Five of my friends and I will be in Miami for the Dolphins VS. Skins game and we are in need of advice for several hotels in SOBE. We are looking at budget hotels, but would like to shy away from filthy ones. Please advise on the following hotels; Fairwind Hotel(10th & Collins), Best Western South Beach (10th & Washington), Marco Polo Ramada Plaza (19th & Collins), Starlite Hotel (7th & Ocean), Traymore Hotel(24th & Collins), San Juan (16th & Collins), Geneva Hotel (15th & Collins), Parisian Hotel (15th & Collins) and the Franklin Hotel (8th & Collins).

PS If it helps, we are all in are mid 20's, so walking and 'roughing it' (hotel wise) a bit is not an issue.

Thank you in advance for your help!

I had friends stay at the Fairwind.We had lunch at the cafe.It was very nice.They were in a suite very comfortable for 3 guys and decent rate I think $125.00 They have regular rooms for $95.Might be able to get better rate at hotwire,etc.Can't say about any others but I would not hesitate to stay at the Fairwind.

Of your grim list of hotels, the ONLY one I'd stay at in South Beach would be the Fairwind. You're a block from the beach, but the place is easily the nicest of the group. The Franklin is in the vicinity of an extremely nice property, The Hotel, but is far inferior.

Three hotels right on Ocean that I'd choose for a "budget" stay: the Winterhaven, the Park Central and the Avalon Majestic. Have you looked into these? The first two are very nice, and the third is cheap, clean and has an excellent restaurant (A Fish Called Avalon, dinner only).

I agree with the Fairwind. Also, the sister hotel of the Avelon, The South Seas, is very nice. Unlike the Avelon, it is on the beach three doors up from the Delano on 17th. The Avelon is across the street from the beach (no ocean front hotels for several blocks on that section of Ocean Drive) and nearer the action.

My buddy just reminded me that another reason he liked the Fairwind was that it is close to a fab fitness/workout facility...Crunch Fitness (Crunch Jim!!)..we worked out there one afternoon and as I remember it is 3 blocks away at Washington and 13th, above an Irish pub.But I dont remember exactly.....website is www.crunch.com..

You have the location of Crunch exactly right. Note that the entrance is on Washington, a coupla doors down from the Irish bar (Playwright Irish Pub). Handy gym, especially the Day After the Night Before-- do your body some good after pummelling your liver at some nightclub....

rjw--actually I like to work out before going out...you know, that caviar goes down a little better at B.E.D. with little or no guilt.......whatevah it takes,right??

Depending upon where I am staying in South Beach (with family or at a hotel), I like to run that boardwalk thing from the Holiday Inn to 46th Avenue. Not as grueling as the beach or as hard on the knees as the concrete.