Mold, filth, hard aging bed, smelly pillows and stained furniture will greet you when you enter your Royal Palm room for that special vacation. The front desk told us that 10% of the rooms have been renovated but the rest of us are out of luck. What amazes me is that management has not learned that customers are going to post their bad experiences on the internet.

There is a $19 per day "resort fee" added to your bill. (You are also taxed on the resort fee; I'm not making this up). Parking is $39 per day. But don't worry, rude front desk was free.

The first room we were given was disgusting. It was run down and the toilet was broken. The toilet would flush itself 12 times a hour....got to count because I couldn't sleep with so much noise. After complaining, they put us in a suite next to the pool which at first seemed like a better room until the sun went down and the party never stopped. The toilet seat had burned marks on it from cigarettes (we were supposed to be in a non-smoking room) and the pull-out couch was so dilapidated I could barely pull it out and it was bent to one side. The plasma broke twice and the refrigerator had been ripped out.

The second morning the maid knocked on the door and then immediately let herself in before I could stop her (no do not disturb sign) at 9:00am, then 30 minutes later, and 30 minutes later.....then had the audacity to get MAD because we were still in the room. This happened 3 out of 4 mornings!!!!! I finally devised my own sign and put it on the door!

We brought two of our children and that was a huge mistake. Our 14 year-old got an eye-full at the pool with excessive PDA and inappropriate behavior as well as witnessing people becoming so intoxicated, they could barely stand. I finally had to pull our 7-yr old out of the pool before she got injured with the drunk antics. One morning when we went to breakfast, our children saw drunk people passed out all around the pool, some laying flat on the pavement, and one woman's bottom bare and very visible with her dress pulled up around her waist.

Not a place to bring children, plan to sleep late or undisturbed, but the location is good.

This was my first trip down to South Beach and it was good. I went with other people that had already been there and they said to stay in the more RESORT/HOTEL area..so they found this hotel and booked it. the hotel is nice. clean lobby, 2 pools, bar by the pool. The room was ok..nothing breathtaking, just a reg room with 2 beds and a shower. My friends stayed nxt door (a married couple) so they had a king bed, same size room, but they had a TINY TINY terrace, enough to fit 2 people standing (no chair). ..but nice enough to stand on at sunset and c the skyline of the buldings and the beach. More friends got sent down to the 4th floor (i was on the 14th) ..MUCH bigger room, but no view..couldnt see the beach at all. I like waking up and seeing the beach.
ATTENTION: you get charged $19 a day to stay in this hotel. (u pay it when u check out) when booking, my friends caught it on the ORBITZ website, so we called to get the jist of it. u are charged $19 a day for the following : gym use, unlimted towels, private beach, lounge chairs and umbrellas on the beach (which people from the hotel set up for u at your convience). u cant get around the fee..just go with it and use it to your advantage.

the hotel is located at like the end/ begining of the strip (whichever way u look at it)..so u walk over one block and u are on ocean drive..or u can just walk along the paved part of the beach...so the location is good.

there is a souviner shop across the street, a 24hr diner on the cornor (bewear they r slllllllllllllllllow in there) and starbucks/haggen daz is a block away.

all in all..nice place, nothing 2 fancy, good price, clean.

We stayed at the Royal Palm 5/29-5/31/08. Rooms were booked via Priceline for $100./night plus fees. We requested double rooms (not guaranteed when booking with Priceline) and the hotel did accommodate us. We did not opt for the upgraded rooms. I was pleasantly surprised that our rooms were clean and we had a nice view. The coffee pot was missing from one of the rooms and we needed extra pillows. Both requests were satisfied within 10 minutes of calling the front desk. The art deco style of the hotel is beautiful!

The location of the hotel is premium! We walked to Lincoln Ave several times to eat or shop. The beach right in front of the hotel is beautiful and not crowded. Be aware, the towel and beach chair service is from 8am to 5pm. If you get a towel before 5pm, you can return it later. The beach chairs were provided by a separate company and are put away at 5pm. For a great meal, be sure to stop at the French bakery on the corner (I can't remember the name but just turn right when you leave the hotel). They have all kinds of breakfast and brunch foods.

Our stay was very nice and we would definitely stay at the Royal Palm again.