Dorchester Hotel and Suites - Miami Beach, USA 

We booked to stay here for 3 nights in total, two at the beginning of our stay in Miami and the other the night before flying out of Miami. This hotel was recommended to us so we were disapointed to read others comments on tripadvisor about how The Dorchester was not up to standard. Despite our reservations we stayed there. First of all we were greated with an increased rate for the rooms which we had pre-paid, the receptionist could not explain what the $4 per room per night additional charge was for, having been on a long flight we just wanted our rooms so did not question further. The pool is a good size, however there is little room to walk around the pool as the sunbeds go right up to the edge. Watch out for the pool bar staff, who walk round offering drinks to any newcomers to the pool and eventually presents you with the bill, over double what you pay in any other bar, $5.45 + TAX for a small can of beer!!! Upon checking out we found someone who could explain the $4 additional room rate charge, this is for energy as the prices locally have gone up so they told us. An air conditioner in one of the rooms fell apart at 4am, there was no safe in the room which was included in the pre-paid price (we had booked and paid for the rooms on their own website), breakfast was not included, again this was included in the price on their website, needless to say we did not return there for our pre-paid last night.

I had the pleasure of staying at the Dorchester on 7-10-08 thru 7-13-08. This was a girl's escapade! My friend & I were quite impressed with the hotel. We were almost certain that we were going to be staying in a DUMP based on the reviews we had read. However, it was definitely the opposite! Whatever you do: DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS...THEY OVER EXAGGERATE! THE STAFF: Pleasant & helpful THE ROOM: Two very comfortable queen size beds, with white sheets & a white bed spread, which definitely lets you know that it is clean! We requested a renovated room, so we had hard wood floors, which were swept & mopped daily. The bathroom was small, but clean. Towels & toiletries were stocked daily. The 19 inch tv was out-dated , but who cares? We came to South Beach to par-tay!!! The a/c unit was an oldie, but goodie. Our room was aleast 60 degrees or cooler (burr!). Other reviews complained about the walls being thin, but we didn't hear anything. We slept like babies for 3 nights! THE POOL AREA: Was decent. There was a poolside bar. Happy hour was daily from 7p-8p. Only cheap liquors were free! THE HALLWAYS: You could tell the carpet was worn & old, but they filled the hallways with a pleasant air freshener daily. THE LOBBY: Was very artsy & contemporary. Having an ATM was very convenient & safe. The piano was a great accent to any photo shot! PARKING: Seemed to be a little congested, but workable. ***Just keep in mind that this is NOT a 5 star hotel, only a 3 1/2! For the price, it is definitely a steal! Very convenient to SB & just a quaint, comfortable, clean place to stay if you are looking to explore more of South Beach and not the actual room! Perfect for a girl's or guy's trip only! Wouldn't plan a romantic getaway here.