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Best Western Oceanfront Resort
9365 Collins Ave
Bal Harbour, FL 33154
(305) 864-2232
Bal Harbour, FL 33154
(305) 864-2232
2 reviews for Best Western Oceanfront Resort
I don't even know where to begin with this review.......STAY AWAY!
The word "resort" needs to be removed from the sign.
We were in a tight spot....Labor Day Weekend....on the road for days when we arrive in South Beach without a reservation. Using a wireless connection, we didn't see the harm in booking a moderate room for the night. When I say moderate, I DON'T mean cheap.....I have standards. This hotel was advertising on Expedia at $117/night......3 stars....parking included.
First of all, we got the LAST parking spot on the property. There was a sign in the lobby advising other guests to "find" a metered spot on the road. Seriously?
I will say that our room was completely renovated, but you know how you can tell that something just isn't nice underneath? That feeling that someplace isn't safe....and is trying to cover something up?
Since it was late, and we got the last spot in the parking lot, we decided to stay in for the night and catch up on internet research. NOT. High speed internet is ALWAYS a requirement for us with a hotel stay. While a wireless connection existed, we were never able to connect. Repeated calls to the front desk told us that we were the only ones complaining. That was probably because we were the only guests onsite that could afford a laptop.
We have a wireless card, but apparently this hotel is not within our cell phone provider's coverage area......gee, I guess there isn't much demand for wireless internet in this area.
2 full baths in our room......brand new ceramic tile, although they must have hired a relative to do the tile installation....none of it lined up....it was so painfully obvious. While that's not important in a hotel stay, it shows you how bored we were. One of the sinks in the room didn't work.
This is the first time that I've ever seen a toaster in a hotel room. What bothered me was that the toaster sat directly underneath the curtains. We don't have kids, but if we did......
While unloading the car, we witnessed a family who appeared to be moving in to their hotel room. The kids thought it was funny to set off the car alarm every few minutes......this went on for over an hour.
So, now we're stuck in a hotel room, can't leave because we'll lose our parking spot, and now we can't even connect to the internet to make plans for the rest of our stay. We can't even research new hotels for the following night!
We thought about a walk on the beach, but just a quick walk to the pop machine made it clear that the natives were hoping you'd think it was okay to take a stroll after-hours.
Did I mention that the ice machine was broken....so there was no hope in chilling the wine we brought? Oh, and the pop machines were out of everything. Even water. At least they refunded the money I put in.
I am not a morning person, but I couldn't wait to get up and get out of this hotel fast enough.
The pool was LOADED with kids the next day....
A visit to the complimentary breakfast did not provide anything edible. In fact, I threw out the styrofoam cup of coffee after a simple sniff.
Traveling across the country, I have stayed in my fair share of Best Westerns. This hotel chain is not my top pick, but I've always been confident that it was a moderate pick if only looking for a place to crash. This was not the case....and I would NOT recommend this location to anyone.....EVER.
I am writing a letter of complaint, because they didn't seem to care much in the office when I raised my concerns at check-out. Although, the clerk did acknowledge dead spots on the premises, which was much more acknowledgment than I received the night before.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
If you want a one-bedroom apartment for dirt cheap directly on Miami Beach, complete with kitchen, living room & TV, and are willing to accept cockroaches in your bedroom as a trade-off, this is the place for you. We visited this "resort" in June of 2006, and our suite still had some of the original appliances from when it was some sort of apartment complex.
The location is what saved this place for us, and is in a 4-star 'hood. But the amenities...there weren't few enough stars for the amenities. Blood & guts stains on the walls & ceiling of our bedroom upon our arrival were foreshadowing for the size of the cockroaches that would find their way into our room through the cracks in the window sills.
The carpet was nasty, and the chemicals they used to clean the place were industrial strength. My wife didn't like walking around barefoot inside our suite, because the residue was so thick.
Two pools, which was fun. Easy access to the beach, and walking distance of Bal Harbor shops. A large Publix (local market chain) a block away. If they did actually renovate this place, it would be a true wonder.