Hi all. Some of you have been following my meandering as I try to set up a 5 night vacation in South Beach for me (57 - active but not what I consider a SoBo scene kind), my 21yo DD (this is her winter break from freezing in college in Montreal), and for 3 of the nights my 26yo DS who has decided to join us. A business associate offered a bargain rate at the Royal Palm, but the large number of negative reviews focused on the dirtiness of the halls and rooms put me off that deal. I just booked an entry level room at the Park Central Hotel - Collins and 6th - an art deco 125 room hotel across the street from the beach, with small pool and nice rooftop terrace that gets decent reviews, seems to have nice amenities, and comes in just at my $1000 hotel budget. Is anyone familiar with this hotel? Do you think it is an appropriate choice for my little group? I am also open to other hotel suggestions as long as they are within my budget.

Sixth and Collins is not across the street from the beach but a block off the beach.

Sixth and Ocean would be across the street.

One last thing, I can guarantee you this hotel has teeny tiny hotel rooms. Aak for your room dimensions before you book and if it is entry level, I'd be surprised if there is more than one bed in the room.

$125 per night is a very low rate in peak season. I'd be very leary.

I stand corrected. It is on Ocean and 6th. It is a room with 2 double beds. I've seen the pictures taken by other travelers. The price is $174 per night average before taxes, for a total of just over $1000. I am realistic about room sizes. I understand that these older hotels have smallish rooms and I accept that. After spending 2 weeks in Italy last April, where 2 of our B&B rooms were miniscule, I have gotten past the need for a huge space. Wouldn't mind it of course.

Anyone else familiar with this hotel? I read that noise can be an issue.

And I am continuing to look for good deals as our departure date approaches.

Call and ask if the rooms have been soundproofed.

South Beach is exciting, noisy, great fun. Park Central is one of the old, historic hotels on Ocean Drive and I'd be willing to put up with some noise for the scene and the history. We stayed at the Colony a couple of blocks from the Park Central and we loved the whole thing. For sure your DD and DS will enjoy it and you sound like your still flexible enough to enjoy it as well.

I love the whole South Beach scene (and I'm 63) and would stay at the Park Central in a heartbeat. But if you're leery of the noise, etc. and want to consider someplace a little quieter but still in the area, check out the Doubletree on Collins. It's nice, not quite as historically exciting, but in a little less frenetic an area. Prices might not be quite as good, however.

oh, I think that Doubletree is the Surfcomber. Hope this helps.

I stayed at this hotel last April with my nieces. We had a room on the top floor, right by the door leading out to the terrace. ALL rooms in South Beach's boutique hotels are smaller than other places, but the rooms at Park Central are not too bad. the beds are extremely comfortable. The hotel is next to a Latin dance club, but we had no problems with noise at all. I found the room to be well sound-proofed. The staff there were also very friendly and accommodating, which is a bit unheard of in SoBe. The hotel is close to the corner of 6th and Ocean, all you have to do is cross the street and you are at the beach. Your room should also include 2 free beach lounges for each day you are there. It is walking distance to many of the well known restaurants on SoBe, including Joe's Stone Crab. If you don't plan on spending all your time in the room (with flat screen TV), I think you'll be happy.

I have stayed at this hotel a couple of times and found it to be very nice. I don't remember the rooms being that small, but the bathrooms are pretty small. I found Quinn's, the hotel's restaurant, though a bit pricy to be one of the better ones that I have eaten at in South Beach. Last year, I changed hotels and stayed at the Cardozo, but only because the Park Central no longer has smoking rooms and I travel with a smoker. Otherwise, We would have been back at the Park Central. Location-wise, it is more towards the quiet end of Ocean Drive, but still in the thick of things. My advice would be to try it, I don't think you will be disappointed. Have you read the reviews on TripAdvisor? It has always rated very well there.

flapenny - do you remember which type of room you were in? Classic with 2 beds? Partial ocean view with 2 beds?

Today someone told me that this is the very busiest area and that they would never stay on Ocean, especially that end. don512 said that this is the quieter end of Ocean. I am very very confused.

OMG - the hotel is next door to a Latin club? How could you not hear that? My daughter just moved out of an apartment in Montreal because it was next door to 2 clubs and the noise and vibration were intolerable. I must say that I have read many of the reviews of the Park Central and no one ever mentioned noise from the club - only noise from the hotel itself (elevator doors, ice machine, louvred entry doors letting in hallway noise).

The only Latin Club I can think of close by is Mangos but that is a block or so down the street.

The hotel is on the quieter end of Ocean Drive but Ocean Drive stays busy all night long.

South Beach doesn't really get going until after midnight and there are after hours clubs that don't open until 6AM.

I think you'll be fine. A hotel in that location really has to have soundproof rooms or they'd never be able to rent out rooms.

Call and ask.

Personally, I would have had no problems keeping your original reservation at The Royal Palm.

You may be overthinking this just a tad bit.

Have you looked into rooms at The Marseilles or The South Seas?

I would check there. Much better oceanfront area of South Beach.

GoTravel - you are absolutely right. I am over thinking this waaaay to much. But I don't get to take my kids away too often, and I'd like the room to be comfortable for all of us. My decision to skip the Royal Palm is the right one for me. And I think I'll be fine at the Park Central. I'm not looking at other hotels at this point unless a great deal jumps up and bites me . The only thing I am still following up on is the possibility of a condo rental, which would give us more space to breathe. And for that I am only looking at the Flamingo, which is very appealing to me in its amenities, even though it's on the bay not the beach.

Actually the Cardozo, where we stayed last year is at the busier end of Ocean Drive. Ocean Drive gets very quiet once you get below 5th. Most of any of the louder places along Ocean Drive are are probably a couple of blocks away. The noise that you are going to get at the Park Central will be traffic noise, as it seems that there are those who like to cruise Ocean Drive. Trying to get a room away from the front of the hotel might help some with that. We usually go in February, and I can't remember it being all that bad, and we had an oceanfront room where we left the windows open.

Well - right now I am content with my choice of the Park Central. But I am deciding whether to keep my entry level classic 2 bed room (read that as cheaper) or to upgrade to a room that either overlooks the pool or one that has a partial sea view. They are all the same size. I was afraid of the partial sea view for fear that it would bring in too much of the street noise, but I spoke to the reservation center, and they said that the windows have some kind of hurricane rating and that this means they also block sound well. So - for anyone reading this who has actually stayed at the hotel, please let me know which type of room you had.

Partical oceanview is not the same as ocean front. The Park Central is one of the tallest art deco hotels (I think the tallest) so ocenview rooms are on the side. The last time we stayed there we had an oceanview room that was all the way at the back on the side, which put us away from the front of the building, but still gave us a nice ocean view.

The Park Central is 6 stories high. I'm surprised that this makes it 'tall' for an art deco building. I guess I will have to ask where these 'partial ocean view' rooms are. I know that the room I am holding faces the back or an alley - certainly not appealing. And the rooms facing the pool and gardens overlook the band that plays for the restaurant according to the front desk person. Does that sound right? I'm thinking that the extra $ for partial ocean view could be a good investment.

We stayed there a few years ago in a room overlooking the ocean. Beautiful room. No problems with sound. Small but not tiny. Really liked it. I would pay more for at least a partial ocean view.