Strand Ocean Drive Hotel - Miami Beach, USA 

This hotel is lovely. We stayed in an Ocean View Suite in the Tropical building. We did not hear any of the construction work that has been mentioned on here but you should be aware that this is an Ocean Drive property in South Beach party town and the property isn't sound proofed - you will hear music, and partying and shouting until about 4am in the morning. If this bothers you, you prob should book somewhere further north up Miami Beach where it is a little quieter. The only problem I have with the hotel is I think there needs to be a bit more cleaning in the room. I did agree with some of the other reviews on here that it felt as though the bins were emptied and the bed sheets pulled up and that was about it! The rooms themselves are lovely though, the location is excellent and the staff are very helpful. Just be prepared to get in the party spirit of Miami!!

I am currently 2 nights into my 4 night stay at the Strand on Ocean Drive and this was definitely not what I expected. After reading various great, stellar reviews of this hotel, I was very excited about staying here. I brought my girlfriend here for her birthday and I just knew I'd be in the lap of luxury...NOT! Well let me first say, I am used to staying in 4-5 star hotels. Hotel stays are usually the core of my vacation stays, so I I have no problem paying for a wonderful environment. When you first pull up the the strand, you will pass it. The Hotel Lobby is found between 2 major restaurants, so you have to walk through an "alley-like" walkway to get to the door. This hotel does not have a store front or traditional lobby. It is a small room with 2 front desks and an elevator. So I get to my room. I almost walk out. I was expecting luxury. NOPE. I booked the Jr. Ocean front suite through Expedia.com. I expected to look out of my window and see the ocean. When I look out the window, I see the side of another hotel. The Bell hop tells me to go out on the balcony and look to my right. OK if I look out in the distance, maybe I can see the ocean, FAR IN THE DISTANCE. Don't get me wrong, the location on Ocean Drive is great...but don't be fooled by the Hotel pics for the Ocean view rooms. So onto the cleanliness. A previous review spoke about the cleanliness of the rooms. If you are a ultra clean person or are afraid of germs, DO NOT STAY HERE. The maids do not clean. There were major stains in our carpet. The sofa in the room had major dirt stains (and it was broken). There was dust everywhere. The first day the maid came, all she did was pull up the sheets on the bed and bring 2 towels...no new hand towels or wash cloths (and yes she took our old ones). No vacuum...no windex...no cleaning. So beware of that. I called the front desk to complain that my room was filthy and that I wanted to switch rooms. They said that they were fully booked and that they had already given me a free upgrade to the jr. ocean view...HELLO THAT IS WHAT I SPECIFICALLY PAID FOR UPFRONT THROUGH EXPEDIA. There were no apologies or an offer for my problems. No nothing. I have been here for 3 days and I have had to call the front desk 5 times. You would think that there would be a red flag somewhere on my account and a manager would come talk to me and apologize at least. There is no such thing as great customer service here. The valet parking is $35 a day (just a warning). I could go on forever but I will cut this short. The only thing I love is the tub and shower in the bathroom. That is the one thing that has me sold. Besides that, i can't over look the SMELLS, THE LOW IKEA STYLE BED ON THE FLOOR (which by the way is horrible if you have a bad back- there is no box spring and the mattress is very soft. I felt like i was at a slumber party), THE DIRTY CARPET, SOFA, AND PLASTIC DECK CHAIRS...All in all, if you are a PERSON WHO LOVES hotels like me, don't stay here. I will definitely pick another hotel on my next visit to Miami.