Friendly because this hotel service is so really nice . They have got the right balance between friendliness and top professional service
Set among many new developments, this is a real classic .
I loved the fact that they really understood the importance of a good location for the breakfast buffet . You could just seat there enjoying the meal ( very good, by the way ) while wachting the palm trees move . A truly relaxing experience to start the day with the right mood .
Its location is fantastic as well, as it is - really - very near Miami beach restaurants and shops, but not " there" . This means tranquility .

The Good: (included in the $14 per day service fee is.... Free beach towels, chairs and umbrellas, free melon infused ice water, free high speed internet and newspaper, cool washcloths brought to you on the beach, frozen margarita samples brought to you on the beach, robes and slippers in the room, turn down service at night with Godiva chocolates on the pillow, keurig coffee maker in-room, and Aveda bath products.

Beautiful room decor and pretty public spaces.

Great for families, away from all the craziness.

Beatiful beach area.

Even the city view rooms offer a view (at night).

The maid service, valet service, and beach/poolside food and drink service were excellent. We especially enjoyed being served lunch and frozen drinks right on the beach. Tranquil spa-like music is piped into the poolside area through Bose speakers in the landscaping. It is a tropical setting with pool-side tiki bar, thatched roof shaded areas, hammocks, palm trees, sandy areas surrounding the pool, and parrots.

The bad: No early check in or upgrades were available.

Food and drinks are very pricey.

A Marriott is under construction next door (we did hear some distant sounding construction noise most of the day by the pool, but not enough to bother us, and even less was heard while on the beach).

Walls are thin. If you have noisy neighbors late at night, this could interfere with your sleep.

A beautiful half hour ocean view walk along the boardwalk will take you to South Beach, but there are homeless people found on the boardwalk along the way. We rented a car...$30 per day to park.

The pool area is very nice, but the pool itself is simple, no waterfalls, etc.

On November 8th, my birthday, my husband and I spent a half day at the Palms Hotel & Spa. We booked spa services and planned to use the amenities, have lunch there and simply relax. We found the hotel to be beautiful, the staff to be very friendly and accomodating and the spa to provide excellent services. We loved our lunch at Essencia and the views from the pool and the condition of the beach area was spectacular. We will surely visit again to enjoy the wonderful services the hotel and spa have to offer. Thank you Karla, Sandra, Cardel and Amy!

We moved to this hotel after we got stuck in Miami due to hurrican Sandy. The grounds were great and the hotel had a heated pool which also had a large area for lounge chairs. The bar also had a happy hour from 5pm to 7pm where drinks were half price and they gave you a nut assortment for snacking. The prices were right on track during happy hour and made our stay more enjoyable. The room we stayed in had little walking around room, but was very nice and clean. The bathroom/shower and toilet were in separate rooms and added a nice touch to the room layout. We also asked if we could have a small fridge in our room and the clerk agreed readily and it was sent up right away. There was no additional charge for the fridge which was great. We were also allowed to check-in at 1pm before the stated time which was 3pm. We loved this hotel and would stay here again.