Beach Haus Bal Harbour

We couldn’t sleep in the room, and ended up paying for another hotel. Construction started outside our first floor windows at 6 a.m., and the room smelled strongly of chlorine. We hadn’t been told there were renovated and unrenovated buildings, and were assigned an unrenovated room. The windows wouldn’t open. I asked to move, but got nowhere. The manager, Pablo, eventually agreed that if we checked out the next day, we’d be refunded for two of the four nights left. He asked me to follow up through Expedia, where we’d booked, but five days later Expedia still hadn’t received confirmation, so we were out the money. The service wasn’t enjoyable, and the windows looked toward either the Collins Avenue bridge or the parking lot. If you do book, avoid the first floor. This was one of my worst experiences.

A roomy, clean flat with a modern kitchen, easy parking, and a good location about a five-minute walk from the beach. The bathroom and shower are pretty old, and the pool was freezing and not very clean. There’s a little spot by the sea to sit, but it’s always shaded. Not luxury, just a usual place to stay, and very good for what it is.

The rooms are huge, the location is fantastic, and it’s very affordable. There aren’t many amenities or extras, but that’s clear ahead of time. I really appreciated the lobby cards that offer free entry to popular local activities, including museums. Had a fantastic stay.

BEWARE, I wouldn’t book here. We reserved a non-smoking room, but walked into a room that smelled horribly of drugs. The listing’s non-smoking description was a complete lie. There was no staff available to speak with and no communication. I was traveling with kids and had to get them checked because the smell made it hard to breathe. I called repeatedly and was told they’d processed a refund after I left immediately, but they didn’t answer their phones and also told Expedia they would issue one. I was lied to.