Pre-departure stay in Miami with kids

We are driving end of June to Miami with our two young teenagers and will be there for 2 nights before the cruise. We are currently booked at Holiday Inn Oceanfront in Miami Beach. What do you think? The girls want to be close t the beach, Lincoln Road and just chill after a day at Universal Studios.

What do you think of that choice? Are there better choices we should consider near beach somewhere?

Thank you,

Ela

Good choice, but I suspect the parking fees for your car will bother you.

Good choice, but I suspect the parking fees for your car will bother you.

Ouch - I never asked about that... I will check now.

I can't believe the parking is $35 per day at the Holiday Inn at South Beach!!! Need to do some soul searching. With two teens we'd like to be on the beach since it's my teenagers' first time in Miami/South Beach. So maybe it's worth it... I may have to swallow hard and just suck it up. I don't think DH will feel the same though. :rolleyes: ... Daylight robbery.

Your kids will survive not being right on the beach.

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I can't believe the parking is $35 per day at the Holiday Inn at South Beach!!! Need to do some soul searching. With two teens we'd like to be on the beach since it's my teenagers' first time in Miami/South Beach. So maybe it's worth it... I may have to swallow hard and just suck it up. I don't think DH will feel the same though. :rolleyes: ... Daylight robbery.

Just do it.

You could be in San Francisco and pay even more.

Keith

I can't believe the parking is $35 per day at the Holiday Inn at South Beach!!! Need to do some soul searching. With two teens we'd like to be on the beach since it's my teenagers' first time in Miami/South Beach. So maybe it's worth it... I may have to swallow hard and just suck it up. I don't think DH will feel the same though. :rolleyes: ... Daylight robbery.

Parking fees are a simple case of supply (limited, if you have beachfront property you are going to build something with a much better return on investment than a parking lot) and demand (many of the folks in the hotel rooms they built still arrive by car and need parking). $35/night is by no means the most expensive :(. Even the Fort Lauderdale beach hotels charge in the $25 and up range.

The reviews in TripAdvisor are over 60% very good to excellent. I wouldn't hesitate to book there given the location.

You an check to see if the hotel offers a park/sleep/cruise package. If so, you may be able to park your car there for the 2 nights of your stay AND for the duration of your cruise for less than the per-day price to park at the port. Not all hotels offer this package, but many do. Some will also offer a free (or affordable) shuttle to/from the port, which can also be a convenience and a cost savings for you.

We are also taking 2 teens to Miami for 3 nights pre cruise. Ours are not bothered where in Miami we stay. So, should we look for a beach hotel or somewhere in the Mary Bricknell area? The East offers 3 nights for the price of 2, but we're unsure whether to spend the first night at the airport, as we don't land until 7pm, and then the following 2 nights more towards the cruise port, or alternatively spend all 3 nights at the same hotel e.g. The East, Hampton Suites etc.? Any recommendations :confused: - it will be over the Christmas holiday period?

TIA

You will likely not save much by staying one night near the airport and then moving - I would pick one for all 3 nights. The Brickell area or hotels near Bayside Market (Intercontinental, Hyatt, Doubletree, etc.) will offer lots of local dining options and you can easily taxi/Uber to South Beach for an afternoon.

You an check to see if the hotel offers a park/sleep/cruise package. If so, you may be able to park your car there for the 2 nights of your stay AND for the duration of your cruise for less than the per-day price to park at the port.

OP - I've never heard of those packages at any downtown Miami or Miami Beach hotels. They tend to be offered by airport and suburban hotels with parking lots. If you find some that offer the park/sleep/cruise package downtown or in Miami Beach, make sure you come back and post it. I'm sure others will be interested.

You will likely not save much by staying one night near the airport and then moving - I would pick one for all 3 nights. The Brickell area or hotels near Bayside Market (Intercontinental, Hyatt, Doubletree, etc.) will offer lots of local dining options and you can easily taxi/Uber to South Beach for an afternoon.

Thanks for the feedback :). Would you say that the Bricknell area is any better than Bayside? Additionally, many of the hotels state that the breakfast is extra - some are £20pp - which equates to quite an amount when there are 4 of us for the 3 nights. Are there many eatery options where we could obtain breakfast in the Bricknell area? Just trying to scope which of the two areas would be better suited for our needs.

TIA

Thanks for the feedback :). Would you say that the Bricknell area is any better than Bayside? Additionally, many of the hotels state that the breakfast is extra - some are £20pp - which equates to quite an amount when there are 4 of us for the 3 nights. Are there many eatery options where we could obtain breakfast in the Bricknell area? Just trying to scope which of the two areas would be better suited for our needs.

 

TIA

The dinning options in the Brickell and Downtown area are endless. Yes, plenty of places for breakfast, whether a quick stop or a sit down, especially on the weekends. I prefer the Brickell area, its a bit more dense and easier to walk around. Bayside is a nice place to visit, but its a tourist market, full of tourist shops and chains. Its not a bad place, and I usually recommend a stop there. But I tend to recommend brickell more.

To the OP: Its a good location and probably a decent price to be right on the beach. Pretty much any hotel in Miami Beach will charge around that for parking. Its a little too north to walk to Lincoln Road IMO, so much sure to have an uber app ready. Easy and cheap ride down to the main area of Miami Beach. Where the hotel is, its not exactly a dense area where you walk around and find shops and food. That is a big farther south in Miami Beach. Your more in mid-beach than South Beach at that hotel. The beach is great there though.

We rented an apartment through AirBnB that was 2 blocks from the ocean, 1 block from Lincoln Road Mall. Our host included the parking as well and the apartment was much nicer than any hotel and was a fraction of the cost. You may consider AirBnB or VRBO also. Just look for a reputable host with lots of reviews.

We rented an apartment through AirBnB that was 2 blocks from the ocean, 1 block from Lincoln Road Mall. Our host included the parking as well and the apartment was much nicer than any hotel and was a fraction of the cost. You may consider AirBnB or VRBO also. Just look for a reputable host with lots of reviews.

Locals do not recommend AirBnB as people are continually being scammed out of their money. Many properties do not allow these illegal rentals and refuse guests when they show up to check in.

To the OP, there are public parking garages all over South Beach that you can park in for a little less. I think the one by the convention center is $24 for 24 hours. That may save you $20 over two days.

Locals do not recommend AirBnB as people are continually being scammed out of their money. Many properties do not allow these illegal rentals and refuse guests when they show up to check in.

 

To the OP, there are public parking garages all over South Beach that you can park in for a little less. I think the one by the convention center is $24 for 24 hours. That may save you $20 over two days.

"Just look for a reputable host with lots of reviews.."

I think that was why the previous poster added in that last sentence. If a location is a scam and/or there are problems with the legality or guest are refused when they arrive; it would most definitely show up on an independent review site.

Bricked area attracts a lot of business folks hence the rates were even higher there than at some of the Miami Beach hotels!

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Thanks everyone - we will probably just stay at the Holiday Inn at this point. I booked it a while ago and got a good price I think - $180. Even with parking it's not a bad deal I think! we will have a car so we can jump and drive to Lincoln road in the evening!

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"Just look for a reputable host with lots of reviews.."

 

I think that was why the previous poster added in that last sentence. If a location is a scam and/or there are problems with the legality or guest are refused when they arrive; it would most definitely show up on an independent review site.

People just don't understand how crooked and shady Miami actually is. Again, locals don't recommend AirBnB or VRBO in Miami. I understand how both work.