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Experience contemporary luxury in an ideal setting for a soothing and memorable vacation at the Sea View Hotel Bal Harbour, just a 15 minute drive from Miami International Airport.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Sea View Hotel garners praise for its spacious and immaculate rooms, with the comfort of the beds often highlighted, despite some guests finding the decor to be a touch out of style. The staff receives commendations for their exceptional service, contributing to the hotel's atmosphere of historical charm that's both elegant and welcoming to families.
While the cleanliness is consistently lauded, opinions on the hotel's value and amenities like the large pool and beach access are more varied, with some guests suggesting there's room for improvement.
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Mixed
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Satisfactory
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I come to Miami to visit an elderly relative. Each time I look for something different. This place is by far the best I’ve been at. The proximity to shopping, beach, the hospital my aunt is at…. The place is like a historical building, gracefully decorated and relaxing ambiance.
The room was gorgeous Cheerfully decorated Modern despite the age of the building.
The food. - try the breakfast potato!!! The Fillet - one of the best.
The service- nothing compares. Room service was perfect- clean beds and comfortable!!!
Parking- very reasonable and so easy in and out.
I’m in love with this hotel.
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
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Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:I’m in love with this hotel. I could not have been happier. The service beyond compare.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunny Lee, Revenue Management at Sea View Hotel
Responded Aug 28, 2024
Dear Gerry, we are glad you gave the Sea View Hotel in Bal Harbour, Florida a chance and that we exceeded your expectations. It has been beyond delightful for us and the hard workings teams onsite to read through your flattering comments towards gorgeous cheerfully decorated modern room with clean and comfortable beds, one of the best breakfast and the fillet, easy in and out parking space. Your patronage and support to the hotel are very important to us and we look forward to welcoming you back in the near future.
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I mention the lack of bike rentals hoping the Sea View will get some for the guests, like the nearby Regis hotel. The outstanding bike and pedestrian path stretches all the way to the southern tip of South Beach, and there are no bike rentals in Bal Harbour! The resort remains in a 1980's decor that gives it a classic look and feel. It has resisted many offers for the valuable beachfront property, as the ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) family owns it and vacations here, refusing to sell. Everybody benefits from this vintage location with the largest and warmest pool on the map. The separate swimsuit elevator is an old idea that modern hotels need to implement. The resort fee includes both the poolside and beach chairs umbrellas and towels. Although no food is allowed at the pool the convenient outdoor dining is poolside, and their coffee shop offers takeout. The nearby parking lot is never full. I stayed during peak season and it was never crowded. I booked a weeklong stay in a bay view balcony room. This was a great choice as you can see the ocean and the weather flags by just looking around the corner of the north end rooms. I like the balcony as it beats the weather forecast, just step outside to decide what to wear and to see the local traffic. These rooms have a refrigerator, iron, safe, cable TV, old fashioned coffee not keurigs. There are no microwave ovens and no bathrobes. Towels and linens were clean and generous. I wrote a good review a year ago and expect to return next year, hopefully Sea View will have bike rentals. You can compare amenities and prices of all the proximate properties on the oceanfront to verify this is the best deal on Miami Beach. Construction continues next door but the air hammers are not as frequent nor as annoying as in the prior year. A short walk south to Seaside reveals an extensive kosher downtown area with good restaurants, and an on-the-cheap Publix supermarket. Flannigan's restaurant has a great prime rib dinner for under $20.
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:No tips as I will return and selfishly keep it to myself.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunny Lee, Revenue Management at Sea View Hotel
Responded Jan 26, 2024
Dear Valued guest, We want to thank you for leaving such an in-depth review for your recent stay with us here at The Sea View Hotel. We are also pleased to see that you noticed and enjoyed many of the things our hotel has to offer. We take much pride in our property and the vintage/retro feel we provide. We do believe we are unique in comparison to most and are excited you feel the same way! We are glad to hear that even during peak season, you stayed for a week that was less busy and that was to your liking. We don’t want you to get the wrong idea though and will mention to make sure you book far enough in advance so that we can make sure we meet your expectations and are able to accommodate you as best we can. Those corner Bay View Balcony Rooms are some of the most coveted due to the dual view of the Bay and Sea so please make sure you contact the Hotel directly to see if we can get you into one of those prior to your arrival! Regarding bike rentals, we forwarded your message to our upper management and it is being taken into consideration. For the time being please be advised that there is a public bike rental (Citi bike) just 3 blocks away from our hotel, 96th Street (Entrance to beach), Bal Harbour, FL 33154 with very inexpensive rate: 30-minutes access pass :$5.75, 1 hour access pass : $7.95, 2 hour access pass:$10.95, 1 day access pass ;$24. Again, thank you so much giving us your feedback and we look forward to serving you again!
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This modest hotel is sandwiched between two upscale resorts. Each high rise has their own private beach in this area, while a half mile south there are much more crowded public beaches. The most outstanding feature is the great pool, that everyone who tests the water say right away, "it's really warm" measuring 89 degrees F. The chlorine is computer controlled and leaves no detectable halogen smell on your body. Depth varies from 4 feet to 9 feet. The pool is flanked on all sides by private cabanas, that rent for about $160 for hotel guests and about $260 to public. We stayed four nights on a holiday weekend and it never got crowded. Around 4pm half the pool area is shaded by the huge condo next door and I upload a picture showing the shadow, so pick your spots if you prefer sun or shade. Both the pool staff and the beach staff were quite helpful in setting up umbrellas and recliner pads wherever you wish. John at the pool was particularly nice and enjoys his job. A separate elevator for bathers is a great idea and I wish more hotels did not mix people in wet suits with those dressed nicely in dinner attire. The no food policy keeps the pool deck tidy and it is quite easy to access the adjacent outdoor restaurant and bar. The food here was quite good, but not great as Miami has some outrageous culinary experiences. The come and go as you please parking for $25 a night was worth it and the lot was never full. The night desk erroneously charged me for my prepaid room, that was fixed promptly by the day staff. I had a balcony room and it was nice to check the outdoor climate before dressing for the day. The rooms are a bit dated but classic and clean. There is some serious renovation going on next door so maybe call the hotel and ask if the construction noise will be loud. The jackhammers could be heard all the way down to the beach, and at the outdoor restaurant it made conversation impossible. The Sea View is a gem among resorts that cost significantly more with mediocre pools and big crowds. I will likely return hoping some of the bad reviews create vacancies and keep the rates as reasonable as they are now.
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Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Pick a spot on the south side of the pool to avoid afternoon shadows. Call the desk in the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunny Lee, Revenue Management at Sea View Hotel
Responded Feb 28, 2023
Dear Kenl556, Thank you for the valuable and very detailed comment on your stay at The Sea View Hotel in Bal Harbour, Florida. We enjoyed reading your feedback with our staff and upper management. Regarding neighbor building noise, we apologize for the unexpected and unauthorized noise you heard from one of our neighbors. Our General Manager, voiced his displeasure with this particular property and the Village of Bal Harbour because they are in fact, required by the Village to mitigate the sound to ensure the noise code is complied with and to ensure residents of neighboring buildings are not unduly disturbed. We are glad to hear that you will return and stay with us again and looking forward to welcoming you again soon !
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Very nice listed hotel, well located, right on the water. The rooms are very large and clean, even those at the back are very good. Whether at reception, in the restaurant or at the swimming pool, all the staff are very friendly and very helpful. You can sit on a deck chair at the pool or on the beach, or both during the day, all included in the room price. The breakfast is à la carte and is really very good, the dinner is also very good on the terrace with a view of the sea. Very large parking lot to be paid for in addition to the room from which you can enter and exit as you please. Two hundred meters from the hotel there is the very chic Bal Harbor shopping center with wonderful boutiques and several restaurants, this place is definitely worth a visit. Between the hotel and the sea there is a very beautiful car-free walk for several kilometers. Despite some comments this is not at all an old people's hotel. Value for money, this is surely one of the best hotels in Miami. You will be 20 minutes from South Beach, no problem getting there by car (very good parking on 13th Street).
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Très bon hôtel n'hésitez pas à y réserver votre séjour.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Our third stay here and not the last. The old world charm here is refreshing and not found anywhere else in the Miami seafront. My prior reviews were somewhat thorough so I'll comment specifically on Construction noise. It's hard to believe this annoyance has been going on for years. There is a 1 hour break at lunch hour and there is no noise on the weekends. Although the beach was eroded away last week, guests were made comfortable at the next beach south where you cannot hear any noise. They put up green noise barriers as shown in one picture, but it has minor effect. Not sure if I can upload my video here with sound. I discovered that my noise cancellation headphones worn on the plane are very effective here, it negated all the air hammering. I see few have mentioned one of the pool staff, Bobby, who is outstanding. Sea View remains the best place to stay north of South Beach. A short walk to STREET, the areas finest restaurant is appreciated. Note many local businesses close on the Saturday sabbath, but Flannigans the Irish pub is open with great prices!
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Try noise canceling headphones if it gets noisy.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunny Lee, Revenue Management at Sea View Hotel
Responded Nov 4, 2024
Dear Mr. Ken Lee, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts on the Tripadvisor site following your stay with us at the Sea View Hotel Bal Harbour. We are pleased to hear your fabulous comments about your visit and are happy to know that we have managed to cater to all of your needs while on property. What means the most to us is that you found the staff to be most helpful and that you appreciated the fantastic service provided by Bobby at the pool. Thank you for choosing to stay with us. We are very much looking forward to offering you a warm Sea View welcome again on your future visit to Miami Beach.
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We stayed for 10 nights; the hotel was excellent and very well located. The areas for improvement are as follows: there is construction next door, and there is a lot of noise all the time. We had booked a room with a balcony (we upgraded to this one, which is not the cheapest), and they gave us one facing the construction site next door. They could have informed us about this or given us an upgrade since the hotel was not full, and they assigned us that room. It was even uncomfortable to change clothes without closing the curtains. I would not go to this hotel again in the next 6/9 months until the construction is finished. There is also noise at the pool, so if you want to relax, now is not the time. Another issue to improve is that the beach and pool service closes at 5 pm (even though they charge a resort fee for this), while the hotels in the area close later. It is strange to close so early when there is still sunlight. Another issue is the gym, which is very good but closes at 7 pm, which makes no sense since there is never anyone to guide or help you, so why not close it later? In conclusion, we would return, but not for the next 9 months due to the construction next door. One more thing, at check-in, they told us that parking was $20 per day, but at checkout, they charged us $25.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunny Lee, Revenue Management at Sea View Hotel
Responded Jul 18, 2024
Dear RodrigocC8444MB, We want to thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback about your recent stay with us here at the Sea View Hotel. We love to hear about our beautiful location and excellent amenities that made your stay happy. We are sorry to hear about the renovating noise from next door neighbor building. We advised our neighbor building to mitigate the sound when they use loud machinery and during weekend they are not allowed to do construction work. Please be informed that our current self-parking fee is U$25 plus tax per overnight and visitor daytime parking: U$15 plus tax which is very reasonable price compared to our neighboring ocean front hotels. Looking forward to welcoming you again at our hotel in the future. Until then, take care.
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In all the years i have been traveling, I have never had to deal with a more arrogant group of people after a bad incident. My wife and I picked this hotel to stay for a night out on our Anniversary. The check out was 12 noon. At 11 am in the morning while my wife and I were in bed, a housekeeper walked in our room, NO KNOCK, just opened the door and walked in. After some yelling to get out as we were very embarrassed, I went down to the front desk to tell them what happened and all they said was sorry, here is the bill for your incidentals. I told them I wanted to talk a manager, someone entered our room while we were in bed and they said they didn't have a manager to talk to. I waited 3 days, nothing. After finally calling the hotel and getting the Assistant GM, she said we are sorry but there is nothing we can do. Maybe you didn't hear the knock. There was no knock, this was my anniversary morning, we were very much awake.
I cant believe they didn't offer to comp a meal, something. Well i guess this classless place will end up paying the price when people find out how bad the management is. The hotel is actually not bad, just run by completely unprofessional people. If i owned the hotel both the Assistant GM and the GM would be looking for a new job.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunny Lee, Revenue Management at Sea View Hotel
Responded May 26, 2022
Dear Valued guest, Thank you very much for your valuable review regarding your stay with us. We have investigated the incident and the Housekeeping manager confirmed that the housekeeping staff was following the standard proper procedure. They did not see a do not disturb sign on the door and they also knocked on the door before entering the room. It is very unfortunate that this incident happened.
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My wife and I just returned from an 8 day stay at this hotel. The one-star rating is unfair because most elements of the stay were fine, and the staff generally friendly and helpful, and the food was pretty good. Absent what follows I would have given it a 3 or 3.5. However, the manner in which they handled the security deposit process is so unlike any of the hundreds of hotels I have stayed at that it killed any desire to go back. I will try to be brief. 1.We booked through Expedia, and of course prepaid the full amount. 2.Expedia mentioned nothing about an unusual security deposit requirement. 3.On arrival, we were told that they needed to place a hold for $800, $100 per night, for "incidentals". We were surprised and resisted, and the front desk agreed to $500. 4.We also upgraded our room, for another $480 that we would of course pay to the hotel. 5.On our return we looked at our statements and saw that, indeed, they put a hold on $500 on checkin, but then 4 days later they put a hold on another $300, and then 2 days after that, on another $500. 6.The 2 additional holds were done without any notice to or permission from us. So, a total of $1300 held for the deposit. 7. On checkout we were not told about the additional holds, only that the original $500 would be lifted. 8.Today, upon noticing this, we called and were first told by the desk that the additional $500 was to cover the upgrade, and the other $300 was to cover the amount of the original hold that we had burned through. Again, there was no disclosure at any time of additional amounts being held at any time, and of course no approval given by us. 9.I asked to speak to the manager, Raj Singh I believe, who called by back promptly. He completely and persistently justified the hotel policy, and said I should check with my bank for debiting our account for the holds. No apology for failure to disclose, no apology for adding holds without our permission, and no awareness that were we so inclined we would have a right to assert against the hotel for impairing our credit without our permission.
This is inexcusable and incompetent, and I advise anyone planning to book to at least make sure this doesn't happen to them. We recommend that Management, if they feel at risk, should ask the guests from time to time to pay on account of their accumulated charges, which hotels often do for extended stays. We will of course never return to the Sea View.
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Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:At least during the winter, the pool area is largely in the shade by 1pm. The building next door...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunny Lee, Revenue Management at Sea View Hotel
Responded Dec 12, 2022
Dear gburger2015, Thank you very much for the valuable feedback you provided us. We are disappointed that you are no longer considering The Sea View Hotel as your accommodation in the future. We would like to extend our welcome to you, should you reconsider to come back to our hotel since you loved most elements of your stay as well as friendly and helpful our staff. Regarding your comment on security deposit, it is clearly listed in Expedia website for our hotel. The security deposit of U$100 daily is to cover any food and beverage charges and incidental charges. We wish you a happy holidays !
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We recently stayed at the Sea View Hotel for several nights on one of their summer promotions available directly on their website. I thought the hotel was great, and it delivered everything we were looking for. Our room was a corner bay view balcony, and much larger than typical hotel rooms. It featured a very comfortable king sized bed, good sized bureau and night tables , three comfortable chairs, table, desk, a large “mini”refrigerator, good coffee maker, ceramic mugs and glasses, and a very large walk-in closet where we could store two big suitcases as well as hang up our clothing and put clothes on shelves. As a throw back to a more formal era , it even had a tie rack. The balcony terrace had a lounger, chair and table. We received free full breakfasts everyday, even though the booking special labeled it as “continental” there was a choice of eggs, bacon, home fries pancakes, juice, coffee, toast etc. and everything was freshly made and cooked to a high standard. The dining room was open all day and evening, and their lunch was equally excellent. The pool and beach are serviced daily with chaise lounge pillows, beach towels, making for a very nice and comfortable experience. The poolside bar is manned by a wonderfully experienced and skilled bartender, who prepared all of the tropical style cocktails to perfection. The pool is beautiful,big and uncrowded, and the beach here at Bal Harbor is more private than elsewhere in Miami Beach because there are no nearby public lots. Restaurants and shopping are a short walk or drive away. All in all, the SeaView Hotel surpassed my expectations and I would highly recommend it for those seeking a peaceful, relaxing beach resort experience.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunny Lee, Revenue Management at Sea View Hotel
Responded Jul 28, 2021
Dear Sjtam, We appreciate you trusting the Sea View Hotel, Bal Harbour, Florida as your accommodation during your recent trip to the Miami area. We are beyond thrilled to learn of your surpassed expectations with our beautiful oceanfront location and comfortable hotel atmosphere as well as excellent services and amenities. Thank you dearly for the top traveler rating you have given our facilities and services. We simply cannot wait to host you on your return visit soon.
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I visited the Sea View with my family in late February. The resort was wonderful - it is very clean and the service was great. It's updated, but still has the right amount of vintage charm. The (heated) pool and beach area are beautiful and very convenient given that they are steps from the hotel. The restaurant was also great and we really enjoyed taking food out from the Sea View Cafe, which was more casual. The hotel is across from Bal Harbour Shops and an easy walk to downtown Surfside and all of the restaurants, etc. it has to offer. It's worth mentioning that the hotel is very quiet, especially compared to other Miami Beach or Fort Lauderdale resorts, but that is exactly what we wanted (we had young kids with us and don't drink alcohol, although there was a nice pool bar). If you want more of a scene at night, there is lots to walk to, but I would recommend a walk down the beach to the Champagne Bar at the Four Seasons - wonderful! We will definitely be back to the Sea View!
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sunny Lee, Revenue Management at Sea View Hotel
Responded Mar 8, 2024
Dear Valued guest, Thank you very much for taking the time to review the Sea View Hotel in Bal Harbour, Florida on TripAdvisor and for your compliments of your recent stay with us. We are very happy to hear that your experience was excellent with us. We are very glad to see that we managed to exceed your expectations in terms of facilities and amenities. We shall pass your kind feedback on to the hard working hotel teams. It has been beyond delightful for us to further read through your flattering comments towards the heated pool and beautiful beach as well as great restaurants and clean & updated guest rooms. Looking forward to welcoming you again in the near future !
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For example, if you want us to guarantee in advance for early check in on January 25, then you need to pay the night of January 24th for us to guarantee early check in.
However, on arrival day, January 25th, when you arrive our hotel in the morning and if the room is ready, our front desk could check you in with small extra fee between U$50 - U$150. (depends on how early it is)
If the room is not ready at the time of your arrival, then you can leave the bag at our concierge and use our amenities like pool, restaurants, etc.
Hope this is clear !
There are more places to choose from in the Bal Harbour area.
PRICE RANGE
$262 - $382 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
sea view bal harbour, hotel sea view
LOCATION
United StatesFloridaBal Harbour
NUMBER OF ROOMS
220
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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