Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Miami Airport South

The hotel was comfortable and in a great spot for the cruise port, though nothing amazing. What made the stay was the service. Our flight was very early, and they let us wait in the lobby until a room was ready. It took a few hours, but they were kind and patient while our kids slept on the couch. They even printed the boarding pass I'd forgotten to print. Whenever I needed anything, someone helped with a smile. I mostly dealt with Karen, who was exceptional at the front desk. She was busy with lots of check-ins and check-outs but stayed kind and helpful the whole time. Thanks for a great experience.

I arrived around 11:30 p.m. after a long travel day and felt unwelcome from the start. There was no warm greeting or friendliness at check-in. The first room smelled strongly of mold and mildew and was disgusting. I went back downstairs to ask for another room, explaining I'd just flown in and only needed it for about five hours, but got indifference instead of empathy. The second room wasn't much better. The hotel felt dirty, there was a giant fly in the room, the door lock wouldn't close properly and made me feel unsafe, and the shower handle was broken. This was the worst hotel experience I've had. For a Marriott property, I expected basic cleanliness, safety, and professionalism. I only wanted to rest before continuing my trip, but spent the night uncomfortable and frustrated. I won't return or recommend this location.

The lobby smelled like an old, soaked smoking room when I arrived. I got in from Dallas a little after 1 a.m. The front desk woman was friendly enough, though nobody's very enthusiastic at that hour. Security didn't speak English and I don't speak Spanish. The room was okay, but in my opinion not worth the $200-something price. I chose it because it was well rated and near the airport. I mostly stay at Marriott brands across the country and haven't had this problem before. I wouldn't recommend arriving late and asking for late checkout as a Platinum guest. I was given a 4 p.m. checkout, but housekeeping knocked at 11 a.m. while I was gathering my things to get ready for the day. I ignored it, then there was another knock shortly after noon. When I opened the door and asked if I could help, the housekeeper said no. I asked why she'd been knocking when I had a 4 p.m. checkout, and she just said sorry and walked away. The shower was stained and grimy, the tub drain stopper was flipped out of place, and everything looked very aged.

We were happy with the service, and I appreciated having the free airport shuttle and a cruise port shuttle that cost $40 for both of us. The hotel was what I'd expect from this brand. There were a ton of kids, so breakfast was packed. At $400 a night, it didn't feel like good value to me, and I don't think that's the usual price. We must have visited during a really busy time.