Originally Posted by ElevatorEnthusiast

I'm currently wrapping up a stay here at the Hotel Beaux Arts (after spending the weekend at the STR Bal Harbour) - what an interesting property (and a pretty great value for the $217 nightly rate I was able to snatch).

First off, this property is basically just the JW with different room styling - my credit card charge came though as "JW Marriott Marquis Miami", check-in is currently handled in the main JW lobby, and guests have access to all of the JW amenities (including the very interesting bowling alley and golf simulator). Unfortunately, I was only upgraded to an O'Keefe room (which I think is just a standard room facing the bay, rather than the Wells Fargo Center). I couldn't understand why they wouldn't upgrade me to a suite since they were showing as available online until I looked at the availability for the next day and saw that all of the room types above O'Keefe were sold out - since I had requested a 4 PM late check-out, I imagine this limited my upgrade.

My O'Keefe room on the 39th floor (BA rooms are on 38, 39, and 40 - while JW rooms are on 21-37 and 41) was shockingly nice for the price I paid. Yes, there is definitely a focus on form over function, but it made for a seriously-unique stay. The view was actually pretty nice - despite the new Aston Martin tower blocking most of the bay, you can still see the water and ships coming in. The bathroom was large with a jacuzzi tub, nice shower with great pressure, and in-mirror TV. Obviously, the completely clear door to the toilet room is just funny (so private), and the sinks do make a mess and could use a bit more pressure. However, the uniqueness of the temperature-dependent lights made me laugh and smile each time I used them. I generally really like the design of the room with the dichotomy of white paneling and dark woods. The furniture was also quite comfortable with a nice desk chair and surprisingly stain-free white leather couch. The bed was also very comfortable, and climate control worked very well, despite the heavy covers on the bed. The TV swiveled well to face either the bed or couch and was equipped with Marriott's Internet TV system.

Breakfast was served in Boulud Sud - the staff made a point of asking for my name and then addressing me by it throughout the meal. I was told to either get the continental breakfast (pasty basket, fruit, juice, and coffee) or use it as a $25 credit (after tax and 18% service charge - which is how the continental rings up). As the traditional egg breakfast was about the same price as the continental (but didn't include coffee), I just went with the continental, which had four surprisingly good (and warm) pastries and bowl of assorted berries and melons. The coffee was quite good - I had four cups (woah).

As I didn't have a huge number of service interactions, it's hard to comment on service overall as either a positive or negative.

Overall, this has been a really good stay - you definitely seem like you get a lot for the money with the hard product here.