The hotel sits atop a parking garage. The hotel entrance is on the 5th floor. To get to the Beach Place, guests must walk through the garage and a tunnel to get to the "Beach Place." As you walk through the garage, hold your nose, or you will be overwhelmed by the putrid smell of garbage. My gold elite status upgraded me to the floor closest to the ongoing guest room renovations that are taking place inside the hotel. Hammering and banging can be expected by 7:30-8am.

The worst problem of this hotel, however, is that it is under-elevatored. Expect to wait five minutes during peak times to get to your room.

After all the negative reviews I was a little worried about our trip to Beachplace Towers. Then I decided that a vacation is whatever you make of it. There were 7 people in our party ranging in age from 12 - 65. No one drinks or likes to stay up late partying. Now you can see why I was nervous.

Flew into Miami and rented a car. Drove straight to the hotel and up the parking garage with no problem. Short wait for elevator to lobby. Check in was easy and fast. Found our 2 BR room easily and had an intercostal view. Room was large enough for all 7 of us. Even though the room had not been updated, it was still very nice and clean. Never kept awake from any noise below. We were on the 11th floor.

Woke up early to head for the beach. Rented chairs on the beach for that day. (Big mistake) After the first day I went to the lobby and rented 2 chairs and an umbrella for $6.00. Much better deal. Never had a problem with the elevators taking too long. Never a problem crossing the road to the beach. Employees were very helpful and friendly.

We liked having a van because we drove to Key West and out to eat most evenings. Didn't like having to pay for parking, but I had budgeted for that after reading the complaints on this site. Thanks for the heads up. You can get by without a vehicle, but for my family, we like to get out and about.

All in all great vacation and I would stay here again.

Just spent a week at the Marriott Beachplace. Arrived 5/17 and checked out on 5/24. Travelled with a 23, 22 and 3 year old. We are owners in another timeshare and traded for this one.

They are in the process of upgrading the rooms so one elevator is completely out for guests, leaving only three. They are doing two floors at a time. Everyone complained in the resort on the elevators but we only waited once around the 6 pm hour. If your floor is not too far, people were walking.

Rooms were clean and the staff were very nice - we did not rent a car until the day we were leaving due to the trolly and bus system. The nearest Publix grocery was not far - neither is Wal-Mart by bus. Were able to fix meals at least twice a day to save money then eat out one really good meal.

Family loved that is was right across from the beach - hotel will rent chairs and umbrellas cheaper than the beach people will rip you off for. Also, the 3 yo loved the play area - had painting , sand and coloring activities for his age group. The older kids loved the bars along the area. Pool was clean - it did get shaded about 2:30 pm but the furthest deck still had sun. It was good for parents with kids because they could be out of the sun and the pool was still warm. Thankfully, our room faced the intracostal side - I don't know how I would have felt hearing the music until 3-4 am every night from below! The hot tubs were very nice and warm - one is larger than the other which most people did not use - might not have known it was there if they saw the other one. Loved that they would let us buy our things at the convenience store at the resort and charge to the room - made it convenient when we were down there and needed something quick.

The Mediterranean Cafe down the street - AVOID - tried for breakfast and others tried for dinner. They ignor you and overcharge you - food not all that good. Loved the Palm Restaurant at Beachplace - 3/1 drinks! If you don't mind a 15-20 drive up A1A Hwy - check out Sea Watch restaurant - awesome!

We would definately stay at this resort again.

I may be a bit biased as my husband is an owner at Beach Place Towers but I have to say we have always had a great time here. Granted, it's time for an update and that is scheduled to begin in May. The rooms are a bit beat up and can definitely use a good cleaning and makeover. It's also sad that a lot of the shops have closed in the mall below, but there are signs that new ones are coming in (a CVS is scheduled) and several restaurants still remain. With the multitude of restaurants along the beach, no one should have a problem finding something they like. We have always been treated wonderfully by everyone at the Resort - even when they didn't know we were owners. The front desk staff has always been courteous and helpful; the staff in the store is friendly and all the workers we've encountered have been helpful and nice. The elevators were a bit slow, but hey we were on vacation--no need to rush! The only day we did have trouble was checkout because EVERYONE else was trying to get out at the same time. Other than that, just give yourself some time. We never have had a problem getting a chair poolside and the beach is terrific. It is also a nice addition that Beach Place has beach chairs and umbrellas so that you don't have to pay the $10, $20 or $35 fee at the beach. Our room was on the canal side and our view was lovely. I agree if you want peace and quiet, this is the side to request, but we've also stayed on the ocean side (another great view) and the noise was not that bad. We have usually had a 2-bedroom unit with full kitchen and washer & dryer, however on this stay we had a "lock-off" for our room and it was fine. We had a couch and small table, a queen size bed, and it was equipped with a small sink, refrigerator, microwave, toaster and coffee pot along with dishes for 4 people. We were able to buy breakfast foods so we never had to eat out in the morning and instead enjoyed coffee and the paper on our balcony. The resort has a laundry facility on the lobby level (free) with about 6 washers and dryers so even not having them in the unit was not a problem if you needed it. Las Olas Blvd is a short drive (or taxi ride) away and we love it! It is lined with high-end stores and a mix of pricey and reasonable restaurants. A short walk brings you to the Riverwalk that runs to the Arts Center and Museum of Science. The walk is beautiful, you get to see yachts and wonderful scenery. We always rent a car, but you can definitely get away with not having one. Make sure you visit the Bonnet House just a short ride away and use the Publix market (just before the bridge on the way to the resort) for your major shopping. The store inside the resort is fine if you need to pick up one or two things, but the majority is high priced. This resort/hotel is not what it once was but is working to fix that. The mall area looks like it is trying to get back up to speed also. Overall, if you are looking for a great place, right on the beach, close to everything - this is the place to be!