Not expecting all too much we got away for a romantic, anniversary getaway that a dear friend arranged for us at The Mondrian South Beach Hotel. From the moment we arrived we were wowed by the friendly and welcoming staff from the Hotel Manager, Jose Noriega to the GEM, Nancy Lauck, providing top flight services and amenities with attention to every conceivable detail. Exquisite!

Well, let's just say it lost its glamour from their debut; still a impressive decor; not the best location but ok; friendly staff, especially concierge and restaurant servers; above the average rooms - kitchen's itens, which is a plus; definitely not a family hotel and, may I say, unexperienced manager. Overall, still a good option in Sobe.

The hotel and its grounds are beautiful. It is different, with its faces on the wall and huge bell shapes, but its very nice. The pool is amazing, and the staff there are excellent, bringing juice samples and water around every so often. The temperature of the pool could have been a little warmer, however it wasn't that bad. We noticed that they had a hot tub on the grounds, but it was not being used. If they fixed it and provided the hot tub for guests, it would be great. The rooms are huge, but the pull out couch is not comfortable at all. We overheard guests talking to the front desk, and apparently they will bring mattress beds to your room if you find the couch uncomfortable, if you ask. One thing the hotel should do is check the room keys before people enter the pool to prove they are really staying there. They always have staff at the doors, so it would be easy to ask a guest to show their key before entering the pool grounds. We overheard a few people talking (these so happened to be some of the obnoxious people at the pool) and at least four people on separate occasions said to others they were not even staying at the hotel (they were renting a condo somewhere) but used the pool because it was nice. Yes, the pool is nice but should be for paying hotel guests or building residents only.

I was quite skeptical with the location as it is not close to the beach. However, that was not the reason for us coming to Miami. We wanted to relax and do some shopping for a couple days before our cruise.

This was a fantastic location as you will see many strollers around the area, the pool is magnificent and the view of the harbour is at the rear of the hotel. The bars are something you would see at a high end nightclub and the service/hospitality are second to none. I don't remember ever opening a door in the main floor. The staff knows that service is the number one priority.

The rooms are very quiet and well insulated as we have a one year old with us and he can get quite noisy. They have a microwave, fridge and mini freezer!! Very handy when travelling with an infant!