Pre Cruise Hotel Question Miami?

[doitallWMB]

Has anyone Stayed at the Riu Miami Beach Pre Cruise? My TA is pushing this one, but would like a first hand opinion. We are on the Dawn for 11 days in November. Thanks!

[Sauer-kraut]

Have you looked at reviews on TripAdvisor.com ?? put the name of the hotel in the search engine and see what comes up.

[doitallWMB]

I will thank you!

[doitallWMB]

Any other suggestions for 2 nights?

[patseacruiser]

Stayed at the Intercontinental Miami. Very nice hotel. Got a reasonable rate at lastminutetravel.com. Convenient to take a bus to South Beach. Restaurants and some shopping at Bayside.

[CruisingPiper]

We like the Holiday Inn, especially if you can get a room that overlooks the port.

[YYC F/A]

While I seldom advocate cruise line provided hotel packages (usually too expensive), NCL actually has some decent rates, and transfers are included which makes it convenient. They do the Sofitel (airport area) and also one property in DT MIA and two in Miami Beach area.

 

If you are booking the hotel independently, you could ask your TA to check the Hilton DT MIA (recently refurbished, free continental breakfast, free monorail access to Bayside Market etc.) and your TA may be able to get you good contract rates (our company gets very reasonable rates here).

[doitallWMB]

Thanks everyone! I will check out the Intercontinental and the Holiday Inn.

[carontori]

Anoher vote for the Intercontinental. It's a beautiful hotel and within walking distance of shops and restaurants. We had a fabulous view of the port.

[Dayenu]

We stayed in the South Beach, loved it. The taxi to the cruise was about $20.

[CRAustin]

I bid through priceline 4 star downtown area and got Intercontinental for a Fri night for $85.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Has anyone Stayed at the Riu Miami Beach Pre Cruise? My TA is pushing this one, but would like a first hand opinion. We are on the Dawn for 11 days in November. Thanks!

 

as Patseacruiser and another poster said Intercontinental.

 

It is $102 for the night of Nov 1. Stayed there last year and it was great, and easy walking distance to bayside for drinks and dinner.

$8-$10 cab ride to the pier.

 

Bill

[Why Knot Me]

Also good but not within walking distance to Bayside is Mariott Biscayne Bay. Got it thru Priceline last January for a good rate.

[BlueHerons]

Has anyone Stayed at the Riu Miami Beach Pre Cruise? My TA is pushing this one, but would like a first hand opinion. We are on the Dawn for 11 days in November. Thanks!

 

Why is your travel agent pushing this hotel?

 

This hotel is not walking distance to South Beach and not a cheap cab ride to the port.

 

In November, you should be able to get an excellent deal off hotwire for a South Beach Hotel.

 

Look at the Oceanfront Collins Avenue hotels.

 

Downtown Miami and Bayside are not worth staying in or seeing and the Holiday Inn is an overpriced dump. If you could get it for $75 a night it would be okay but they usually charge and get closer to $200 a night.

[patseacruiser]

Blue Herons is the Miami person to talk to. I did stay 2 nights at Intercontinental though and got $95 per night I believe. We took the bus to Lincoln Road for Halloween and had a great time and it was easily accessible. $10 cab ride to the port. There isn't a lot around the hotel but it was nice.

[doitallWMB]

It makes it difficult to get a good response when my post is moved. We are going on an NCL cruise...

[JohninDC]

While downtown Miami can be fun for one night pre-cruise (and waking up to a view of your cruise ship is a great experience! :D), since you are looking for two nights I would follow Blue Heron's advice and focus your hotel search on Miami Beach - great dining, people watching, nightlife, etc. Good luck! :)

[doitallWMB]

While downtown Miami can be fun for one night pre-cruise (and waking up to a view of your cruise ship is a great experience! :D), since you are looking for two nights I would follow Blue Heron's advice and focus your hotel search on Miami Beach - great dining, people watching, nightlife, etc. Good luck! :)

 

We will book through our local TA because of a business relationship, but we know absolutely nothing of the Southbeach hotels. Usually we figure out where we want to go and she books it. Sometimes it seems we have more resources than a TA that has been in business for 40 years. The internet is a wonderful thing.