Port of Miami, Hotel Recommendation

[redwing_al]

HI everyone.. I'm reluctant to book a hotel because I dont know what I'm paying for (frugal me!)

But, here is what I am looking for:

*one night only
*Happens to be our wedding night
*we both object to overpaying for simply a place to sleep..
*Close to good restaurant options
*clean, safe
*proximity to ports
*proximity of walking distance to "things to do/see"
*a good value

can anyone make a recommendation?

THANKS!

[shark Fan]

Holiday Inn Bayside. Walk across the street and you have Bayside. Restaurants, shopping, dancing and people watching. Can be a bit pricey but you are about a mile from the port. At lest you can see the ships when you wake up in the morning.

[Crystalbast]

Originally Posted by shark Fan

Holiday Inn Bayside. Walk across the street and you have Bayside. Restaurants, shopping, dancing and people watching. Can be a bit pricey but you are about a mile from the port. At lest you can see the ships when you wake up in the morning.

I concur! I have stayed there twice before a cruise.

[Socref124]

Hyatt Downtown Miami. We stayed there and it is fantastic. We went to that travel company that William Shattner advertises for and bid $65 and got a room in a 5 star hotel for that price.

[pe4all]

Holiday Inn POM is definitely a good place to stay - the Bayside Marketplace is a great place to walk around/eat at. We have stayed there 4x. This Feb. we will be staying at the InterContinental, which is kind of diagonal to HIPOM. If you know how to use some of those discount on-line sites, you can get a real bargain on it! (we got a free nite using HI Priority Club points.

[nbsjcruiser]

Originally Posted by shark Fan

Holiday Inn Bayside. Walk across the street and you have Bayside. Restaurants, shopping, dancing and people watching. Can be a bit pricey but you are about a mile from the port. At lest you can see the ships when you wake up in the morning.

Yes it is a good place to stay but overpriced IMHO. We've stayed there twice and I like the hotel but it isn't a $200 a night hotel, which is what we paid. Having said that, for downtown Miami $200 is probably the going rate. To the OP, you could try priceline or one of those places and see if you can snag something for a decent price downtown. Just make sure you stay 3 stars and above.

[cruzmax]

Go to one of the bidding sites, and research 4-star hotels (before you bid). You can pull up a list of only 4 star hotels, look at them on a map of downtown area (close to port), view photos, etc., before bidding. We have had great luck doing this. If you do this, be sure to call the hotel to confirm your reservation. One thing to remember is on some of the bidding sites, if you cancel, you lose your $. Good Luck.
We have stayed at Hilton and Hyatt Regency downtown - both were very nice.

[LemurCat]

Originally Posted by nbsjcruiser

Yes it is a good place to stay but overpriced IMHO. We've stayed there twice and I like the hotel but it isn't a $200 a night hotel, which is what we paid. Having said that, for downtown Miami $200 is probably the going rate. To the OP, you could try priceline or one of those places and see if you can snag something for a decent price downtown. Just make sure you stay 3 stars and above.

I would concur with this. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Bayside as well and found it to be a poor value for the money. The hotel was in poor shape. Our plumbing more or less died. The facilities were dirty and worn, and the clicker for the TV didn't work.

[cigars-N-rum]

The doubletree off Biscayne Bay is a real nice place. Its one big complex, that has a few restaurants. I think there are about 4 places to eat and drink. You never have to leave once you get there. Its about one mile from the port. They also have a deal for 140ish a night where you park there and go on your cruise. The price covers your valet parking and your room. All you have to do is catch a shuttle to the port. With parking being 20$ a day at the port this will save you a lot of money.

[Mr. Tricky]

betterbidding.com to learn how prceline and hotwire work, if its just the 2 of you than priceline would be the way to go. Priceline also tends to be a bit cheaper than hotwire. Ive seen 4 star properties for under $100 but it depends on your date. I was able to get the Intercontinental for about 60% off.

[Langley Cruisers]

No no no! Please do not stay at the Holiday Inn Port of Miami!! Ugh - I can't imagine anyone recommending you stay there on your wedding night. It's just everything you don't want, IMO. Obviously there are some who like it and we've stayed there ourselves, but it's just not good value for the money, it's older and a bit run down, and the Bayside Marketplace, although across the street and is easily accessible, is NOT a reason for booking this hotel. Please. Just no.

Check out some of the posts by member Blue Herons; this person gives excellent advice and outstanding hotel recommendations. I suggest you stay out of the downtown area altogether and look at some of the outskirts - you'll get a better idea of the flavor of beautiful Miami and not be stuck at a hotel that is "close to the port". I'd feel better knowing you are starting your honeymoon off on a positive note.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, and have a great cruise.

[cruiseat50]

I have stayed at the HI-POM and it was ok - but found out how to get the Intercontinental for a GREAT price - basically same price as HI but the HI is a 3* and the IC is 5* IC is less than a 5 min walk to Bayside. If you want the info on how to get this email me. I was given this info and got a great price for Jan.

[trish1c]

Congrats on the wedding!

I became a huge fan of Priceline when it saved our HM. I committed us to 3 days in Paris before realizing just how freakin' expensive hotels are in that city. As someone else suggested also check betterbidding before you start the process.

Splurge a little b/c it is your wedding night. I bet you can get 4 stars somewhere great like south beach for around $100. When you confirm your reservation tell them it's your wedding night. They will probably do something for you, at least get you a room with a view.

PS we got the Hilton downtown for $59; it sounds OK to me for 1 night over New Years' Eve weekend.