I booked this hotel, because the Miami area was where we would stay the longest during our three week road trip and my three teenage kids and I were bound to want some home-cooked meals and other comforts by the time we got to this place. I probably could not have made many worse choices:
The kitchen had a full set of appliances, including microwave, stove, oven, fridge, dishwasher and toaster, but they must have been bought at a junk yard before the Vietnam war. I was actually reluctant to use the stove for fear the rickety burner spirals would kick the boiling tea water on my feet. And then the household items! We had three sets of dinner- and flatware plus two pots, a pan, a can opener and a ladle, that's it. I asked the front desk every day to complete the sets for a family of FOUR, and each day we might get an additional mug or knife, but until the last day, we still had to eat in shifts.
We had the same problem with the linens, two towels were missing, a blanket, and sheets for the sleeper sofa. Again I requested them at the front desk and asked for a blanket that matched the serviceable comforter on the queen bed but I was told that no more than one of those was given out per room, I could only have the type of polyester blanket, that you can get for a dollar fifty at Woolworth and that smells like a boys locker room after the first use. In the end we had an additional blanket and a spare FITTED sheet but were still missing the flat one.
But the blanket - which at least on the first day still smelled better than the room itself - was the least of the problems with the sofa bed. The mattress was about two inches thin and essentially a square of springs in a polyester bag. You could count the metal rings with your naked eye, but to appreciate them fully, you just had to try sleeping on this contraption! After a night of feeling like a fakir, we decided to sleep on the floor instead.
The back pain darkened mood doesn't get any better in the mornings when the (shower-) water is hard enough to make your hair look and feel like straw, the breakfast consists of packaged muffins, cereal, yoghourt and weak coffee and the wifi is so slow that an internationally roaming smartphone shows you your email faster.
Was there anything positive about our stay? Maybe that the front desk was friendly and did try to help, no matter how incapable their housekeeping turned out to be - at least the clogged toilet was taken care of the day we reported it and the room was clean. And yes, there is an Einstein Bagel store directly across the street.
Room Tip: If you have to stay here, make sure you don't have to sleep on the sofa bed and you don't in...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
August 9, 2012
Thank You for writing your comments. This is a valuable tool that allows us to get better. I am sorry to hear that you have not enjoyed your stay. I would love the opportunity to discuss with you further at your earliest convienence.
Please feel free to contact me at tps.miats.gm@marriott.com
Sincerely,
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.