Introduction I chose the Gates South Beach purely on price- other rooms in the area were going for $200+ and I wanted to stay in South Beach on the cheap. Thus, we booked on a Hilton sale at this former Aloft property for about $150 a night with all taxes and resort fees included. Check In Check-in was very quick- I inquired about upgrades (I'm a Hilton Diamond member) but was told that we had the best room with two beds. Fair enough. We were given our standardly delicious DoubleTree cookies, and were on our way to the 8th Floor. Room The room itself is funny- I could definitely tell it was an Aloft room at one time. We were given a nice corner room with a view over Collins Avenue. Colors were much different than an Aloft room, though- nearly everything was white, and tastefully done. The door to the bathroom is one of the sliding variety, and didn't work very well. I feel as if Aloft rooms aren't great for sharing with friends- not terrible if sharing with a loved one, though. Service Service was very nice for a low-service property. Everyone always greeted us warmly, gave us some extra cookies if we wanted, and were there to help. No complaints from me. Dining Diamond breakfast is a continental breakfast in, appropriately, the Continental Diner attached to the hotel. This restaurant is clearly retro, but tastefully redone. However, due to our late nights on South Beach, and early departure to Cuba in the AM, we never had a chance to try out breakfast here. A full breakfast was available for an upcharge, which I found annoying.I'd consider going downtown for dining in Miami- the views are amazing from the new City Centre. Location Location is caddy-corner to the W Hotel on the canal side of Collins. It's close enough to the beach for me, but if you're looking for an "on-beach" property, look elsewhere. Umbrellas and chairs were available as part of the resort fee, but we never chose to use that amenity, opting instead to walk down the beach ourselves. Pool There's a very nice pool area for a DoubleTree (or Aloft, even), as this isn't a very old hotel. It's on the water, but not the water you think of in Miami- it's on the canal. Overall Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again, especially if other resorts in the area continue to charge ridiculous amounts of money for the pleasure of staying with them. Resort fees are astronomical here, and $25 is still extortion at The Gates, though I will say it's lower than many other resorts located nearby. A combination of Cheap-For-South-Beach and decent enough location make this a worthwhile place to spend a vacation. While not in the "thick" of South Beach, it's a quick Uber ride or long-ish walk away.