We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly.
We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.
All 199 Miami Beach hotels

Penguin Hotel: Traveler Reviews

3.0 of 5
1418 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Hotel amenities
Penguin Hotel
Enter dates for best prices
Check In mm/dd/yyyy Check Out mm/dd/yyyy
Show Prices
Compare best prices from top travel partners
Expedia.com Travelocity BookIt.com
and 11 more sites!
49%
Ranked #117 of 199 hotels in Miami Beach
Write a Review

414 reviews from our community

Traveler rating
    63
    118
    91
    45
    97
See reviews for
Families
26
 
Couples
143
 
Solo
33
 
Business
19
 
Rating summary
  • Location
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    3 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    3 of 5 stars
  • Service
    3 of 5 stars
  • Value
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    3.5 of 5 stars
Date Rating
1 review
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Not overwelming for an ocean drive hotel!”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed December 15, 2012 via mobile

we love the ocian drive perfect located for the beach, lovely restaurants and close to the lincoln road. the penguin is okey and the stuff very friendly. but overall we had already better hotels for similar prices in this area. so i have to say our stay was this time ratter disappointing, over all the creapy corridor and old fashion standard in rooms and lobby.

  • Stayed December 2012
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 4
Ask studerni about Penguin Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Veronica S, General Manager at Penguin Hotel, responded to this review
December 31, 2012
Hey Studerni,
Sorry about your disappointing experience! Better luck next time with a different hotel! Thanks!
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Orlando, Florida
1 review
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
“Worst hotel bed ever”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed November 19, 2012

I arrived without a prior booking, which was our plan, but they charged us $50 more than the rate I could have had on this site. The location is superb, although one night's car parking will cost you $20, even if you barter and $34 if you don't. The hotel is a throw-back. The corridors feel like something in a prison and although the rooms are clean, they are really basic and tacky. The worst part of our stay was the bed; it had a depression in the centre which left my wife and I feeling like we we clinging on to the side of a hill on either side of the bed! We complained in the morning and were told by the man ager, that all the rooms were like this - no discount!

Room Tip: Insist on seeing the rooms and the beds first, or just pick another hotel!
See more room tips
  • Stayed November 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 6
Ask angus m about Penguin Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Veronica S, General Manager at Penguin Hotel, responded to this review
November 20, 2012
Angus,
We are currently exchanging all beds at the Penguin. I apologize if you still had to sleep on one of the old beds. The information you received from our manager is completely incorrect and not all rooms have the same bed because as I said, we are replacing them as we speak and this process should be completed by mid December 2012. In regards to the valet parking, I'm not sure what you meant by $20 or $34. It is in fact $30/night for valet service otherwise you can try street parking but we do not recommend that as meters are free only from 3 am to 9 am, meaning you'd have to keep feeding the meter until 3 am. It is $1.75/hour for the meters. Thanks for staying with us though!
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Travelers are raving about these Miami Beach hotels

Dream South Beach
4.5 of 5 stars
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d1699819?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_RavingAboutButton
The Betsy Hotel, South Beach
4.5 of 5 stars
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d1175532?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_RavingAboutButton
Surfcomber Miami South Beach, a Kimpton Hotel
4.5 of 5 stars
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d120325?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_RavingAboutButton
Fontainebleau Miami Beach
4 of 5 stars
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d85177?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_RavingAboutButton
Loews Miami Beach Hotel
4 of 5 stars
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d256986?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_RavingAboutButton
Maryland
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Exceeds my expectations”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 5, 2012

You definitely get your bang for the bucks here! The rooms are very bright and clean. Obviously there have been upgrades to this older building. No view from the room, but alas you can sit in the front under the awning and people watch! The full breakfast menu was awesome, I had the omelet for $8 and it was great! They do have a free continental breakfast but we didn't make it in time. The free cocktail at happy hour was a nice way to wind down from a day of running around. The bartenders were funny and personable. The reservationist was very informative and could answer any questions, like how to and how much to get from the airport to the hotel. Only down side was the front desk staff never broke a smile. The place is solid and you don't hear any neighbors. I would highly recommend the hotel and would return myself.

Room Tip: The room with one bed is rather tight, and did not have a window. The room with two queens was much...
See more room tips
  • Stayed November 2012, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
Ask HappyCustomer01 about Penguin Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Veronica S, General Manager at Penguin Hotel, responded to this review
November 16, 2012
Hey Happycustomer01,
Thanks for your review! Come back soon!
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
1 review
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Dirty sheets!”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed November 2, 2012 via mobile

There were stains and hair on my sheets! I asked the front desk the next morning for them to be changed, they were not. I then found the card in the room which you lay on your bed to have the linens changed, again they were not. This is the filthiest hotel I have ever stayed at! Location was great & the patio restaurant was nice, but I cringed having to go to my room!

  • Stayed October 2012
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 4
Ask Heh86 about Penguin Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Veronica S, General Manager at Penguin Hotel, responded to this review
November 5, 2012
Dear Heh 86,
This must have been a huge misunderstanding...If anything, I can tell you that our most common "flaw" is to change the bedsheets too often, even when guests don't request this service. I am extremely surprised to hear that the opposite happened to you. In any case, I apologize for what you had to go through while staying with us. On the other hand your room phone has a button that calls Housekeeping Dept directly; you could have requested your bedsheets to be exchanged immediately and we would have done so in less than 10 min. Thanks for letting us know about our inconvenience though.
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Yellowknife
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
6 hotel reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
“The Hotel is a dive”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed October 30, 2012

On the plus side, it's on the ocean front and has air conditioning. The bathroom is clean. Otherwise, it's basically a dump. There's an overhead light but no reading lights. The drapes don't completely close. The floor is grey tile and doesn't look particularly clean. There's exposed piping in th room. The hallways look dumpy. Taxi fare from the Amtrak station is about $40.

  • Stayed October 2012, traveled solo
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 4
Ask solo_female_12 about Penguin Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Veronica S, General Manager at Penguin Hotel, responded to this review
November 5, 2012
My dear Solo_Female_12,
We are so sorry you were not able to enjoy your stay at the Penguin Hotel. In regards to some of your concerns, I've got to say you are one of the only guests that have requested a reading light in South Beach....South Beach is a party place, not too many guests come here to read but I understand your point. The exposed piping you mention are called sprinkler system and yes, even though they are as ugly as they come, we cannot cover them otherwise in case of fire, our guests would be in great danger. Aside from that, I'm glad to hear you thought are bathrooms were clean and our location was good. Thanks for your review.
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
 
 
Penguin Hotel
Check In mm/dd/yyyy Check Out mm/dd/yyyy
 
 
The President Hotel - Miami Beach
Great value on a similar hotel
Miami Beach, FL
3.5 of 5 stars 545 Reviews
Show Prices
Still looking for a hotel?
Highly rated hotels in Miami Beach
Trendy
Red South Beach Hotel
Red South Beach Hotel 3.5 of 5 stars 537 reviews
Family-friendly
The Betsy Hotel, South Beach
The Betsy Hotel, South Beach 4.5 of 5 stars 889 reviews
Romantic
Essex House
Essex House 4.0 of 5 stars 818 reviews
Luxury
King & Grove Tides
King & Grove Tides 4.5 of 5 stars 661 reviews
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d217415?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d1175532?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d111881?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d111907?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Travelers also viewed these Miami Beach hotels
The President Hotel - Miami Beac... 3.5 of 5 stars 545 reviews The Delores 3.5 of 5 stars 207 reviews La Flora 4.5 of 5 stars 237 reviews Chesterfield Hotel 3.5 of 5 stars 939 reviews
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d86986?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d250509?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d120424?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d85055?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
View all 199 hotels in Miami Beach, ranked by popularity

Been to Penguin Hotel? Share your experiences!

Write a Review Add Photos Add Videos

Additional Information about Penguin Hotel

Address: 1418 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Region: United States > Florida > Miami Beach
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge Restaurant Room Service Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
Ranked #117 of 199 hotels in Miami Beach
Price Range: $$
Hotel Class:3 star (3*)
Reservation Options:
TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Expedia, Travelocity, BookIt.com, Hotels.com, Cheap Tickets, Booking.com, Otel, Venere, Olotels, EasyToBook, Agoda, Priceline, Tingo and HotelsClick so you can book your Penguin Hotel reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.

Owners: What's your side of the story?

If you own or manage Penguin Hotel, register now for free tools to enhance your listing, attract new reviews, and respond to reviewers.

  • Manage your listing
Penguin Hotel
Enter dates & see best prices*
Check In mm/dd/yyyy Check Out mm/dd/yyyy
Show Prices