The hotel is conveniently located inside Miami International Airport, but after years of staying in airport hotels, I expected more. Stepping off the elevator into a long hallway with thick painted walls, I immediately wondered what I’d walked into. It looked closer to an older motel, but I hoped the room would make up for it.
The room had updated carpet and tile but was about half the size of a typical airport hotel. It had a damp, musty smell, as if the AC couldn’t keep up or needed maintenance. What looked like a windowless room actually had painted-over shutters hiding a fogged pane facing a wall and pipes, making it feel boxed in. The TV had basic channels, and while the desk and outlets were useful, the mirrors were clearly meant to make it feel larger.
Water pressure was great, but the showerhead was at chin height, so I had to crouch. The soap smelled citrusy. The sink leaked onto the floor, and the mold around its base showed it wasn’t new. With no exhaust fan, the bathroom stayed damp and the mirror fogged instantly. The toilet looked like it was from the ’80s but worked fine.
Noise was the biggest issue. The walls and doors were extremely thin—I heard full conversations on both sides, plus cleaning staff talking outside my door late at night. At 4 a.m., a door slam woke me, followed by more every half hour. At least I didn’t need an alarm.
The 7th-floor restaurant promised great views, but mine was of the parking garage. The room felt like a cold cafeteria; sev