A lot of what I have to say echoes previous reports of the Bal Harbour, but here it goes:
Background: Stayed at the Sheraton Bal Harbour on 2/23 and 2/27 as bookends to a trip to the Keys. 4 adults and 2 kids each about 2 years old.
First stay: had booked 2 rooms (one with points) and used points to upgrade to oceanfront suite with request for adjoining room. At check-in, was informed that hotel was fully booked and given choice of suite(which would not be ready for “several hours”) + room in south tower or 2 adjoining rooms in south tower. Chose the 2 rooms in south tower which turned out not to connect, but call back down to registration fruitless as hotel was full. Check-in overall was problematic as we were handled by a trainee. I have nothing against trainees, but he kept having to go back behind a locked door for several minutes at a time which turned a potential 10 minute issue into about 45. It felt like being at a car dealership where the salesman keeps checking with his manager to negotiate a price. Why can’t the trainers just stand behind the trainees? Anyways, the South tower (Sheraton sleeper beds notwithstanding) is more akin to a Motel 6 than the rest of the resort. The rooms are Manhattan sized and pretty shabby. I suppose I can’t really complain as we received the rooms that we were booked for, but it was the first time that I never received any sort of upgrade as a Plat (I miss the days when the manager walked you to your room, sigh). My son found a mysterious pill on the floor of our room, and my wife understandably freaked out at the front desk. Was given 2500 points as part of the Sheraton Service Promise. The kids loved the pools and the beach is close by. Food is very expensive at the resort. Went to Flannigan’s on Harding Ave. as recommended by prior posters, but it looks like the cat is out of the bag—the place was packed with a one and a half hour wait! Ate at a fairly forgettable sushi place nearby instead (the hot towel they gave me had a wad of gum in it that got all over my hands). Did manage to eat at Flanningan’s the next day and its pretty good, especially if you have kids (think Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.).
Second stay: Booked 2 rooms and used points to upgrade both to Gardenview villas. For some reason, the line to check-in stretched all the way to the door (well over 30 feet), leading to an approximately 30 minute wait to get to the front of the line. I really did not mind the line so much, but there was a lot of grumbling on the line which I think had to two with that mysterious locked door which the staff go in and out of frequently. It certainly gave the impression that there were many more people available to work the front desk. I saw at least two people in the line on their cellphones calling ?SPG to complain. Once at registration (no trainees this time and very efficient), they had no record of my upgrades, but did give us one Gardenview villa and one deluxe room in the Gardenview wing. Although I did not stay in the Oceanfront suite or North tower, I have to say the Gardenview villa is great for kids due to the easy access to the pools. The rooms are also a huge step above the south tower. Housekeeping again was an issue as the tiled floors were quite dirty. Housekeeping does deserve major recognition for their integrity and honesty as they mailed me back several items I had left in the room.
Overall: Front desk- poor. Room cleanliness- poor. The South Tower is a dump relatively speaking. The Garden Villas are much nicer. The place is very expensive between the food, valet parking, and resort fees. On the other hand, the pools are fantastic, especially for kids, and the beach is right there. Kudos to the platinum desk who promptly took care of my account issues (even though the Bal Harbour had no record of my request for upgrades for the second stay, the points had been deducted from my account), and to the housekeeping for their honesty at least. The Diplomat and Atlantic are probably better choices for couples or honeymooners. The Bal Harbour is probably best for families (especially if you can get a Garden Villa) and conventioneers if you can get a cheap rate.