Uma House by Yurbban South Beach

The staff were friendly and helpful, and we liked the clean, spacious king deluxe room. The beach is only a couple of minutes away, which makes for a great location. There were a few drawbacks. One elevator in the sunrise building was still out of service, and the carpet felt a little soapy. There is no microwave anywhere in the hotel, which is a problem if you need to warm food for a child. The hidden taxes and service charges add up, and the stay is pricey. Still, we had a positive experience.

The café food was good, and the staff were friendly. We had a really enjoyable stay and are planning to come back.

The room was small for what we paid, and the bathroom floor was covered in mold and soaked with water left from the previous guests' shower. Our Valentine’s weekend at Uma House was spoiled, so we spent our time away from the hotel trying to salvage the trip. It felt overpriced and poorly maintained. Arriving was frustrating from the start. There was no valet available, and the desk staff seemed bothered by us. We had to sort out transport and check-in ourselves, and nobody was helpful when we asked about our luggage. I used a cart and small elevator, and had to work out how to operate it on my own. After unloading, we still had to find parking. Staff said our truck was too large for their valet service. I found a garage that Uma House also uses and was told they could park the truck. I paid $40 and drove it in myself. Uma House had quoted $56 per night for valet, yet said the truck could not be parked there because of its size. That turned out not to be true, since the garage did park it.

We’ve stayed at Uma House twice and really enjoy it. The rooms feel five-star, and we were upgraded on one visit. The team works hard to make the stay good, and the bartenders gave us great service, including Dario this weekend. The rooftop bar has ocean views, even though the beach is two blocks away. There’s also a rooftop pool with good food, an exercise room, and restaurants and clubs within walking distance. It’s a fabulous hotel.