Residence Inn by Marriott Miami Beach South Beach

The staff seemed indifferent, and even simple requests took ages. I felt like I was bothering them whenever I asked for help, with no real urgency or hospitality. The room was nowhere near Marriott standards: stained carpet, dusty surfaces, and a bathroom that looked like it hadn’t had a proper deep clean in ages. For the rates, that’s unacceptable. There was no rest, either. The walls are paper thin, loud guests in the halls and music at odd hours made it impossible to sleep, and staff never addressed noise complaints. Online amenities were unavailable, understaffed, or poorly maintained, while the price was premium and the service felt like a low-budget motel. Marriott is supposed to offer consistency and comfort, but this Miami South Beach location completely misses the mark. I left frustrated, exhausted, and honestly shocked this place carries the Marriott name. One of the worst stays I’ve had at a Marriott. I’d never come back and definitely don’t recommend it to anyone visiting Miami South Beach.

The front desk staff were great, and the hotel’s location and first impression were good. But as a loyal Marriott customer, I don’t think I’d stay at this particular property again. We booked for five, yet the room was set up for three, so we had to fetch extra towels and sheets for the sofa bed ourselves. The shower hadn’t been cleaned properly, with lots of soap pieces left behind by the previous guest. At least we didn’t find hair like people mentioned in earlier reviews. The sheets looked washed but old, weren’t ironed, and some on the beds had dark stains from an unknown source. We asked for fresh ones so we could change them ourselves because five of the six pillows had yellow marks, and one looked like a nosebleed stain. The replacements delivered had the same problem. For what we paid, we expected clean bedding at a minimum. They really need to invest in new linens. This was awful and completely unacceptable, and the rest of the details didn’t meet Marriott standards either.

The free breakfast was good, the rooftop pool was nice, and you can walk to entertainment. There’s also a free shuttle to the beach. But they only offer two beach chairs and two bikes for a family of five. We had a tiny balcony room, and the free wifi didn’t work. The canal view came with terrible traffic noise. There was no housekeeping, though they would bring more towels. The shower pressure and temperature were awful, and the bathroom layout was odd, with the towel rack directly in front of the sink where it hit your legs. Not a comfortable setup for a family. After a long day of travel, we also waited 20 minutes with nobody at the desk to check us in. The valet, who barely spoke English, said the staff were in the bathroom.

This place is affordable for the area and includes quite a few extras. There’s a free shuttle van to Miami beach every 30 minutes from 9:30am-5pm, plus two free bikes to borrow from 7am-8pm. They come with locks, and Lincoln Mall is only a three-minute ride away. The rooftop pool is so cute, with a lounge area that stays open after the pool closes at 10pm. Breakfast is included, with basic options like eggs, sausage, a waffle maker, oatmeal, fruit, and cereal.