Miami Hotel Recommendation

[serenity25]

Sailing on the Bliss out of Miami in a couple of months and looking for recommendations for a pre-cruise hotel.  I would like the hotel to be close to the port if possible.   

[JillK]

I have personally stayed at both the Intercontinental Miami and Marriott Biscayne Bay. 

Both hotels were very nice when I stayed there (it's been a number of years) and are well located to the port. From what I recall, the IC is a bit more centrally located and is closer to Dodge Island.

Check out the Florida Departures Board for lots more hotel recommendations and restaurant/entertainment recommendations too.

[Run14]

Prior to my last cruise we stayed at the Hotel Beaux Arts.  Not next to the cruise port, but in Brickell (which is close) and near a lot of fun stuff.  

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/miaax-hotel-beaux-arts-autograph-collection/

It's on the top floors of the JW Marriott there so the views were spectacular.  Maybe a 10-15 minute Uber at most.

[BirdTravels]

We stay at the Miami Downtown Hilton.If you get a bay view, you can look over at the Bliss awaiting your arrival on the morning of departure. 

[zqvol]

Keep in mind that the closer to the port, the more expensive the hotel. If cost is a factor you are better off staying out near the airport and taking an Uber or cab to the port. If cost is not an issue, the Intercontinental is excellent, and the Holiday Inn Port of Miami is always a go to place. Both are over priced IMO.

[cdnsteelman]

I've just returned from a sports trip to Miami and stayed at the Kimpton Angler's Hotel just off Miami Beach / South Beach and quite close to the port. Quite reasonably priced for a Miami Beach hotel - close to lost of restaurants and has an really nice rooftop pool. I'd guess it to be a ~10 minute taxi / Uber from the hotel.

[Travel Junkie Judy]

We always stay at the Holiday Inn, Port of Miami Downtown.

It is very near the port and has reasonable prices. 

Uber costs $6 to $10 to the port.

[JillK]

5 hours ago, Travel Junkie Judy said:

We always stay at the Holiday Inn, Port of Miami Downtown.

It is very near the port and has reasonable prices. 

Uber costs $6 to $10 to the port.

I've seen this recommendation frequently but have never been able to stay there myself as it is always booked solid by the time I look into hotels. 

Depending on when you're cruising, you may want to look into hotels early - particularly if you're interested in the Holiday Inn.

Agree with a previous poster who said the IC is expensive. We stayed there once as we lucked into a good rate. The time we stayed at the Marriott was because IC was out of our price range. We got the Marriott through a mystery hot rate on Hotwire which made it affordable (we needed two rooms to accommodate our family of 6).

[cliffd64]

Stayed several times at Holiday Inn Port of Miami.  it's a two minute ride to the port, and it's directly across from Bayfront Marketplace which is nice to walk around.  We have reservations there for our next cruise.

[NLH Arizona]

6 hours ago, Travel Junkie Judy said:

We always stay at the Holiday Inn, Port of Miami Downtown.

It is very near the port and has reasonable prices. 

Uber costs $6 to $10 to the port.

I've stayed here a few times as well.  The hotel has always been clean, near restaurants and close to the port.

[Always Cruising]

For families or a group of friends, the Marriott Villas at Doral is a good choice.  A $20 Uber ride from airport and to port, but it sleeps up to 7 (2 bedrooms and two sleeper sofas) and has a washer/dryer in case you've been traveling before the cruise.  Also has fun activities for all ages (love their am water aerobics!).  It's usually about $199/night.  A hotel shuttle will take you to nearby restaurants and shopping. 

[Voelfgar]

13 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

We stay at the Miami Downtown Hilton.If you get a bay view, you can look over at the Bliss awaiting your arrival on the morning of departure. 

 

And the hotel has free shuttle to the cruise port.

[PTC DAWG]

13 hours ago, zqvol said:

Keep in mind that the closer to the port, the more expensive the hotel. If cost is a factor you are better off staying out near the airport and taking an Uber or cab to the port. If cost is not an issue, the Intercontinental is excellent, and the Holiday Inn Port of Miami is always a go to place. Both are over priced IMO.

Location, location, location.    

Edited October 17, 2018 by PTC DAWG

[Prinz]

We normally stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Miami Airport South Blue Lagoon because you can get 14 days parking included for like 50 bucks more, and that includes a cruise port shuttle as well.

( they have an airport shuttle as well )

[pbenjamin]

18 minutes ago, Prinz said:

We normally stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Miami Airport South Blue Lagoon because you can get 14 days parking included for like 50 bucks more, and that includes a cruise port shuttle as well.

( they have an airport shuttle as well )

We stayed there because they offered the shuttle as well as airport pickup.  When we inquired about the shuttle they told us it was full and that our package did not include the shuttle.  Not sure whether it was their fault or ours but it turned out that Lyft was so cheap that we let it drop.  We had been traveling around Florida for a few days and decided to just veg out in the room that night.  There is a shopping center across the street with a Publix and a liquor store which supplied us with dinner and drinks.  I would go back there again, but would pay more attention to whether or not the reservation included the shuttle.

[cruisestan2]

We like staying at the Marriott Biscayne Bay. We get a balcony room overlooking the bay and port. Lovely to sit out and see the ships come in. There is a Publix food store about 3 blocks away where we stock up on items we can't get on the plane. 

 

Staying there in February for our Bliss cruise.

[basicprincess24]

We stayed at Hampton Inn Miami Brickell/Downtown. It is a little farther from the port, but still close (10-15 min drive). We liked it because we were walking distance from a lot of shops and restaurants. The included breakfast was also delicious, and they gave us a voucher for a free beer or wine at the bar, which was a nice touch. They did offer a shuttle to the port for $8pp, but we wanted to leave the hotel earlier than the shuttle, so we did our own Uber. 

[Prinz]

1 hour ago, pbenjamin said:

We stayed there because they offered the shuttle as well as airport pickup.  When we inquired about the shuttle they told us it was full and that our package did not include the shuttle.  Not sure whether it was their fault or ours but it turned out that Lyft was so cheap that we let it drop.  We had been traveling around Florida for a few days and decided to just veg out in the room that night.  There is a shopping center across the street with a Publix and a liquor store which supplied us with dinner and drinks.  I would go back there again, but would pay more attention to whether or not the reservation included the shuttle.

 

Yeah, I think the problem is they have like 3 different packages for shuttles/parking.

They have a cruise package which includes 14 days parking and shuttle to the cruise terminal.

They have an airport package which includes 10 (ten) days parking and shuttle to the airport. We're actually getting this when we only have a 1 week cruise until we're back, since an uber to the port is really cheap.

And then I think they also have a package that's just parking, or one that's just shuttle. You def have to verify which package you're getting, and the names might not make things 100% clear.

[beachys]

We love to stay at Marriott Biscayne Bay. It's very close to the port and you can get a bay room and watch the ships come in from your balcony! 

[beerman2]

Have stayed at Both Marriott Biscayne Bay and Intercontinental. Both are very good with Intercontinental a little better and closer to port.

Bayside rooms at both , so able to watch ships come in.

[CincyJen]

We booked the Marriott Residence Inn - Miami Airport for our November 24 cruise on the Bliss. Spacious rooms, adjacent restaurants in the Marriott complex, breakfast included, free airport shuttle and $15/pp cruise port shuttle (although we'll probably take an Uber). Very reasonable compared to the Key Biscayne hotels we've previously stayed at. 

[beerman2]

14 hours ago, CincyJen said:

We booked the Marriott Residence Inn - Miami Airport for our November 24 cruise on the Bliss. Spacious rooms, adjacent restaurants in the Marriott complex, breakfast included, free airport shuttle and $15/pp cruise port shuttle (although we'll probably take an Uber). Very reasonable compared to the Key Biscayne hotels we've previously stayed at. 

👍👍👍 This is now our hotel of choice, as we have friends from Fla. drive in and meet us there. 2 Bedroom suite works great for 2 couples and makes the price very good for January.

 

 

[LrgPizza]

We like to stay at the YVE downtown Miami (Formerly the B2 Hotel). It's right across the street from the Bayside Marketplace, and next door to a CVS for those last minute essentials. It is generally much less expensive than surrounding hotels. I've never paid over $100 for a room. It's clean and updated in a modern fashion. The bathrooms are small, but that doesn't bother me in the slightest. 

https://www.yvehotelmiami.com/

[brookie848]

The elevator situation at the Holiday Inn Port of Miami has stopped us from considering this hotel after staying there twice. It was a nightmare getting an elevator at check out.

We now stay at Hampton Inn Brickell. Like mentioned above, breakfast is free and above average. If you are a member of their awards program you get a free drink/snack at check-in, as well as the free welcome drink.

The elevator situation there is not an issue. We've never had to wait a long time. 

There are plenty of restaurants and stores around. Taking a large Uber to the port cost about $20 for the three of us. 

[GA Dave]

We really enjoyed staying at the Marriott Biscayne Bay.  We had a great view of the port (see attached picture), the deck overlooking the yacht club was really relaxing, and there were multiple dining options within walking distance.