My husband and I stayed 3 nights in early December - loved the decor, the staff, the location and the pool/spa. First floor room with queen bed was comfortable and overlooked a quiet courtyard with a bubbling fountain. The staff was always available and invariably polite and ready to answer questions. Parked in the nearby ( 2 blocks) municipal garage at reasonable cost. The sunny veranda was a great spot to people watdch and sip a morning coffee or enjoy a late afternoon snack. A good choice.

We just returned from a 4 day stay at the Essex. I chose it over the others in the Art Deco district because it was the only one that seemed to garner consistently positive reviews from other travelers. I was a little disappointed to find ants crawling on top of the mini fridge, crumbs and beverage rings on other surfaces, despite the fact that our room was "ready" for us. Our next room was bug-free but the top of the fridge was just as sticky. The staff were relatively friendly, esp. the front desk, and the rest of the hotel seemed neat if drab. However, I would choose another hotel if I visit Miami again.