I have always been leery of coming in to a cruise port on the day my ship is scheduled to depart. There is too much that can go wrong with flight delays and flat tires, and that can ruin the entire vacation. For my cruise to Cuba, I took it a step further. I flew into Miami two days in advance to enjoy the city. Some of that has been (or will be shortly) posted on this sight. For now, however, I want to deal with the biggest part of arriving early. I needed a place to stay, and I selected the Hilton Miami Downtown. In this post, I will describe the room, the wifi, and the facilities available.
On balance, this hotel was a great choice. That starts with the room. The bed was incredibly comfortable, and the windows let in a great deal of natural light. The fixtures were a touch outdated, but they all worked well. The location was convenient to the baseball stadium (short Uber ride), restaurants, and the cruise pier. I had one minor maintenance issue. I was impressed, however, at the willingness of the front desk staff to respond to that when I reported it. The only real problem is that the walls were a bit thin, and my neighbors seemed to be engaged in an argument.
One of the most impressive things about the room, however, was my ability to get work done. There were multiple plugs on each side of the bed, and there were more at the desk. The desk itself was very comfortable. Very rarely have I seen a room equipped this well for work.The key to that work, however, was the excellent wifi connection.
I received free wifi for booking direct with Hilton. I am also a Gold HHonors member, so I would have received it anyway. The connection is both persistent (it hasn’t dropped) and fast. I normally slingshot data through my phone, but the hotel wifi is a better deal here. I have used it several times in my room. As I write this, I am sitting in the hotel bar and have an excellent signal.
Speaking of the bar, that speaks to the potential weakness of the Hilton Miami Downtown. The bar is small, but it is very well stocked. It doubles as the coffee shop in the morning. There is also a restaurant and a gift shop. The signs seem to indicate that there is an exercise room, but that isn’t my expertise. However, there are several things missing. There is no executive lounge, and I wasn’t offered breakfast as an HHonors Gold member. The hotel has no spa. There aren’t second options in dining and drinking. The lobby is lovely, and I enjoy the facilities it does have. Still, it is missing some of the things I would expect from a resort hotel.
Bottom Line– Would I Stay Here Again?
Would I stay again at the Hilton Miami Downtown? Certainly. I wasn’t here for a luxury resort experience. I am here for a comfortable and convenient place to stay while I await a cruise. It has provided that, and I can see cruise ships from my room. This hotel was also considerably cheaper than the Doubletree and the Marriott located in the same area. This place wasn’t mind-blowing, but it was everything I need it to be. Also, this bar makes a delicious martini.
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