Apartment at Alden

The hotel restaurant, Bar Luca, was the best food we had all week. We ate there four or five times, especially for the great happy hour with food and unusual cocktails. The location is also fantastic, with a quick walk to the beach and South Beach, a grocery store around the corner, boutique hotel bars, and Starbucks. I stayed a week and was pleasantly surprised for the price, despite having been nervous from the reviews. The room floors were so dirty we kept our shoes on, though everything else in the room was clean. Moisture was the other issue, a dehumidifier would help. The sink is tiny, but kind of cute. The vibe is trendy, and all the staff were friendly. I’d definitely come back, just bring house slippers.

The bunk beds were comfortable, the room was clean and had a decent amount of space, and the fridge and outdoor dining area were nice. Customer service was great, and the $6 coffee and pastry deal was delicious. There was lots of noisy construction. The bathroom fan and light share one switch, and the fan is loud. The sink is tiny, like a dollhouse sink, and all the shower soap and shampoo dispensers were broken. This is meant to be a non-smoking property, but the smoking on the patio out front was so bad I couldn’t eat my meal there.

The food was okay, but Sonders customer service was pathetic. The place felt sketchy, with a musty smell as soon as we walked in and hotel staff using a microwave right by the entrance. The view next door was of an abandoned apartment building. Sleeping was miserable because the room temperature was hard to manage whether the AC was on or off. Every time we got back, our clothes and sheets were wet, and the AC units seemed ancient. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, even my worst enemy.

The restaurants nearby were pricey, but I found Ana’s Market, where breakfast was decent and reasonably priced. I stayed four nights, and for the price this place wasn’t bad. The rooms and decor were nice, the staff friendly, and the beach very close; there are bus stops nearby if you aren’t driving. The downsides were a bad smell in the hotel and fairly thin walls.