I was unfortunate to get a room that was above the restaurant and had a really, really bad smell. I was in Miami for a conference, so the fact that did not have an ocean view was fine, but to fall asleep with the smell of burnt food was impossible. There are number of rooms that are above the restaurant so make sure you don't get one of those. It will most certainly ruin your stay. There is a major construction going on next to the pool area of the hotel, which renders the pool area very unpleasant. The pool is not very pretty to begin with and it seems dirty comparing to other pools around it (the bottom of the pool was always dirty with leaves and branches). The beach is right across the boardwalk and it is very nice. There is a charge for beach charis and umbrellas. The hotel is a bit of a hike to South Beach but you can take a taxi. Hotel staff was very friendly and if you get a nice room for a decent price, this hotel may work for you. The room just ruin my experience and I will not be back.

I visited the hotel twice, once 2 years ago with a friend for 4 nights - we had a very nice time, all employees very nice.

My kids & I (13 & 18) went last year for 3 nights, just a quick get-away, and we had a fun time, they liked the boardwalk.

It is a "getaway hotel" and just about everything you need is there. If you want something else you can hop a cab and go to where there is more action. I like that it is removed unless you want to be in the center of things.

Hotel restaurant was wonderful, ate there quite a few times.

I'm planning a High School friends get-away for February, this spot is at the top of my list and I hope we pick it.

One last thing: I had a major migraine the first time I was there. They brought me a terry bathrobe, not usually supplied and chocolates (they told me the chocolates were good for my migraine!) It is the little things and the friendly employees that made it nice for me.

My family and I stayed at this hotel for 3 nights after coming back from Disney and before flying home. To start with, the hotel building is very old and seems to have been expanded over time and lacks modern ammenities, I have not seem the gym. The business center is in the lobby, there were 2 computers were you could sit, only one worked and another two that you had to use while standing. The restaurant where breakfast is served operates as a Carrabba's for lunch and dinner, it is from there that the food you order at the pool/beach bar comes and is fairly good, this was certainly the only good thing about this hotel. The pool is simple and small, very deep too so watch your kids, there was no lifeguard on duty, there are few chairs that get taken quickly and there was sun only in the mornings before the building casted its shade on it. But the worst part about the pool is that the hotel is expanding yet another section, so there is major construction going on all day long (incl. Sat.), the noise at the pool is unbearable. The area were the hotel sits is not very safe at night and even though the beach boardwalk is patrolled by security guards, many homeless people and junkies live there and also in the adjacent roads. It is not uncommon to be approached by them even at daytime asking for money. The worst part though was that they sent me the bill at checkout and also by e-mail, everything seemed to be in order, only a few days later I've realized they added another stay to my room and decided to charge it to my credit card without notice, trying to call the hotel during the day is useless, sometimes no one answers the phone, others they put you on hold and no one picks up and sometimes they say they will call you back but never do. I only got the wrongfull charges credited back to my CC after a month by contacting Marriott customer service because dealing with the hotel directly is pointless. All in all, it is a lot less than you would expect from a Marriott property, maybe they think they are that 50+ yrs old buiding and still living up to that age and standards.

Old Iconic Hotel, great staff, good rooms, but requires some upgrades. Great ocean view but huge construction blocking the view. Great staff, location is a bit far from main streets in Miami Beach and South Beach, but I would still recommend.