Reasonably priced hotel Miami for family of 4 - 2 rooms

[Cassicruiser]

We will be staying in Miami for 2 nights after our cruise in mid December, and am looking for something affordable as we have to pay for 2 rooms (2 of us, plus 2 adult children). We would like somewhere as central as possible, (I have been told Miami Beach is best) that is easily walkable to the main tourist areas, and in a safe location. Everything I am looking at is so expensive. We would prefer not to pay more than around $700 for 2 rooms for 2 nights. Anyone have any suggestions for a nice hotel, doesn't need to be fancy? We don't specifically need to be near the beach, which would be nice for the vibe I guess, but are more concerned with being in a good area to see as much of Miami as possible. Thanks :D

[JohninDC]

Hampton Inn Mary Brickell is often suggested on this board - great location and free breakfast. Holiday Inn close to POM in downtown, across the street from Bayside Market is another option.

 

You could look at hotels near MIA airport in the Blue Lagoon area - Homewood Suites, Hampton Inn, etc. You'll burn up some of your saving on Uber and taxis, but you can use the hotel shuttle to get back to MIA and from there catch the Airport Flyer bus to South Beach for about $3 each.

 

December, particularly around the holidays, will be pricey - book something now that you can live with and can be cancelled without penalty, and then keep shopping! ;)

[Cassicruiser]

Thanks for those suggestions John - I'll check them out. So is it better to stay in South Beach, or downtown? Is the airport close enough to either to warrant staying there to save money? We want to see as much of Miami as we can in 2 - 3 days, and won't be hanging out on the beach, but I haven't researched yet where the best places to see are. We won't have a car and will use uber most likely, but want somewhere that we can at least walk to restaurants, nice areas to hang out etc.

We decided rather than having 4 of us crammed in one room, we would rather stay somewhere more modest and have 2 rooms, but still want somewhere reasonably nice, but boy Miami is expensive compared to other places we're going on this trip!

[JohninDC]

South Beach is in the city of Miami Beach, which is different from the city of Miami - pull up the area on google maps to get oriented. Both downtown and SB can be fun; SB obviously has the beach and great nightlife, plus interesting architecture. You can use Uber to get around fairly inexpensively and there are a couple of hop-on/off bus tours that will give you a good overview. The airport, especially in traffic on a weekday is a 20-30+ minute ride from SB, a bit less from downtown

[Cassicruiser]

Ok great, I checked out google maps and I see what you mean. It looks like downtown has slightly better pricing, so will look into that area as well. HoHo bus sounds like a great option, and will also serve as a means of transport for one day. I looked at Hampton Inn Brickell, which is still slightly pricey in December, but there are a few other options in that area that I can look at. Thanks again

[LakeWobegon]

One thought in Miami Beach if you opt for that route is the Holiday Inn a little further north up the beach. It would be a hike to downtown Miami but if the beach vibe is your thing, it's right on the boardwalk and looks like there are lots of restaurants, and a Walgreens and other things within easy walking distance. We're staying two nights pre-cruise in August and it was just under $500 total for 1 room for 2 nights (4 people). December may be cheaper. We've stayed at the Royal Palm South Beach before. You can't beat that location on the beach and within walking distance of much of Miami. BUT, it can be outrageous depending on the time of the year. Good luck and happy sailing.

[SunCruizer]

We booked the TownPlace Suites Miami Airport for a pre-cruise stay. They offer suites with two bedrooms (both with queen size beds). I found it to be cheaper than getting two separate rooms at any other decent hotel

[Cruiser Who Knows Nothing]

We booked the TownPlace Suites Miami Airport for a pre-cruise stay. They offer suites with two bedrooms (both with queen size beds). I found it to be cheaper than getting two separate rooms at any other decent hotel

 

If its only for the day right before the cruise, I would stay at the airport, but OP is looking at a couple days prior and I would never want to be out there for more than 12 hours (including sleep). Sometimes the cheap is expensive.

[1lizette1]

I would also look into AirBnB. You might find a place with 2 bedrooms

 

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Forums mobile app

[Cassicruiser]

Thanks for all your replies. I googled and went on tripadvisor and finally booked a 2 bedroom suite at Fortune house hotel suites in Brickell. Its fairly reasonable and very close to the Hampton Inn Brickell which everyone recommends but is pricier. It has good reviews but I've booked a refundable rate so can cancel if anything reasonable in South Beach comes up. Although I figure it would be fine to just stay in Brickell and get an Uber to South beach, and do Hop on hop off one day.

[landlocked12]

We just booked three rooms at the Penguin Hotel on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach for the two nights before the our cruise. The rooms look a bit spartan, but it's a great deal for the area, right across from the beach.