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Congress Hotel South Beach: Traveler Reviews

3.5 of 5
1052 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139 (Formerly The Strand)
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Complimentary bottle of wine
Congress Hotel South Beach
Ranked #62 of 198 hotels in Miami Beach
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719 reviews from our community

Traveler rating
    266
    202
    101
    87
    63
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Families
71
 
Couples
291
 
Solo
31
 
Business
38
 
Rating summary
  • Location
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    4 of 5 stars
  • Service
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Value
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    3.5 of 5 stars
Date Rating
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States
1 review
“Top quality hotel in the heart of South Beach”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed December 5, 2012

Staying at the Congress Hotel was one of the best decision have made so far. It was a fantastic experience. We were greated by the best , most professional and friendliest staff, starting outside by the bellman Brian, to the front desk with Eleonor . The hotel was very clean and very new to be in the heart of South Beach. Close to every restaurant and clubs of Ocean Dr. The room was very clean and fully loaded just as described on the booking. Getting back on forth to the airport was very simple and very cheap with the Go shuttle as well ($21 per person).
If you are looking for a nice clean safe hotel really close to everything on Ocean Dr I recommend the Congress for the value and the quality you get without any doubt.

Room Tip: Top floor rooms of the main building (C) are great for the view and very close to the roof top pool
See more room tips
  • Stayed December 2012, traveled with friends
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Stephan T about Congress Hotel South Beach
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nancy R, General Manager at Congress Hotel South Beach, responded to this review
December 9, 2012
Dear Stephan,

I am so happy to hear that that we exceeded all of your expectations. We take pride in providing the best customer service possible to all of our guests. We appreciate the feedback and are looking forward to your next stay at the Congress Hotel.

GO DOLPHINS!

Regards,
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
“I had high expectations!”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed November 23, 2012 via mobile

We stayed at this hotel the night prior to our cruise departing from the port of Miami. I had extremely high hopes for this hotel and found myself quite dissatisfied. I was expecting a modern room without a nice beach view...or any view. I got a small room with 3you windows looking nowhere. After struggling with the broken shades I realized why they Sid not open! I was also excited for this modern tub I was promised (yes its tue little things) lol...there was no such thing in our room. Just a crappy old bathtub that was clogged. All of the hotel entrances on ocean boulevard are set behind restaurants that will push you into seats with their so-called happy hour! Don't fall for it! We left the congresses hotel restaurant twice!! I would rather eat dirt than pay $50the for an appetizer! If your eating on a budget there are other places! Tyhe beach is across the street and there is a very very small roof top pool! I will def try a different hotel next time however it did serve its purpose for 1 night!! ***the $12.50 resort fee is SUPPOSED to include breakfast however they don't offer it up....you have to ask for the voucher!! The voucher gets everyone on your party free breakfast from the kitchen menu ( up to $5.75)

  • Stayed November 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
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Ask cntrygurl625 about Congress Hotel South Beach
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nancy R, General Manager at Congress Hotel South Beach, responded to this review
December 2, 2012
Thank you very much for your posting.

We are saddened by the results of your stay. We will take a look at our room product and assure it exceeds all expectations from a usage and cleanliness prospective. We will be utilizing the feedback to improve our service levels. Unfortunately, since we do not own or operate the restaurants, we do not have direct control over their prices or service. I hope the next time you are in town you will reach out to me prior to arrival, so I may assure we exceed your expectations.

Warm Regards,

Nancy
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Toronto, Canada
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“In the heart of the South Beach”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 19, 2012

First time to South Beach and it was awesome, all thanks to the location of our hotel! Right at Ocean and 11th is great for those who are looking to walk everywhere. Right across the street from the beach, a block away from David's Cafe, a few blocks (still walking distance) from Lincoln Road Mall and the shopping along Collins Ave, next to the Clevelander, down the street from Wet Willie's and News Cafe, and easy access to bike rentals and the boardwalk.

This hotel doesn't have a fancy reception, instead a simple desk and smiling staff, and it has everything you NEED. Our junior suite included a full kitchen (with plates, pots, etc.), a couch, a safe, an awesome shower (rain shower and hand-held at the same time) and a comfy queen (although it seemed like a king size) bed. One of the BEST perks of this hotel is the ROOF TOP POOL with the best view of the ocean! This hotel is great value for your money!

There are 3 buildings to this hotel. If you go to bed early and hate walking, this is not the place for you. The Clevelander is next door and those parties last all night long, so if you don't like music at 3am, go elsewhere, or ask for the building far from the Clevelander.

The only thing I can complain about, if I had to find something wrong, was that our room sometimes smelled like cleaner. Which is nice to know that the room was cleaned, but the smell was a bit strong.

The staff was very helpful. I mentioned ahead of time that we were there to celebrate my husband's birthday, and we were greeted with a bottle of wine! 2 guys helped with our luggages, Louis (when we arrived) and Brian (when we left) who were both great and friendly. Concierge called the night before we left to ask if we needed assistance during check out and, gave us a 1 hour later check out which allowed us to spend some time at the pool.

Overall, FANTASTIC and would definitely return to this hotel!

  • Stayed November 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Char1553 about Congress Hotel South Beach
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nancy R, General Manager at Congress Hotel South Beach, responded to this review
December 2, 2012
Thank you for the wonderful posting. We are so happy you enjoyed your stay with us & thank you for mentioning the great staff. We hope to see you again soon.

Regards,

Nancy
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Chicago
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Superb Stay”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 16, 2012

This hotel was in a great location. The beach was in walking distance and there were great restaurants really close. My room was extremely comfortable and modern. The staff was wonderful! They were always polite and eager to help their guests. Stephanie the Front Desk Clerk was truly the greatest! She welcomed us from the time we stepped into this hotel. I will definitely be back!!

  • Stayed October 2012, traveled with friends
    • 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
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Ask Necy824 about Congress Hotel South Beach
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nancy R, General Manager at Congress Hotel South Beach, responded to this review
November 17, 2012
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your superb review on our hotel and staff! I'm happy to hear that you had a great time while staying at The COngress Hotel. We've been working hard to make sure guests have a fantastic stay and it sounds like we are succeeding!
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Honolulu, Hawaii
Senior Contributor
45 reviews 45 reviews
43 hotel reviews
Reviews in 28 cities Reviews in 28 cities
70 helpful votes 70 helpful votes
“Actually 3.5 is My Rating for this Hotel”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed November 13, 2012

If location is everything, this hotel would be a "5" as it sits right in the center of South Beach, however, while it is recommended, it is not for everybody. In addition to its location, the positives include a very attentive staff, modern art deco surroundings and above average size rooms complete with a full size fridge, dual burner cook-top range, dishwasher and microwave. The negatives were a very tiny 23 in LCD TV, no desk (although there is a pull out table in the kitchen but no chairs!), uncomfortable furniture, and a lot of noise on my second floor room located farthest from the ocean and the South Beach Strip. Parking is steep (typical for South Beach) at $25/day for self-park and $34/day for valet, so save some money and park in the public garage less than 3 blocks away for just $20/weekday and $15/weekend day. For just $79/night on Hotwire (plus the $12.50/day dreaded resort fee) this is a very reasonably priced hip modern chic place to stay with a great staff and good location, but still falls short in a couple important respects. For a party or romantic weekend, it would be a fine choice; for anyone else, there are better choices.

Room Tip: If you have to put up with the noise anyway, try to get ocean view!
See more room tips
  • Stayed November 2012, traveled on business
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Ask FitDude about Congress Hotel South Beach
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nancy R, General Manager at Congress Hotel South Beach, responded to this review
November 17, 2012
Dear Guest, I'm sorry to read about your experience at the property, I would urge you to reach out to me via email (nrednor@congresshotelsouthbeach.com) or via phone 305-534-6820 to speak in detail about your stay. We will be working on improving our rooms and functionality all through next year. South Beach is very much part of the nightlife scene and people are out at all times of the night so noise is something that is hard to avoid. We take great pride in our hotel and the service we provide our guests and hope you will give us a chance to make it up to you on a future stay.

Kind Regards,
Nancy
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Congress Hotel South Beach
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Additional Information about Congress Hotel South Beach

Also Known As:
Strand Ocean Drive Hotel
Strand Ocean Drive Miami Beach
Strand Ocean Drive
Address: 1052 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139 (Formerly The Strand)
Phone Number:
Region: United States > Florida > Miami Beach
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge Beach Free High-Speed Internet Kitchenette Restaurant Suites Swimming Pool Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
#48 On the Beach Hotels in Miami Beach
Price Range: $$
Hotel Class:3.5 star (3.5*)
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