The Palms South Beach - Miami Beach, USA 

Planning for a last day in Miami following a short cruise, I was shocked to see such a high rated hotel at a rate that blew away all other (even lower rated) hotels in the area. The room was not large, but also not so small that it interfered with our 2-person stay. It was clean, and all of the lights, remotes, clocks, phones, etc worked just fine. We did not have an ocean view room, and so the view of the other side was pretty bland, but you get what you pay for, I guess. We had a corner room, and the windows were clean inside and out, providing nice light. The bathroom was surprisingly small and cheap looking, with very poor water pressure. Finally, the bed was very, very soft and plush. It hurt by back all night (usually no problem with my back), but was one of the best nights sleep for my wife (lots of back problems), so we'll call it a draw. The rest of the hotel is decorated nicely, but nothing really stood out much. No strange smells, mold, dirt, or any of the problems I read in some of the other reviews. The landscaping between the hotel and the beach (pool area) was nice, and there was a wedding reception taking place there that seemed to be successful in the surroundings. The beach was nice, but not breathtaking, although I grew up in Hawai'i, so my standards are high. The water was clear with a sandy bottom for quite some way out. I agree with trvler99 about the location; I don't necessarily want the noise of South Beach central, so it's nice to be outside of that, but close enough that a cheap taxi can get us there quickly. The price of the room was great, which should have warned me as to all of the extra charges. Resort fee, expensive valet, highway-robbery mini-bar (which we didn't use, thank goodness), and a restaurant that is completely, unreasonably expensive (dinner). The food was good, quite good actually, but for the price, it should have come with a bar of gold on the side. Ultimately, if you are careful with all of the extra costs, this is a good (though not great) hotel for the area, and I would recommend it to friends.

When I orginally booked at The Palms Hotel it was rated 4 stars by numerous sites. I work at a 4 diamond property in Las Vegas so I am familiar with what this calibre of Hotel should represent. I would rate the Palms at best as a 2 star hotel - the lobby is very nice and the staff are great but the rooms are in dire need of renovation! the pool area is nothing to write home about either. i was truly disappointed in the property and would not go back. We did not have a horrible experience by any means but the quality of the property is very lacking, it overshadowed our entire trip :(