Clinton Hotel South Beach

A little preface: I was a little worried when booking here because of the 1-star reviews. Based on reading reviews for other South Beach hotels of a similar price, I hoped that the negative things mentioned were just part of the experience of staying at an older hotel in a place with so much demand (and thus less incentive to make big improvements to aging facilities). This basically turned out to be the case. Expectations are key here: Clinton Hotel is listed on Google Maps as a "4-star hotel". Maybe it was once a 4-star hotel (30 years ago), but I don't know how Google Maps determines the star rating, because this is NOT a 4-star hotel. I think 3-star would be generous but I would be more happy with that billing. Now, onto the good and bad. --Good-- - Comfortable bed. It's a bit low to the ground (no box spring), but my wife raved about the bed. - Bathroom. The bathroom was nice, and was the thing about the hotel that best matched the pictures from the website. The provided hygiene products were only so-so; not very much lather from the shampoo or body wash. I would bring your own if possible. - Location. Just two blocks from the beach, the quick walk is definitely worth the money you save not being right on the beach, plus I imagine it would be quieter than staying right on Ocean Drive. - Towel checkout. The beach towel checkout was a breeze. - Hotel restaurant. The hotel restaurant is quite good. We had a late breakfast, and I thought the quality and prices matched the other places we ate while in South Beach. --So-so - The staff as a whole are just fine. There was a definitely lack of the warmness and enthusiasm I expect from folks working in customer-facing hospitality, and that is such an easy way to start your guests off with a good feeling, right when they check in. I didn't get that feeling, but won't put this in the bad section because nobody was rude by any means. --Bad-- - Other guests/thin walls. It almost doesn't feel fair to count this against the hotel, because it's extremely dependent on who your neighboring guests are. But the walls are pretty thin, so if you have a noisy neighbor (like we did), you may get to hear the thumping bass from their party until 2am, or the screaming match by the couple in the hallway at 4am. We were fortunate to be at the very end of the hall, so we didn't hear hardly any "traffic" noise during the night, but that will be a toss-up for you depending on room location. - Finishes/small details. I think my impression/rating of the hotel would be a star higher if they would spend just a relatively small amount of money on things like paint. For example, our nightstand closest to the door (the first piece of furniture you see upon entering the room) had chipped paint on the top, in a way that just made it look ratty (and what I would expect of a 1-star hotel). And one of the vanity lights in the bathroom would flicker on/off sporadically. Just little things that you notice that hurt the perception of the hotel. - Mustiness. I get that it's an old hotel in a humid environment, so some old-building mustiness should probably be expected, but it's very noticeable. - Air conditioning. I personally would not stay here in the summertime. The thermostat bottoms out at 68°F, which was fine for us in January, but would probably be a problem in July. In summary, I would stay here again on a good deal, but if I ever am staying in Miami Beach again, I would seriously consider increasing my lodging budget. But if you can't do that, just go in with good expectations of what this hotel is. It's not a 4-star hotel. The website pictures make it look way nicer than it is. Expect some noisy neighbors and a musty smell. But it has at least one comfortable bed, and it's close to the beach, which are really what you're here for.

The staff's attentiveness and the cozy atmosphere contributed to a great experience. The timeless charm of the Clinton Hotel, combined with its well-maintained facilities, made for a comfortable and satisfying stay. Highly recommended for those who appreciate a clean and welcoming environment.