotel.
I was there on business, and had been to Miami Beach several times, but wanted something unique, with an all-encompassing spa, restaurant and amenities. (In other words, to be waited upon like the Queen of Sheba - I was not at all disappointed....I was more than pleased).
My room (Wet Large) was spacious and immaculate; the bed, pillow types, and thread count of the linens was superb. The stereo/DVD/flat-screen TV was very appropriate to the room's minimalistic style. The gauzy curtains were a lovely touch. Inside my room, I had plenty of space to spread out my things that I gathered at the convention I was attending at the Miami Convention Center. The Standard's internet service in the lobby and the room was perfect and I could easily get work done when necessary. And in the lobby they always have a nice tea service set out to take at will. There is also a library from which you can borrow myriad books during your stay. This I loved.
The bathroom was quite roomy with a marvelous large rainshower-style overhead faucet and a footstool to sit upon with plenty of towels. Sometimes the hot water in the shower was not hot enough, but this is an immaculately updated hotel (formerly the Lido Hotel and Spa) so such is life. Besides, it was hot as all heck so the shower was a welcome respite.
The outside terrace bathtub had plenty of hot water. I used it every night of my stay. On another note, the air conditioning worked beautifully, and I require my bedroom to be colder than Siberia, much to the chagrin of my husband. The down comforters were perfect for snuggling up into a cocoon as I like to sleep.
Our breakfasts and lunches in the dining room were outstanding as was the excellent bar staff. The bar is also "groovy minimalist" and everyone loved the specialty drinks for which The Standard is known. Just tell them your preferred poison (mine is bourbon) and they will whip up a fantastic custom treat for you.
Guests can use the spa areas at their leisure. (Turkish-style marble Hammam, cedar sauna, steam room, mud baths, etc.) The infinity pool was to die for, as was the waterfall hot tub and cold plunge outside. The staff even brought me a towel at 10 pm. Imagine that at any other hotel in Miami Beach! It just doesn't happen.
I had a massage with Patrick and my associate had a facial with Jessica. We were both totally blissed out. Then we laid in the Hammam, drank bottled water and just relaxed. Oh, so incredible. They also have a salon, which I unfortunately did not have the time to take advantage of.
Do not sway from staying at The Standard because it is not on Ocean Drive or on Colllins Avenue. It is an easy walk to the beach if you choose to walk, and again you can take the shuttle or a cab and then you can use The Raleigh's (on the beach) private cabanas or chairs/umbrellas if you let them know you are a guest of The Standard.
The cocktail waitress at The Raleigh brought us perfectly prepared drinks, water, beer and all the food we could stand during our two hours at the beach. She was very prompt and helpful, even in those platform shoes, as was the chair/umbrella attendant. Service at both The Standard and The Raleigh could not have been better. Yes, drinks are a bit more costly but then this isn't the local dive, and thank God for that.
The hotel's location is perfect for savvy adult travelers who are not looking for the usual tourist spot or the "ladies who lunch" overdone-type hotel. The Standard is anything but, believe me. If there are any negative reviews of this hotel, its because the guests who stayed there were not in their usual element (Marriott, other chain types, etc.)
And a final big Thank You to Christian, who I believe is a manager at The Standard. He made our visit most pleasant and went above and beyond to keep an eye out for the needs of all his guests. 100% Kudos to Christian and The Standard.
not recommended for most
by TripAdvisor Member hmplanner
Pro's- close to Lincoln Road,great pool area, tasty and healthy options at poolside bar; complimentary refreshing tea served in lobby
Con's- check in staff was rude, snobbish, and I am suprised some can hold a job. Rooms make you feel like you live in a shabby motel complex, and the staff does not go out of their way to explain the hotel's ammenities. It is as if they consider the hotel to be an exclusive club and you should be able to figure it out. Not enough towels by the pool.
The location was not ideal, but not horrible if you enjoy a 15 min. walk to Lincoln Rd. and South Beach. We traveled with my brother and his wife. They were given the wrong room (downgraded) although they had prepaid for a "large". Never compensated for this, but were moved on the second day. They were also instructed to move their luggage to the lobby and return their first key before receiving the new one. We were told we were upgraded. I guess that an upgrade included the yellow construction tape we had to pass under to get to our room, the dirty bathtub outside, and the view of a fence that blocked the generator? It was a joke and humiliating that they thought we were so naive. Also, no one, including housekeeping, could tell us where our room was.
