Although I travel often, I never sit down and review the places I've been to. None have inspired me to do so. The Congress hotel on Ocean Drive definitely changed that.

My partner and I were looking for the perfect place to celebrate our 5 year anniversary on South Beach from Jan12 to Jan 15th. We researched almost every single hotel on both Ocean and Collins, and came across the Congress and made our decision. I am so happy we did!

Once we arrived at the Congress our room was ready before the usual check-in time. This was awesome since we were pretty tired. Apart from an early check-in we were also greeted by champagne and such lovely service by Sandra and the rest of the staff. So right away we are beginning our South Beach experience with great positivity. Before arriving to our room, Sandra congratulated us on our anniversary and said she'd check back on us later to see how we liked our room.

Our room was located in the retro building which is next door to the main lobby. Once arrived at our room my partner and I were amazed! The room was an absolute dream! Humungous space! Squeaky clean! Lots of sunshine pouring into the room. The balcony view was like none I've ever seen before at any hotel on SoBe. Located on the heart of Ocean Drive you get the phenomenal view of the ocean, palm trees, and colorful deco life that sorrounds you. We were so happy with the room we didnt even wait for Sandra to check on us, we right away called the main desk complimenting them on the gorgeous room provided.

The kitchen comes with a full size stainless steel fridge, glass top stove, dishwasher, plates and silverware, pots & pans, coffee maker with complimentary coffee... the whole sha-bang! Which is great when you don't want to spend too much money on the pricey SoBe restaurants, you can come to your room and make yourself a dinner. The living room is so spacious, you can do a backflip in it. The bedroom was cozy and bed very comfortable and clean. Huge TV... The view from the actual BED was amazing being that you can wake up and see the ocean. My partner and I kept our windows open filling the room with ocean breeze and sunshine.

But my favorite part had to be the beautiful bathroom. Huge mirror/sink area, easy to share with a partner in the morning. Separate private toilet area. And the beautiful tub with the rain shower head above it. I used the tub every day I was there it was so relaxing! Very clean!


Around the hotel you will find the trendy SoBe restaurants/bars. A few blocks down there is a Walgreens and a 7 Eleven for any amenities you may need.

Reading the negative reviews all I see are people complaining about the noise. The hotel is located in the middle of OCEAN DRIVE... which is in the PARTY CENTRAL of SOBE... if noise past 1am bothers you, then why in the world would you book a hotel on ocean drive? That makes no sense. My partner and I are a young happy NYC couple who love to party late and don't mind the noise, so clearly a hotel on OCEAN DRIVE is perfect for us.

Another negative review I see on here is about some room views. Not all rooms will be located ocean front, being that Ocean Drive is a strip. If your room view isn't superb, the Congress rooftop pool offers a BEAUTIFUL view of the Atlantic Ocean just a few steps away from your room, all while sipping on a martini from their poolside bar.

The Congress supplied us with beach towels and chairs daily. Their beachfront location was very convenient, located right in front of the hotel and not crowded at all.


I can't really think of any negative comments to say... although I do wish there was a bigger full size mirror in the room. The couch in the living room is not comfy to sleep on but nice to sit on. These are all very minor things that did not affect our stay at all.

We had a superb time at the Congress. I used to live in Miami and travel back quite often. I've gotten to know some of the hotels in SoBe and I must say the Congress is top notch for the price and amazing location. The staff was incredibly helpful and sweet. Sandra at the front desk helped out from the start all the way to the end... where we had a bit of a misunderstanding about charges. Brandon the poolside bartender was absolutely charming as well as the bellman Rafael who was so willing to help out in every way.


Thanks to the Congress for helping our anniversary be amazing!