When Rick and I went on our recent Royal Caribbean cruise, we opted to fly in a day early and spend the night in Miami – as you never know what could happen with flight delays or travel troubles and we were not missing our boat!
We decided to stay in South Beach and enjoy the Little Havana section of Miami and we’re so glad that we went early, in fact, as soon as we arrived at our hotel we wished we had booked a few more nights in Miami. We stayed at the Mondrian South Beach and were blown away by the accommodations and property.
Want to discover the best things to do in Miami South Beach? Check out our previous post!
Now, onto our review of Mondrian South Beach!
Accommodations
Our room was a studio so it had a nice couch, bed, kitchen table, kitchenette, desk, and nice sized bathroom with distinctive modern decor. The room was spotless, already had music playing to welcome us, and quite comfortable. We both got a great night’s sleep on their quality mattress, and while the windows took up a whole wall, the dark curtains kept the light away. Though, we did get a sliver of a Bay view from our room!
Check-in & customer service
We arrive a bit before check-in but our room was ready, which was great. We did have to wait a bit as the hotel was busy with checking in conference attendees. As we checked in, our resort fee was refunded as they were working on the windows outside our room and we even got an extra credit on our room for drinks at the bar! It really wasn’t that big of an inconvenience as we were planning on exploring, but that was a great touch on the customer service aspect.
As we got our keys, the woman checking us in poured us each a glass of prosecco with a blackberry garnish – a very nice welcome to our hotel! The luggage room attendant was pleasant and made sure everyone was taken care of or pointing them in the right direction.
Amenities
The hotel has a gym, spa, conference areas, a bar, cafe, and a fantastic pool! We had a few hours to kill before our dinner reservation, and with our complimentary drink credit, we grabbed some wine from the bar and sat by the luxurious pool. It had a Las Vegas resort-style feel to it with loungers and comfy seating everywhere. The view from the pool was fantastic and had we not had dinner plans, we would have totally dined at their on-site cafe as everything smelled amazing. The pool bar had quality cocktails and a decent wine and beer list, and was a relaxing space for everyone.
While we didn’t have enough time during our stay to make use of the gym, it was spacious and open 24 hours a day – something not all hotels offer.
Price
Room rates for our stay were between $250 – 300, depending on the room. But, we were fortunate enough to exchange in credit card points to cover our stay. Woo, go Chase Sapphire Reserve! There is also a resort fee charged upon check-in, just as an FYI.
Location
The hotel’s location was convenient and only about a 15-minute walk from the beach and Historic Art Deco District. It was also only a 15-minute drive to the Miami port to head aboard our cruise ship. The pool had an amazing view of the Bay and was within walking distance of all the things we wanted to do there.
Honestly, the only con to our stay was the morning we were leaving at housekeeping came into our room at about 10 a.m. asking when we were leaving even though check-out wasn’t until noon or so.
If you’re planning a vacation in Miami Beach, we can’t recommend the Mondrian South Beach high enough! The accommodations were fantastic, the staff friendly and professional, and the location was perfect, especially for the price point. It was one of the more affordable options in the area and totally blew us away.
