arlflyer

Bookings for that property look fine on this end as well.

rustum76

We are planing to stay in Miami for a week during Christmas break with family. Planning to visit various places in Miami, Everglades and Key west. I have Diamond membership and booking hotel reservation using points. My options are HWS, HI and HGI around airport. Most of hotels close to south beach are asking lot of points. Betweeb HWS vs HI, which is good option. Cheapest one is HWS west of Airport. There is another HWS wihch is south of airpot and little expensive. HWS west of MIA has better reviews than one south of MIA. There are few Hampton inns close by. Between HWS vs HI, which are better to stay for a week. Most of them are around 35k to 50k points per day and offer free car parking / breakfast. Between 2 HWS around airport, blue lagoon vs west, which one is better? There is another one in Dolphin mall as well.

rustum76

Between HWS west of airport vs HWS blue lagoon, which one is better to stay for a week with family. Both of them are asking for around 240k points for a week of stay with 1KBD 1RM suite. There is a big jump in pints required for booking same premium suite.

MIAFlyer

I think that answer would really depend on what you and your family like to do. Here are a few things to consider:

1 - The Homewood - Airport West is located at the corner of 36th Street and the Palmetto (826) expressway. It is in an industrial type area, and across the corner from the county jail. You can decide if you'd like to walk around there.

2 - The Homewood at Blue Lagoon is on a small little peninsula of land, surrounded by a small lake. It is in a business type area, and would be safe enough to walk around, but not really much to see there (next door to the Hilton hotel and a couple office buildings) but a nice enough area.

3 - The Homewood at Dolphin Mall is located, well, at the Dolphin Mall, one of the largest "outlet" malls in the area. It has free parking (don't think the Blue Lagoon one has free parking). The Dolphin Mall has many things to do, including movie theaters, game rooms, etc. It is a little further west from the beaches, but depending on what else you'd like to see/do in Miami it may actually be closer. It is certainly closer to the Everglades, either via US41 to the airboat ride operators, or to Shark Valley (highly recommended in the winter season) and faster to the Keys via the Turnpike.

Hope this helps!

arlflyer

Can't this discussion be contained to your existing thread on the topic? Travelling to Everglades/Miami during Christmas holidays

Also, do you realize that MIA to Key West is a 3 hour drive? This is not an easy or worthwhile day trip to make.

rustum76

Thanks for the information.

1. Is there any safety issue with HWS at airport west. It has better reviews than HWS Blue Lagoon one. Provides free breakfast for all , parking and shuttle to airport. Shuttle to Dolphin mall where i can pick up car from Avis. Or there is another Avis within 2 miles. It ticks all the boxes except location. There are lot of other hotels around this place (HGI, Courtyard). 1 King bed 1 room suite is for 230k points. I think renovated more recently than Blue Lagoon one.

2. I can get 2 queen bed suite in Blue Lagoon with 300k points. Free parking with Diamond status. Shuttle to airport.

3. There are no rooms available in HWS at Dolphin Mall location. There is double tree near international mall. 2 queen bed room is for 240k points. New property but no suite. No shuttle to airport. Probably i need to rent the car at airport or depend on uber. I can get 5 days free car rental with Avis. I am thinking about renting outside for 5 days instead of from airport (7days). There is avis close to this location. Free break fast for 2 members but $6 for kids. Free car parking.

I am thinking about 1 or 3. I already reserved with option 1. I can reserve with option 3 and take some time to think about it. I also need to decide about Avis location. Option 1 checks most of the boxes except for location. Option 3 looks more modern without shuttle to airport , no suite and no breakfast for all.

Thanks

rustum76

We are thinking about going to key west for a day.

MIAFlyer

I wouldn’t say the Airport West location is unsafe, but you are tied to car by staying there, not much to see or do close to the hotel.

rustum76

We are planning to rent a car for 5 days except for first day and last day. Last day we are planing to go to beach for Dec 31st. We are reaching there by afternoon on day 1. We will probably take uber and go to beach. Do you think, HWS at Blue lagoon is a better property to stay. What about double tree near Dolphin mall. i should be able to make multiple reservations and take some time to decide.

I am able to find a room with 2 queen beds in Hampton Inn Brickell location (360k points). Free break fast and metro to airport. Only thing is car parking is not free. It is $28 per day. There is a AVIS close to this location. I can book car for 4 days to go to Everglades and Key west. Are there any cheaper parking options in Brickell. Is it possible to manage going to beach and other places near down town without Car.

Thanks

flyerCO

I'd stick with HWS. You'll have full kitchen/cooking facilities in suite. Itll help save on eating out, plus you can eat/snack when want to. Especially having a family this is a plus.

IrisT

We drove to Key West and back for the day once from Miami area (started just a bit farther south near Coconut Grove), and it is doable. As long as you are not traveling on a heavy traffic day during the holidays. We also made the trip over the holidays once (not both ways in the same day), and the traffic was much worse that week. It added about an hour to our travel time.

rustum76

I still have hotel and car reservations at both the places (HWS and HI). Just thinking about staying in downtown experience vs convenience of HWS. Is it possible to visit Kennedy space center for a day. Is drive from Miami to Orlando doable both sides in a day and cover space center.

Thanks

rustum76

Thanks for the update. I guess, we need to start as early as possible in the morning. Is it possible to do a day trip to Orlando (Kennedy space station).

batdude

I live near Kennedy Space Center... and have made this drive more times than i can count.

KSC is right at 200 miles north of Miami and a straight shot up I-95. The turnpike goes to Orlando, so it's only useful at the southern portion of the trip (Jupiter, FL area)

that said - i consider this portion of 95 one of the most deadly for "WTH JUST HAPPENED" types of accidents.

you have to be on your A-game at all times driving this stretch.

figure a 3 hour drive, 4-6 hours at KSC then a 3 hour return. that is a LONG day.

(for the record, if i was doing this - i would most certainly stay the night after visiting KSC out in Cocoa Beach.... where the room rates are much better than Miami - tip: Cocoa Beach Hilton or if not avail, the Doubletree)

Traffic >WILL< be heavy until you are north of West Palm Beach on the outbound and will pick up in the same spots southbound, with obvious rush hour times 6-10am and 3-7pm being horrid..... plan accordingly.



d

batdude

i will also add that if i was visiting like you are.... i recommend this place: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/mia...-miami-midtown

there is a very large outdoor mall nearby, the beaches are uber-able... (protip: DO NOT DRIVE A CAR TO MIAMI BEACH... you will pay $50 to park it....)

i have no kind words for ANY of the airport Hilton properties... and i have stayed at most of them... but 100% concur with the comments on the ones you are looking at above.

the Hampton Inn i linked above is relatively new and fairly central to most everything.

YMMV