Has anyone stayed at Life House Little Havana?

[eagle12901]

Every time I have gone from Miami I stay at Hampton Brickell...and it's excellent.  However I may want something a little different (Life House Little Havana) prior to Seaside.  I found this place but there are almost no reviews.  If you have stayed here please share some of your experience.

[fishywood]

I don't know how many reviews there could be of a property that just opened earlier this month (at least in its current form as a Life House affiliate).

 

From what I could decipher from the overly florid sales pitches on their website it looks like the Life House chain is a conglomeration of local owners who join a group in order to skirt the local zoning and tax rules designed to deter pop-up nightly rentals in residential neighborhoods (they are also listed on Air BnB which is Public Enemy #1 to the county tax collectors--and the hotel owners' lobbyists who have City Hall bought and paid for). 

 

So caveat emptor. And be sure to brush up on your Español should you decide to give that neighborhood a try.

[MadManOfBethesda]

Well, it will definitely be different than staying in Brickell, that's for sure!  And this isn't even a nice area of Little Havana.  I don't know anything about the property itself, but I don't think you'll like the area.  It's in a somewhat rundown residential area a little northeast of the main Little Havana commercial district, which basically runs from 27th to 12th Avenue along 8th Street (Calle Ocho).

 

If you enjoyed stepping out of your hotel in Brickell and walking around in a vibrant neighborhood with shops, restaurants, and nightlife close by,  then you won't like the location of this hotel.

[eagle12901]

Thank you both for your responses 

[skrufy]

Can’t tell you about the hotel but some advice from a Cuban friend of mine. He said that roaming around Little Havana could be hazardous to your health. We wanted to eat in a good Cuban restaurant, he suggested to use public transportation to and from the door of the restaurant.

[SteerageJoe]

I do not know that neighborhood so cannot comment on safety. But I drove by today and there is nothing within walking distance even if I was brave enough to explore on foot.

 

Here is the place - what is still missing? Window security bars! All the other houses next door have them.

 

Amazing what good marketing can do for any place. It currently looks nothing like the website shows but I did not go inside. Things look incomplete. Was not going to park and leave my car.

 

[Cheezus]

You don't want to stay in Little Havana. It's not that kind of tourist destination.  Try South Beach if looking for something different than Brickell.