AC Hotel by Marriott Miami Beach

The hotel was nice and clean, with an excellent location. The beach is across the street, and there are little shops nearby. But a hotel charging $2000 for 3 nights should have more service staff, so the people working aren’t pushed so hard. At check-in there was just one woman at the front desk. She was hustling wide open but couldn’t keep up, with people arriving and the phone ringing nonstop. I felt terrible for her, doing six people’s jobs alone. There was only one bartender downstairs in the lounge, if you could catch him, and just one bartender at the rooftop bar too.

The location further north makes things a little quieter and less hectic. You can walk across the street to the beach, and get to the heart of Sobe quickly by Uber or scooter. You can even walk that way during the day. The front desk staff were super friendly, shout out to Shy! (sp?). The lounge staff were friendly too. The rooms were okay, nothing too fancy, and my room didn’t have a balcony. The bathroom towels had old stains and need double bleaching or replacing. I guess the fire alarm went off, but it didn’t sound on our floor. Coworkers asked why I hadn’t evacuated, but it was a false alarm. Valet is pricey, which isn’t unusual in Miami Beach, but their text-to-retrieve-your-car service needs to work if they offer it. I texted three times, each time giving them 15 to 25 minutes before heading down in case they were busy. The car still wasn’t there, and they never sent an ETA, just confirmation that they got my request.

The staff were friendly, helpful, and professional throughout, and the location is excellent for getting to the main areas. My room was clean and tidy, so I had no issues with that. The AC Hotel in Miami was a solid stay, but the property is starting to feel tired. There are visible signs of wear in the rooms, and some renovation would help bring the place up to the experience the service and location provide.

The gym turned out better equipped than I expected, and the staff were warm and personable. I was in Miami Beach for a destination wedding and needed somewhere with a gym. My sister, the mother of the bride, texted in a panic that this very expensive peak-season hotel was “not much better than a hostel!!” That really didn’t match my stay. The rooms were spotless, with limited clothing storage, and had a great shower and a comfortable mattress and sheets. The lobby isn’t lavish like a business-class hotel, and the thermostat was slow to respond during an unusually cold spell in late January. The beach was nearby and the shuttle was handy. The weather pushed the outdoor wedding into a cramped indoor space, but that wasn’t the hotel’s fault, and it didn’t spoil my stay. I was comfortable giving it four stars.