My wife and I stayed at this hotel for 2 nights on April 14th and 15th of 2008. We came here for her work, she had to take a certification exam in this hotel so we decided to stay at this hotel to avoid extra hassle and stress for my wife. We took advantage of group prices obtained by the group giving the certification exam at this hotel. Our ocean view room on the 10th floor was about $280/night + taxes.
First of all, this hotel is beautiful and has just been remodelled. It was very luxurious and very clean. The service was amazing, everybody was very nice and helpful from the front desk to the different restaurants to even the maintenance people. They have a great feature which is that they have computers available to you for internet surfing (for a fee) but they let you print your boarding passes for the plane for free.
The hotel has a very nice pool too, with a lot of lounge chairs and also lot of palm trees that provide some good shade on warm days. The pool was very warm, they heat the water pretty hot there. Near the pool they have a well equiped fitness center and hot tubs and saunas (separated for women and men because they are in some locker rooms) all free for all to use. The beach is just a few steps from the pool and is really beautiful and clean. They also have lounge chairs available there too for free. There is a fee if you want some umbrellas or the tent thing. They have a full service bar/food on the beach too.
the hotel has also lot of areas to hang out outside or inside (the lobby is relly great and they have live music there every evening).
Our room was very clean and we had a pretty view on the ocean and the beach. We were at the 10th floor so we can see very far. the bathroom was also very clean and well provided in soaps, lotions, shampoo, towels, robe, etc... The only little thing to complain about was the sink. It was a little small and did not have too much room around it to place your toiletteries. Nothing else bad to say about the room. The good goes from very confy feather beds to flat screen TV of decent size. There was room to move around but it wasn't a huge room either, just fine. They also turn down your beds in the evening and leave you chocolates...
Another great service they provide was to have cups and iced water (with citrus fruit in it to make it even more refreshing) available for free of course, at different places around the hotel (by the reception desk in the lobby, by the pool, or by the beach)
The hotel had an apparently very nice Spa but we did not use it.
We did not leave the hotel because of the exam my wife had to take so we took all our meals but one at the hotel. The only time we left was to walk along the sea front street (on the right (going north) when you leave the hotel). By walking at a leasury pace you are rapidly in the heart of the entertainment on the beach front. Lot of places to eat and hang out there (lot of chains though such as bubba shrimp, Hooters, and many others...). We only had a quick dinner in a place called Oasis cafe about 5-10 minutes from the hotel. The food was decent but the fun was to eat inside swings for 2 or 4 people. The International Swiming Hall of Fame was very close from there too. Interesting place if you are into swiming with a good Pro Shop.
We ate mostly at the restaurants on the Marriott property. The breakfast buffet at the Riva restaurant for $20 was great and the food was very good and fresh. No complaints there at all. The waitress we had was great too, she kept our orange juice (that tasted like fresh squeeze oranges) glasses full and our table clean. One our proff of the great service in this hotel was that the Riva restaurant give some good coffee (it is a self serve thing and there is cream and sweetners too) for free on a table outside the restaurant entrance every morning. we wanted to try the Spa cafe because their sandwiches and wrap sounded good but we did not have the opportunity to do so (because of our big Breakfasts...).We did eat by the pool of the hotel (I do not remember the name of the restaurant there). It was fine, not the greatest snacks I've ever had, a little expensive but there was lot of food in each serving and it was good (no more) and we were seated right by the pool. Again the service was great.
Finally I kept the best for the end. We ate at the 3030 restaurant in the hotel lobby. It is a zagat rated restaurant many years in a row. It was very very good and the service was great. We had a gourmet meal there and we enjoyed it a lot. We had the Chef's surprise menu ($100 with wine pairing/ $70 with no wine per person). If you do that of course you have to have a least a couple hours to enjoy your diner and yourselves. Do not even plane on it if you want to eat fast or if you are use to eat one entree and that is it. You will not appreciate it. The meal was at least 7 courses each of them with a different wine (courses were smaller protions than the same courses on the menu and wine pouring were about half the regular pours). I can remember a seafood platter to share for all the party (with clams, oysters, jumbo shrimps and other with the different sauces). There was then a cold appetizer plate (we had a Wahoo (some Florida fish) sashimi with white Truffle oil).There were after that a salad, a fish entree, a meat entree, a plate of cheeses and a plates of samples of 4 to 5 deserts. I am sure I am missing something else but it was all very good. All the wines were american wine and were pretty good. The matching wasn't the best I had but the wines were all good individually. I do not remeber too much of the names but we had a Rose Sparkling (methode champenoise) for starter, I remeber a cabernet sauvignon with the meat entree. An ice wine from Montana may be with the cheeses. A Pinot Gregio with the fish entree. I do not remeber the last one with desert.
Anyway it was a great 2 days (and they let us have a late check out with no problem we just had to ask at the reception desk).
I'll goback there any time.I did prefer staying in Fort Lauderdale than in Miami. I think they are similar beach front areas but Fort Lauderdale is way more calmer and relaxing and way less pretentious than Miami beach.
I'll go back there with no hesitation.