Miami--Miami River Inn
 

I think I have made a big mistake! A couple of family members are doing a last minute cruise (next week). They are spending the night in Miami, but the headquarters hotel (it is a group thing) is already full. I tried to help them and searched and searched for a good place near the headquarters hotel, with so-so results--nothing I was thrilled with. I finally found the website for "Miami River Inn" which looked really unusual--very quaint and a great price. Since they needed to make their arrangements ASAP in order to get cruiseline transfers, I had to go ahead and book them. Today I have read some really HORRIBLE reviews--as well as some good ones. I have stayed in many hotels that had SOME really bad reviews---you can't please everyone---but my sister is not as laid back as I am. Is there anyone out there with any experience with this place? I would like to get some more info before I let her know we may need to look into a change. Thanks.

Let me guess, the headquarter hotel is the Holiday Inn Port of Miami? Why anyone wants to stay downtown is beyond me when there are so many better neighborhoods close by is beyond me.

Coral Gables and Coconut Grove would be much better alternatives.

Downtown Miami is dark, deserted, and dangerous at night and Bayside Marketplace is a horrible tourist trap.

That said, did you check with the Courtyard By Marriott downtown? What about the JW Marriott, The Conrad, The Hyatt, or the Intercontinental?

Miami River Inn is in a quirky neighborhood, that's for sure. It's definitely not a mainstream hotel. GoTravel has good advice on other areas to look at. There just isn't much around this place, plus it could be a little hard to get to at night and the area could make some people nervous. That said, I've looked at it for an in-town getaway because it does seem interesting.

Actually, the headquarters hotel is the Marriott Biscayne Bay. No, staying in downtown Miami would not be their first choice, but since the pre-cruise party is there, as well as all of their transportation, they were hoping to stay in the same area. Since the Miami River Inn is less than four miles away (according to Mapquest, anyway), I had assumed the neighborhood would not be too different. They are, of course, not going for the neighborhood anyway....they are going to the party at the Marriott, then returning to their room to sleep, then going back to the Marriott the next morning. The pictures looked terrific....but the wide differences of opinion in their reviews are making me nervous. The Holiday Inn Port of Miami is full...so are most of the other downtown hotels. I did find two (one was Embassy Suites, and I can't recall the other offhand) with vacancies, but their rooms were in the $200.00 a night range. They can do that if they have to....it was just that they looked so "sterile" compared to the Miami River Inn---but then I tend to like "different" and "quirky" and not everyone does. I guess I was hoping for someone with personal experience with the place. Sounds like we need to keep checking.

bc, it is flat out peak season in South Florida right now and I would be very wary of any hotel charging less than $200 per night.

My opinion? I'd pay the $200 per night to stay in the Embassy.