The Daydrift

The beach is only two blocks away, so the location worked great for a quick Miami trip. The corner gas station had amazing Cuban pastries and sandwiches, and the downstairs restaurant and little convenience store were nice extras. The people there were nice too. The pool is tiny but cute. The best part for me was the delicious morning coffee, an easy 10/10. The barista was so pleasant and kind, though I forgot her name. She was originally from Oregon. Service at the hotel itself felt nonexistent. We had to check ourselves in, nobody greeted us, and there wasn’t much of a smile or hospitality. I’ve been to Hawaii, Dubai, China, and all over, so that was sad to see. Our room looked out on construction. The hall walls and rugs really need renovating.

The restaurant visit was a mess. We had reservations, but the staff seemed as if it was their first day, the menu was terrible, and after waiting 20 minutes for drinks we left. The place felt more like a bad restaurant and nightclub with rooms attached than a proper hotel. At the end of the hall, you can hear the club until around midnight, and I can confirm other reviews saying housekeeping comes in before checkout. Returning guests from when this was the Kayak may find the charm gone. The quaint, welcoming lobby is now empty, there are no mixology carts in the rooms, and the new owners, Blue Suede, seem to have neglected the place. The floors are dingy, the room cabinets don’t close, window opening parts are missing, and the walls are scraped and gouged. Outside, there’s loud daytime construction and the trees out front have been cut down. We arrived early and couldn’t get inside to leave our bags. We waited outside about 20 minutes, texting the remote staff who couldn’t open the door, while staff inside looked at us without helping. Once we got in, we were told bag storage just meant leaving luggage in the lobby. Look for another boutique hotel if that’s what you’re after.

Music went on until around 2 or 3 AM every night, and the place nearly ruined our trip. My room was dark and smelled of mold and pot, as did the hallway. Our friend had a more normal-looking room, though it still smelled like pot. This is easily the worst hotel I’ve stayed at, and there’s no way it deserves four stars. Any good reviews must be fake. I can’t see a normal person finding this acceptable. Please beware.

The first two days of our stay, there was nobody available, and on the second night an alarm sounded in the lobby with no one there to handle it. I had to text the “hotel management.” One morning, a woman I thought was the hotel manager seemed repulsed when we said we were from LA. The lack of hospitality was unacceptable. Our room was filthy: mold between the shower tiles, blood on the sheets, stains a foot tall on the shower curtain, and even a used baby bottle. When I asked for cleaning, they wanted to charge me $60, which is unbelievable. I’d much rather have stayed at an Airbnb or chain hotel. The hallways smelled awful and the carpets were stained throughout.