- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
National Hotel
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
Sponsored Result
Nearby Hotels
Courtyard Miami Airport
- Location:
- Miami, FL
Once you settle into the newly renovated guest rooms at this warm, welcoming Miami International airport hotel, you'll find that... more »
22 reviews for National Hotel
A typical art deco South Beach hotel right on the beach, located at the heart of the action. It is next door to the famous Delano Hotel, another SoBe art deco landmark. The late night partying happens just blocks away, a bit further south on Ocean. A short taxi ride away, but far enough to be able to sleep soundly without having to hear everyone else partying until the wee hours, when you chose to call it quits for the night.
I chose between the National and the Ritz Carlton which are both on the same block and on the ocean. They were close to Lincoln Rd (chapel was there, plus all the best shopping) and the Sanctuary where I was attending a reception. Could easily walk to/ from each event.
The Sanctuary is also an awesome modern boutique hotel but was missing the oceanfront location with beach access, which led to my considering these 2 other fine nearby hotels, without much of a premium, to boot. So while neither was cheap, I saved a few hundred by picking the National over RitzCarlton. (difference was only about $100 a night, maybe less). Turned to be a great choice!
The National was amazing. They gave me an ocean-view room as I had requested. The service was top-notch; like any other 5-star hotel that I've had the good fortune of staying at (often at heavily discounted rates - thank you internet, research and determination). The valet parking came with in and out privileges. Awesome! I hate paying a fortune for parking and not being able to come and go as I please.
The staff seemed to bend over backward to be helpful. They are very likely normally this friendly, but may have been going the extra mile because the National has been undergoing a renovation for the last several years. During my stay, the only inconvenience was that one elevator was out for modernization, which meant a short wait for the remaining elevators. Easily tolerable.
The hotel exterior, lobby, and pool area were in great condition. The room was not huge but in good condition and came with an impressive sunrise view over the ocean. The location was amazing.
The pool area was so inviting with the multiple pools lined with palm trees. There was pool-side dining at the rear of the hotel, as well as full bar service with a casual food menu in the pool area. The beach and ocean lay just beyond the pool area.
Loved it. You will too.
Cool boutique hotel sitting right next to the Delano, it's right in the middle of everything at 16th and Collins. It's got a great pool, decent bar and incredibly friendly staff.
The rooms are reasonably sized but fairly expensive ($250-$400). Regardless, if you're there for a night, it's worth a stay.
We stayed here a little while back, and it was fairly dissapointing. That said, this was partly due to the fact that I found collins disgustingly dirty and trashy, and not at all what i expected south beach to be...
the hotel itself wasnt bad, and on the beach, cute enough pool (although I didnt spend any time there with the beach nearby), and i'm pretty sure that someone came up to verify we were staying at the hotel when using the beach...all in all, i wouldnt mind staying here again, but i'd prefer a hotel slightly more south, on ocean, thats in a slightly less tacky/dirty area...it also seemed a little old, and from the outside i thought it should be bulldozed down and built from scratch (that or a major renovation process)...
The National is such a fab S. Beach spot. Always one hotel you want to visit during the WMC and Art Basel, as they're sure to be planning must see(or be seen) parties through out the entire weekend.
Don't stay there if you need some peace and quiet. The back infinity pool is exquisite and it will lead you to the back outdoor bar and eventually the beach. Just follow it all the way to candy land : )
The National was fantastic. They have a great staff and a beautiful pool area. I only wish we had stayed longer. It is between the Delano and the Sagamore Hotels, but I paid probably half the price of them and they upgraded us to an ocean view room. The National is located on Collins Ave. in the heart of all the action. We were able to park and walk to everything we wanted.
The National is a beautiful Art Deco hotel. The rooms are very comfortable and the bathrooms are kind of small. The ocean view rooms do not have a balcony. We did not eat at their restaurant or drink at the bar, so I cannot comment on them. The pool was very refreshing, after a long day. Between the economy and the time of year, it was not crowded at all.
The valet parking was 35.00 per day, but you did have the ability to come and go an unlimited amount of times.
be sure to catch michelle singing jazz standards in the lounge area thursday - saturday early evenings! she's worth a few stars by herself and brings something elegant, unique and comforting to that part of the beach. they also have a 2 for 1 happy hour inside.
the pool and outside in the back are beautiful and exactly what you would want on vacay. they have a very tasty strawberry lemonade and the seared tuna on salad is a huge portion and probably the best deal in town at something around $10.
the hotel itself has a few issues. all of the staff are very nice, but seem confused, deaf, or just plain useless. my friends who were staying here had trouble with construction noise, poor internet connection and a cell phone dead zone. don't expect to get any work done or sleep i guess. several of the fixtures were cracked or dated, though they did replace the spitty showerhead on request. all in all, the whole place needs an upgrade as the vintage charm is quickly wearing away.
LOVE this place! Stayed there this past Sunday and Monday nights, and wish I was still there.
We had an ocean view room and it was totally gorgeous. Great view of the pool and beach, and sunrise. The bed was cozy and comfortable. The bathroom was trendy, and towels super soft.
The only issue with the room was the shower. I've noticed in Miami, half walls are the big thing for showers and I don't get it. When you showered, no matter how you positioned the shower head water would flood the bathroom floor. The little white floor towels would be sopping wet. Need to fix that somehow.
Ok, on to outside the room. Since we were there Sunday and Monday we didn't see much in the way of parties, but I like it that way. We hung out at the pool with a handful of other guests. It was relaxing, and very handy that we could walk over to the poolside bar.
Overall, it was an amazing stay and hope to go back there in the future.
Oh, I can't forget get that both concierges we dealt with were extremely helpful.
Hotel is typical Miami Beach art deco and overall gorgeous and quite pleasant. The service is so good it's almost off-putting. When I first arrived a guy carried my luggage up to my room and gave me a 'tour' which involved opening lots of closet doors.
Unfortunately I got sick and quickly learned that fancy hotels don't have coke or ice machines in the hallways. So I spent several days whispering weakly into the phone asking for amenities like ice or soda, waiting for these to get delivered, and paying steep service fees/gratuity that added up quickly.
I stayed here last weekend and wish I was still there...especially since it's so damn cold in Chicago right now!
The National is FANTASTIC!!! It has the South Beach Art Deco feel, great location, and is meticiously maintained. The staff was unbelievably nice, always offering help or advice whether it's to get you water while laying by the gorgeous infinity pool or where to get your party on that night. As other people have stated, the rooms were small, but honestly why are you spending time in there anyway?! Get out to the pool, the beach, the shops, the restaurants, the clubs :)
We stayed at The National last week for our honeymoon and it was so relaxing. We picked The National for the price and good reviews, as our favorite, the Loews, was super pricey this time of year. We had a Cabana Room, which overlooked the gorgeous infinity pool. The balcony had lush hot pink Bougainvillea flowers wrapped along the edges - with the palm trees & coconut trees it really looked like a tropical paradise :) We had Joe's takeaway on our balcony one afternoon with some tasty drinks - it was one of my favorites eats of the week.
The pool area was quiet and relaxing - the infinity pool was rarely busy, and sooo pretty. The smaller pool was just enough for quick relief from the heat. The loungy area was really nice too, with lots of comfy lounge chairs, cabanas and hammocks. We also went to the beach a few days & loved that they didn't charge for chair rentals -which were super comfy.
The drinks at The National were fresh & delicious - especially the mojitos! We went next door to the Delano one evening, and although the hotel is beautiful, the drinks were terrible and ridiculously expensive. $60 for 4 drinks: 2 tasteless moijitos and 2 horrible vodka tonics - we couldn't even finish them (that's pretty bad!).
The pool staff and housekeeping were very friendly. The only issue we had was the front desk - they seemed to be a bit aloof and slow with things. And with it being our honeymoon we were hoping for a little welcome in the room - we called before the trip to hint at it, as well as request a higher room, and mentioned it again at check-in...but no treats or congrats for us ;) We've stayed at the Loews before and know they would've made us feel a little special at least, as they have in the past.
Overall, we'd recommend The National, but definitely go for a cabana room or suite as these are newer. They are refurbishing everything starting in July, though, so I'm sure every room will be fantastic when finished...and the prices will probably go up as well ;)
just got back from a 7 day stay at the National. we loved it here, yes the drinks are expensive and so is the food and the service is not the best, but this is MIAMI. The room, pool and beach were all fantastic as well as the location which cannot be beat. can't wait to go back.
*Note: I did not stay at this hotel, here for WMC only*
Lovely long pool, make-out cabanas, beach to your back, and pumping beats. No reason to leave.
Just got back from a w/e in miami staying at the national. DO NOT let them put you in room 903 until they get the awful mildew smell out of the bathroom. Oh yeah - and fix the air conditioning - and oh yeah - put up the mirror that was missing over the desk area (we asked 3 times). Nice infiniti pool and good service at the bar indoors and outdoors.
The only reason this place earned a second star is b/c of location and pool area - otherwise, do your homework and stay somewhere else.
Beau. Ti. Ful. Elegantly and subtly so, not outre-chic like too many boutique hotels in South Beach wanna be. I found the service to be a bit stuffy, and the overall vibe lent by hotel guests unappealingly tight-assed. But the amenities here easily make it all worth bearing.
I love the lounge (OK, maybe my impressions are a bit skewed by the serenading I got from a lovely, lovely singer in complete 50's show mode). But le Piece de resistance: the pool. Oh, that pool! A narrow loooong sloped pool lined with a thick canopy of palms. Sexy cool.
I got the privilege of performing at this hotel during the WMC 2007. We played in the Microsoft Cabana with Lil Jon. It was one of the best days of my life. The hotel was jam packed and the music was great. I feel sorry for the family of 4 from Ohio that came for a vacation. This place was packed with +3000 half naked electronic music producers. It was the "who's who" of WMC 07!
Here's my take on The National:
There are several different types of rooms. If you're staying in the "older" part of the hotel, which would be the main building, you're staying in a room that was originally designed more than 60 years ago. I can definitely confirm that these rooms are similar to staying in a cabin on a cruise ship! They are tiny, but well maintained. However, there are larger rooms behind the main hotel, in what I'll call the "extension". These are the cabana rooms, which come with porches. And finally, there are suites which are supposedly even larger, but I didn't see these.
But here's the thing. The Reason you're even contemplating staying at a hotel like this is the location. It's right on the beach, it's right on the strip (Collins Ave), and it's right in area of a lot of night action. So don't complain about the size of the room. You're not going to spend any time in it, other than to sleep!
Great location, right on the beach in South Beach. Nice pool area with private private sunbathing for hotel guests.
Rooms isa bit small with average amenities. Aveda products and plasma TV are the highlight..
For the price we paid, I would have expected a bit more.
i stayed here for christmas 05 with my ex. just one night. i think it's nice to just stay at a hotel for a night in the city you live in. gives you a new perspective.
it's very well kept. the staff was very nice. i love the stylings. the pool was fantastic. i booked the cabana room.. which is normally i guess $450-600. but i got it for less than $200. i guess since it was last minute and it was christmas day (they probably didn't have many guests).
i give it 4 stars for the price i paid. if it was full price, there'd probably be at least one or two less stars.
fyi... look on http://hotels.com it's almost always cheaper rates there.
stayed here in june '04 (yes, it was ridiculously hot). loved the look of the national--cool, 40's style art deco.
the inviting lap pool is amazing. the lounge is gorgeously appointed--we hung out there and had a drink there before catching a cab to the airport.
rooms are small-ish, but OK. at the time, we got to use some very nice bathrobes. the beach-side chair service is divine. great access to lincoln road, and it is next door to the Sagamore if i remember correctly.
we felt very glam during our stay.
Subdued beach 50s modern/chic
I had to get over the sticker shock of Miami Beach quickly and this was the place that did it. I did not stay here so the only thing about the rooms I can say is go for the poolside cabanas outside, most of our friends who did liked them a whole lot more. The hotel itself, the inside bar, restaurant, and pool, were pretty amazing. Beautifully restored to it's Art Deco grandeur, I spent a lot of the time staring off at the intricate lines and woodwork... and I had to so I wasn't kicking myself for paying upwards of $20 for a drink! The outdoor bar and pool were much better than their interior counterparts and the service is better than most of the high end hotels in NY / Chicago. We were there for a wedding so the food was picked out for us before hand. While most of the hor d'evours were wonderful, the dinner as a whole was bland. I had this feeling a lot while eating in South Beach, maybe it was bad restaurant choices, who knows?
Overall, beautiful building, beautiful hotel, good service. I don't think I would spend the money to stay there when the Sagamore next door is noticeably cheaper, but I will probably drop in for a drink again.
I stayed at the National Hotel for several nights, including New Year's Eve this past 2006/2007 holiday. The hotel is undoubtedly very beautiful and very elegant and the service was good and what you would expect from such a hotel. And of course... location, location, location! However, I found the rooms (I tried several just to be sure) to be extremely small, like the size of a cabin on a cruse ship-type small. And even smaller were the bathrooms. And everything in the hotel, including all of the furniture and the bathroom tubs and fixtures appeared to be worn out and in need of some serious repair and renovation. Because New Year's is such a popular time of year for vacationers to come to South Beach, getting one room for the full week was impossible. And the hotel room rates are extremely expensive this time of year too, $750 to $1000 a night. So I ended up hopping every few days to a different hotel. I went from the National over to the Sagamore and finally over to the Ritz, all of which are next door to one another right on the beach. The National was the most disappointing of the three and the Sagamore was the most impressive. I will not go back to stay at the National nor would I recommend it to anyone else until they do some renovations.
