We checked into the Doubletree Surfcomber after attending a conference at the Loews Hotel. We were originally scheduled to extend our stay at the Royal Palm. After reading reviews of that hotel, we decided to look elsewhere and ended up at the Doubletree because it had a good location and a good value.

The Doubletree is perfect for people who appreciate boutique hotels and want a good location on the beach with a pool. As Hilton Honors guests we were offered an opportunity to take advantage of an "extra" at the hotel. We selected the continental breakfast. There was a good selection of food there, and it was enough for us. You could upgrade to a breakfast buffet or order off the menu.

There is free wireless internet in the lobby, as well as two computers for people to use. That was a nice extra perk. The manager on duty was very kind and assisted me when my computer wouldn't access the wireless internet.

Pool: The pool was MUCH better than Loews! I love to sit in the sun. I appreciated that there was good sun at the pool all day long because it is not surrounded by highrise hotels. (Finding sun at the Loews was a challenge.) There are several umbrellas by the pool for those who need shade. They serve food and drinks by the pool. The menu and food were better and more reasonable than the Loews.

Room: The room was clean, but smaller. The bathroom was also pretty small, but this is an older boutique hotel. We don't spend a ton of time in our hotel rooms anyway. It wasn't a problem for us. You can get wireless internet in the room for a nominal fee.

Upon reflection, we enjoyed the Surfcomber much more than the Loews. It was much more quiet, relaxing, and cleaner. I would return without hesitation.

I live in Miami and came to the Surfcomber for a pool party event they had. Although I did not stay at the hotel I felt I had to write this review to warn people about the valet parking. Before I valeted my car it was in perfect condition. After waiting almost 2 1/2 hours the valet finally brings my car and to my horror there are huge white dents and scrapes all over the driver side of my car from the front wheel all the way to the back bumper. Obviously whoever parked my car hit a wall while parking it or trying to back it out. To make matter worse the valet manager was the rudest most unhelpful and unapologetic person I have ever met. He treated what happened as if it was no big deal and even told me that this kind of thing "happened all the time" and that all I needed to do was fill out some paper wrok and the valet company would pay for the damage which was a complete lie. I had to go through my insurance and pay a $500 deductable. There was over $3000 of damage to my car and now months later my insurance has had to take them and their lawyers to court to try to get my money back because they are trying to claim the damage was theft or vandalism which is laughable because none of the windows were broken and nothing was taken. If you do stay here do yourself a favor and park in one of the garages that are only a few blocks away to avoid the aggrevation!

I was a bit hesitant about staying at the Doubletree since reading all the previous reviews, but I've been to Miami before and I knew where the hotel was located, and it was exactly where I wanted to stay. This hotel is very close to Lincoln Road, known for its great restaurants and shops. It also has easy access to the beach. The promenade in the back of the hotel is beautiful, and you can walk North and see the backs of all the hotels. Or, walk South to Ocean Drive.
There were a total of 4 of us on this trip, and we arrived at the hotel around 11am. I knew it would be too early to check in, but the staff at the front desk checked our bags so we could immediately begin to enjoy what Miami has to offer. We made our way to the back of the hotel and got our first view of the pool. It was impressive. There are plenty of lounge chairs, towels and cabanas. TIP: The hotel provides plenty of towels for its guests. So unless you need to have your own towels, don't waste valuable suitecase space trying to fit one in. The towels in the rooms are big, white and fluffy. The towels by the pool are comfy and blue.
We wanted to use a cabana on the pool level, but they all seem to be used as offices. The only cananas guests could use are on the balcony's. Not a big deal, they are very nice and they overlook the pool.
The day we arrived, since we didn't eat breakfast, we decided to go to Terazzo, the restaurant at the hotel. Although not a 5-star place, it was spacious, clean and the food was good. Prices were average for what you can find in Miami. My friends ordered scrambled eggs and I think there must have been a dozen eggs on each plate. They also offer 2 different buffet choices for people who like a large breakfast.
After eating, we went to sit by the pool and enjoy the beautiful Miami sun. Around 1pm, we were called by the front desk to let us know that our room was ready. They left a message on our cell phone, and we didn't immediately call back (we were too busy enjoying the pool!) Well, they called us back another 3 times. I think this was very nice of them, they wanted to make sure that we knew we could check in.
We were given 4 keys for our room and were assigned a room on the 2nd floor. We took a very small elevator up. The room was clean with 2 double beds, but no doubt about it, it is a very small room. By the time you put in the beds and a dresser, there is barely any other room to turn around. I was impressed by how the 4 of us were able to handle such a small room, but we were barely ever in there. The bathroom was also tiny and there is very little counter space for cosmetics. Everything could have used some updating, but it was OK. It was not disgusting, just small.
Also, we spent 4 days there and except for the 1st day, the elevator didn't work and we had to constantly use the stairs. If anyone uses a wheelchair, I imagine this would be a huge problem. And the cleaning people also use the stairs and would throw dirty towels and sheets into the stairwell which we now have to climb over to go up or down. The stairway was also smelly and one day it was even being painted. We didn't know (there were no signs and the elevator was still not working) So we went in and got gray paint all over our hands.
We did pay what I thought to be a high price for so little. If it wasn't for the 4 of us splitting the cost, I would have thought it too high for what we were getting. But, as I mentioned earlier, I have been to Miami numerous times and have stayed at hotels that were less expensive and they turned out to be more disgusting and scarier.
Also, the entire length of our visit, the staff at the front desk were very nice. The "concierge" is actually one of the staff at the front desk, but he hooked us up with passes to clubs and recommendations for good restaurants in the area.
The only problem we encountered with staff while we were there is that many of them don't speak English. But, this is Miami and almost everyone there speaks Spanish. We ate breakfast at Terazzo everyday and one time our waiter seriously didn't speak English. One of the girls I was with got annoyed because he couldn't understand her. He immediately sent out another female waiter who took her order with no problem. So again, no big deal.
The girls I was with loved the pool. They stayed there all day. The bar by the pool was constantly serving drinks and food, so service there was good too. Anyone who goes should try the "Extra slushy Strawberry Daiquiri." Yum!
All-in-all, the hotel room could have used some improvement, but it was OK and doable.

I wasn't sure what kind of review to give this hotel, but after thinking about it for a while I decided on above average. This mainly has to do with how they dealt with the problems we encountered. Location is great. The rooms are small, but comfortable. The view was Ok. Partial pool and beach view, full vacant lot view. The pool area was nice and uncrowded. Great beach access. Very helpful valet. Not sure about the food. We only had lunch and it was average. We did have a problem with a good amount of water leaking into our room, but this was addressed promptly and we were comped fairly. Overall, the Surfcomber is above average.