Pitiful pool, great location though

We were looking forward to a new hotel right on the beach and were disappointed a little. The lobby is boring and really didn't come up to the South Beach expectation of a great lobby and bar for people watching. Our room was small, but this is typical of ocean front hotels unless you have paid a small fortune. We did face the ocean and noticed that the pool here was more reminiscent of a cruise ship pool than a fabulous SO BE pool.

This aside, the coffee arrived at our room on time and hot, our bed was comfortable and we liked the south end of South Beach. We walked to Smith and Wollensky and Nemo and Big Pink and watched the goings on at Nikki Beach which is next door and quite a scene.

If you have Marriott Points this is a good place to spend them.

Very Nice!

Beautiful exterior - wonderful rooms, well designed and furnished.

Front Desk service was excellent; due to fast business trip, only stayed one night and was not able to take advantage of many services, but those I did were superior. The service at breakfast was 1st Class.

Would definitely stay there again!!

Expensive hotel, terrible service

Even though this one of the best looking hotels in the Ocean Drive area, staying there was not worth it. There is nothing wrong with the design an public areas of the hotel, if fact ther are very comfortable and well designed, but the service is terrible. Once we went to the restaurant to have lunch, and at the end we stayed sitting at the tablefor more then 20 minutes before someone came to our table to clean it and get our check. Another time, I had to call the front desk three times in a two hour period to ask them to send someone to clean our room; every time I called, the guy at the front desk would say "they are on their way", but no one came. Our room was cleaned al 2:30 PM!!

Room service is very good and fast; also, Lorenzo, the concierge, was very helpful when we asked him to arrange for a rental convertible to be delivered at the hotel. If would think it twice before staying at this hotel again.

Stay here!

We are at the Marriott as I write this review. Our other friends decided to stay at the Delano. What a mistake. Over priced and over hyped. The Marriott is a great value (comparitively speaking) while keeping the South Beach Deco tradition. Nothing funky like the Delano (I checked out the rooms (yuk!) and we ate at the sushi bar). Nice size rooms. We have one beach front - Excellent. My wife loves the location.

The service and people are great. Do yourself a favor and stay here.

Fabulous location and charming amenities

My neighbor and I spent 4 days there mid September and were charmed. We had a suite on the concierge level (11th [top] floor) with a huge private balcony overlooking the beach and the park. We could hear the ocean waves, yet were removed from the hustle and bustle. The concierge lounge had amazing food, especially the hot hors d'oeuvres and desserts in the evening, with the added plus of an open air patio. Everyone was extremely helpful and polite at the hotel. The location is more peaceful than many South Beach Hotels, yet still a nice walk to the hot spots on Lincoln Road. The terrace with white muslin draperies separating seating areas under an open-air pergola was to die for, as were the pool, hot tub, and hammock areas. We will definitely be back!!!

Fantastic Hotel

We liked this hotel so much we came back a few days after our first stay. We stayed in a partial ocean view the first night and a full ocean view the second night. The rooms were very comfortable -- the beds and shower were well above average for any hotel. The real highlight though was the pool area and beach. The hot tub was a little warm but provided a great release (for a few minutes at least). The hammocks were the perfect place to just relax and cut loose a bit. My girlfriend and I took full advantage of the hotels excellent facilities and look forward to our next stay.

Loved Marriott South Beach

Marriott South Beach Hotel was excellent. Service was great. The rooms were a little small but decorated very chic.

SoFI Blandness

Stayed here on a Sunday night, April of 2002. My room was on the 7th floor facing the rather blaw looking SoFi area. The club across the street started at midnight and thumped the room until 5AM! The property is narrow with a very small pool out back and a drab entrance to the beach. The positives: This hotel is new and has some classy artistic looks, the rooms are nicely decorated and they have balconies which is rare in all of Miami Beach. The standard rooms are like your average rectangular shaped brand new Las Vegas strip hotel room. The front desk was reasonably accommodating. If you stay there, just be sure to get away from the street and you can possibly avoid being thumped by bass until 5AM. That is, unless you like that thing.

Right on Beach, Great Balcony Views

Stayed here in late July, 2003. Location is good if you want to be a bit out of the way, but still close to attractions on Ocean Drive. Best feature is that the hotel sits directly on the beach (not across the street like most south beach hotels). Recommend an ocean "view" room.

All have a balcony overlooking the beach, which is just about as good (if not better) than the ocean "front" rooms (which cost more). Hotel has everything from a great inside/outside bar/restaurant, to coffee shop, to beachside pool, to great service. Front desk allowed a late check-out without charge. Ramon, the main concierge, is extremely helpful and very nice (he took care of car rental reservations, including free pickup from the hotel, and entertainment options).

Recommend not dealing with the female concierge - who is quite snotty and very unhelpful. Only downside was that the rooms are not overly soundproof.

Nice beach, lobby, great beds!

We stayed at the South Beach Marriott in late October when the weather was wonderful and the crowds elsewhere. Our balcony overlooking the ocean was delightful as was the palm tree room decor with artwork everywhere!

The beds were great! Far more comfortable than ours at home (where do they get them from?) and the staff quite amiable despite a 10pm awakening to dripping water from a bathroom light fixture! The room above was overflowing into our suite!

The staff apologized, and brought out bottled water with fruit and cheese to quell our thoughts of Titantic Revisited. (Wine would have been a nice touch...)

The topless beach was a bit of a surprise to my husband and I though the pool area was more family-oriented. Hotel's great location in the quiet residential section is just four blocks from trendy spots like A Fish Called Avalon! And love that Starbucks just outside our hotel lobby!

This is one Marriott thinking outside the box and one you'll love to stay at!