Miami Eden Roc Renaissance Resort & Spa Review
Jul 18, 2005, 10:48 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 126
Miami Eden Roc Renaissance Resort & Spa Review
My wife and I decided to use some of my Marriott Rewards points to book a five-night vacation at the Eden Roc in Miami Beach, FL. I stayed at the Eden Roc in the late 90s/early 2000s for a work conference and remember the hotel as a pretty hip/cool/and nice place to stay. The hotel website (www.edenrocresort.com), says that a multi-million dollar improvements/updates have been made to the hotel a few years back and the photographs looked great. The hotel was rated a category six and having stayed at another category six (JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa) my wife and I had very high expectations. Stay was from 7/11-7/16.
Positives:
-The lobby is beautiful, hands down.
-The bar tender in the lobby bar, Ron, is great and knows all the Miami hotspots, what days to go where, and he’ll have you partying with models and Miami’s elite (if you want to avoid the touristy spots)
-As a Platinum Marriott member, I was upgraded to an ocean view room with an outdoor balcony. Very cool.
-Platinum and Gold members also get free continental breakfast coupons for two to use in the lobby restaurant.
Negatives.
-It appears that all the money for the renovations and improvements went to the lobby, because the hotel rooms have dirty carpeting, walls that need painting, and furniture that was spray-painted instead of replacing it (there was over spray on the upholstery!). The phones and room alarm clock, which were originally white, were a stained dirty yellow (shows the age).
-No “real” concierge existed for 4 of the 5 nights that we stayed to book dinner reservations and direct us where to visit the sights. The concierge we got for the 4 nights when the “real” one was not around was a bellhop I believe whose idea of service was handing out Miami area tourist brochures.
-The pool area and beach seemed to be very short staffed with waiters to serve drinks and bring out food. At the Ihilani Resort & Spa, my wife and I got very used to and loved ordering drinks poolside and having snacks/lunch brought to us. If you wanted to have something brought out to you, you have to track down the single waiter who manned to pool area and beach or get up and walk to the outside restaurant/bar.
-The upper area small pool had garbage and sand in the bottom of it and was never cleaned during our whole stay.
-My hotel safe was broken and would not lock. The safe is important because my wife takes her valuables (wedding rings, jewelry, money and credit cards) and locks them up all day while we are at the pool or beach. It took 11 hours and multiple phone calls to the front desk and someone who claimed to be the concierge to get service to the room and fix it. Turned out that the safe had a dead battery and took under 5 minutes to fix.
-The maid service was very inconsistent. Some days we got a complete set of towels and fresh toiletries, other days, partial sets with something always missing. Turndown service was also missing a few nights.
While checking out at the front desk, I complained, but they didn’t do anything, but I also did not push it. I also completed one of those survey cards that they leave in the room giving a horrible review and I dropped it off at the front desk. We’ll see if they do anything about it.
Overall I’m very disappointed in the hotel, especially for being rated a category six and spending as many Marriott points as I did. The Courtyard Eastside in Midtown NYC has more consistent service and quality than this joint. At best this place should be a category 4 or 5. And if you’re paying for it, forget it, not worth the money. Highly not recommended.
Positives:
-The lobby is beautiful, hands down.
-The bar tender in the lobby bar, Ron, is great and knows all the Miami hotspots, what days to go where, and he’ll have you partying with models and Miami’s elite (if you want to avoid the touristy spots)
-As a Platinum Marriott member, I was upgraded to an ocean view room with an outdoor balcony. Very cool.
-Platinum and Gold members also get free continental breakfast coupons for two to use in the lobby restaurant.
Negatives.
-It appears that all the money for the renovations and improvements went to the lobby, because the hotel rooms have dirty carpeting, walls that need painting, and furniture that was spray-painted instead of replacing it (there was over spray on the upholstery!). The phones and room alarm clock, which were originally white, were a stained dirty yellow (shows the age).
-No “real” concierge existed for 4 of the 5 nights that we stayed to book dinner reservations and direct us where to visit the sights. The concierge we got for the 4 nights when the “real” one was not around was a bellhop I believe whose idea of service was handing out Miami area tourist brochures.
-The pool area and beach seemed to be very short staffed with waiters to serve drinks and bring out food. At the Ihilani Resort & Spa, my wife and I got very used to and loved ordering drinks poolside and having snacks/lunch brought to us. If you wanted to have something brought out to you, you have to track down the single waiter who manned to pool area and beach or get up and walk to the outside restaurant/bar.
-The upper area small pool had garbage and sand in the bottom of it and was never cleaned during our whole stay.
-My hotel safe was broken and would not lock. The safe is important because my wife takes her valuables (wedding rings, jewelry, money and credit cards) and locks them up all day while we are at the pool or beach. It took 11 hours and multiple phone calls to the front desk and someone who claimed to be the concierge to get service to the room and fix it. Turned out that the safe had a dead battery and took under 5 minutes to fix.
-The maid service was very inconsistent. Some days we got a complete set of towels and fresh toiletries, other days, partial sets with something always missing. Turndown service was also missing a few nights.
While checking out at the front desk, I complained, but they didn’t do anything, but I also did not push it. I also completed one of those survey cards that they leave in the room giving a horrible review and I dropped it off at the front desk. We’ll see if they do anything about it.
Overall I’m very disappointed in the hotel, especially for being rated a category six and spending as many Marriott points as I did. The Courtyard Eastside in Midtown NYC has more consistent service and quality than this joint. At best this place should be a category 4 or 5. And if you’re paying for it, forget it, not worth the money. Highly not recommended.
Sep 13, 2006, 12:07 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: New York, NY
Programs: SPG Plat, Marriott Gold, AA EXP, Hertz Prez Circle
Posts: 260
I think your review is accurate in many respects. I have been in Miami Monday – Thursday since February for work and have been staying at the Eden Roc for the past month since the rate was so good. I think that the only reason this is rated as a category 6 hotel is because of the proximity to the ocean, but I wholeheartedly agree that this rating is highly inflated. I have stayed many times at the JW Marriott in downtown Miami and it is night and day. Given that the JW is a Category 5, I don’t see how this hotel could be a category 6.
I stay at the Eden Roc for business which is probably very different from the reason people normally stay there, although I find it is well suited for those needs. The breakfast is a very nice spread that is better than the concierge lounge at the JW. Additionally, the gym is very well equipped with treadmills/other cardio machines, free weights, and weight machines. They also have classes every evening.
I agree that the rooms could use a lot of work and it is my understanding that there will be some renovations to the rooms as a later phase of the construction currently underway. Most of the front desk staff I have dealt with have been very friendly and have been very accommodating, but there have been one or two aren’t. The valet is generally okay, although again, there is some spotty service (especially with one guy who always takes forever to get my car even when I call down 20 min before). I have been upgraded every time I have stayed at the Eden Roc, usually to an oceanview, but also to nice suites several times.
(Note: they have a lot of handicap suites with just a stand-alone shower and other features to accommodate people with disabilities. Many times they will offer you a choice betwee this suite and a regular oceanview room. I guess it depends on your preferences, but be sure to follow-up and inquire if you don't want the handicap suite).
Anyway, just wanted to add my thoughts to what the OP mentioned. Thanks for mentioning how great the bartender is, I’ll be sure to have a drink later this week or next.
Renard - to your question about disturbance caused by the construction. There is a different path you have to take to get to the ocean and there have been some parking issues although they always have parking for regular guests. I cannot speak to noise as I am not there during the construction hours.
I stay at the Eden Roc for business which is probably very different from the reason people normally stay there, although I find it is well suited for those needs. The breakfast is a very nice spread that is better than the concierge lounge at the JW. Additionally, the gym is very well equipped with treadmills/other cardio machines, free weights, and weight machines. They also have classes every evening.
I agree that the rooms could use a lot of work and it is my understanding that there will be some renovations to the rooms as a later phase of the construction currently underway. Most of the front desk staff I have dealt with have been very friendly and have been very accommodating, but there have been one or two aren’t. The valet is generally okay, although again, there is some spotty service (especially with one guy who always takes forever to get my car even when I call down 20 min before). I have been upgraded every time I have stayed at the Eden Roc, usually to an oceanview, but also to nice suites several times.
(Note: they have a lot of handicap suites with just a stand-alone shower and other features to accommodate people with disabilities. Many times they will offer you a choice betwee this suite and a regular oceanview room. I guess it depends on your preferences, but be sure to follow-up and inquire if you don't want the handicap suite).
Anyway, just wanted to add my thoughts to what the OP mentioned. Thanks for mentioning how great the bartender is, I’ll be sure to have a drink later this week or next.
Renard - to your question about disturbance caused by the construction. There is a different path you have to take to get to the ocean and there have been some parking issues although they always have parking for regular guests. I cannot speak to noise as I am not there during the construction hours.
Sep 14, 2006, 9:52 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: MR Gold, DCL Silver, RSSC Silver
Posts: 775
Originally Posted by sziv50
I think that the only reason this is rated as a category 6 hotel is because of the proximity to the ocean....[T]he JW Marriott in downtown Miami...is a Category 5.
Sep 15, 2006, 3:53 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2003
Location: At This Point, Only G*d Knows!
Posts: 3,467
I just checked into this hotel and the Front Desk staff was very cordial and upgraded me to a really nice suite with an ocean view without asking(a big plus in my book) Also without asking they gave me two breakfast coupons for each day of stay since there is no lounge here(Another big plus).
My room looks like it was just renovated and has the new bedding which IMHO really improves my sleeping experience at Marriotts.
Lastly, while this hotel is not the J.W. Marriott in downtown, the Eden Roc is very nice and the location to the beach cannot be beat.
Just my two cents,
Dan
My room looks like it was just renovated and has the new bedding which IMHO really improves my sleeping experience at Marriotts.
Lastly, while this hotel is not the J.W. Marriott in downtown, the Eden Roc is very nice and the location to the beach cannot be beat.
Just my two cents,
Dan
Oct 18, 2008, 9:48 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Ashburn, VA (IAD/DCA/BWI)
Posts: 2,748
Oct 18, 2008, 9:53 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Houston
Programs: AA Plat Pro, IHG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 206
You beat me too it. I was also going to post about the $129 rate. I booked a weekend in January that is showing $400+ per night normally right now on Marriott's site.
Oct 27, 2008, 6:04 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Ashburn, VA (IAD/DCA/BWI)
Posts: 2,748
I have to decide whether to stay Eden Roc for 4 nts or split with South Beach Marriott.
With 100 PP at South Beach rate, the cost may not be too big of factor. As Gold, I'm expected to access lounge at the South Beach which should help with food and drink cost.
Since I'll be traveling with 7 & 5 yrs, either of these properties more kid friendly?
Thanx in advance.
Oct 27, 2008, 8:55 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: BNA
Programs: HH Silver IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,733
My wife and I decided to use some of my Marriott Rewards points to book a five-night vacation at the Eden Roc in Miami Beach, FL. I stayed at the Eden Roc in the late 90s/early 2000s for a work conference and remember the hotel as a pretty hip/cool/and nice place to stay. The hotel website (www.edenrocresort.com), says that a multi-million dollar improvements/updates have been made to the hotel a few years back and the photographs looked great. The hotel was rated a category six and having stayed at another category six (JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa) my wife and I had very high expectations. Stay was from 7/11-7/16.
Positives:
-The lobby is beautiful, hands down.
-The bar tender in the lobby bar, Ron, is great and knows all the Miami hotspots, what days to go where, and he’ll have you partying with models and Miami’s elite (if you want to avoid the touristy spots)
-As a Platinum Marriott member, I was upgraded to an ocean view room with an outdoor balcony. Very cool.
-Platinum and Gold members also get free continental breakfast coupons for two to use in the lobby restaurant.
Negatives.
-It appears that all the money for the renovations and improvements went to the lobby, because the hotel rooms have dirty carpeting, walls that need painting, and furniture that was spray-painted instead of replacing it (there was over spray on the upholstery!). The phones and room alarm clock, which were originally white, were a stained dirty yellow (shows the age).
-No “real” concierge existed for 4 of the 5 nights that we stayed to book dinner reservations and direct us where to visit the sights. The concierge we got for the 4 nights when the “real” one was not around was a bellhop I believe whose idea of service was handing out Miami area tourist brochures.
-The pool area and beach seemed to be very short staffed with waiters to serve drinks and bring out food. At the Ihilani Resort & Spa, my wife and I got very used to and loved ordering drinks poolside and having snacks/lunch brought to us. If you wanted to have something brought out to you, you have to track down the single waiter who manned to pool area and beach or get up and walk to the outside restaurant/bar.
-The upper area small pool had garbage and sand in the bottom of it and was never cleaned during our whole stay.
-My hotel safe was broken and would not lock. The safe is important because my wife takes her valuables (wedding rings, jewelry, money and credit cards) and locks them up all day while we are at the pool or beach. It took 11 hours and multiple phone calls to the front desk and someone who claimed to be the concierge to get service to the room and fix it. Turned out that the safe had a dead battery and took under 5 minutes to fix.
-The maid service was very inconsistent. Some days we got a complete set of towels and fresh toiletries, other days, partial sets with something always missing. Turndown service was also missing a few nights.
While checking out at the front desk, I complained, but they didn’t do anything, but I also did not push it. I also completed one of those survey cards that they leave in the room giving a horrible review and I dropped it off at the front desk. We’ll see if they do anything about it.
Overall I’m very disappointed in the hotel, especially for being rated a category six and spending as many Marriott points as I did. The Courtyard Eastside in Midtown NYC has more consistent service and quality than this joint. At best this place should be a category 4 or 5. And if you’re paying for it, forget it, not worth the money. Highly not recommended.
Positives:
-The lobby is beautiful, hands down.
-The bar tender in the lobby bar, Ron, is great and knows all the Miami hotspots, what days to go where, and he’ll have you partying with models and Miami’s elite (if you want to avoid the touristy spots)
-As a Platinum Marriott member, I was upgraded to an ocean view room with an outdoor balcony. Very cool.
-Platinum and Gold members also get free continental breakfast coupons for two to use in the lobby restaurant.
Negatives.
-It appears that all the money for the renovations and improvements went to the lobby, because the hotel rooms have dirty carpeting, walls that need painting, and furniture that was spray-painted instead of replacing it (there was over spray on the upholstery!). The phones and room alarm clock, which were originally white, were a stained dirty yellow (shows the age).
-No “real” concierge existed for 4 of the 5 nights that we stayed to book dinner reservations and direct us where to visit the sights. The concierge we got for the 4 nights when the “real” one was not around was a bellhop I believe whose idea of service was handing out Miami area tourist brochures.
-The pool area and beach seemed to be very short staffed with waiters to serve drinks and bring out food. At the Ihilani Resort & Spa, my wife and I got very used to and loved ordering drinks poolside and having snacks/lunch brought to us. If you wanted to have something brought out to you, you have to track down the single waiter who manned to pool area and beach or get up and walk to the outside restaurant/bar.
-The upper area small pool had garbage and sand in the bottom of it and was never cleaned during our whole stay.
-My hotel safe was broken and would not lock. The safe is important because my wife takes her valuables (wedding rings, jewelry, money and credit cards) and locks them up all day while we are at the pool or beach. It took 11 hours and multiple phone calls to the front desk and someone who claimed to be the concierge to get service to the room and fix it. Turned out that the safe had a dead battery and took under 5 minutes to fix.
-The maid service was very inconsistent. Some days we got a complete set of towels and fresh toiletries, other days, partial sets with something always missing. Turndown service was also missing a few nights.
While checking out at the front desk, I complained, but they didn’t do anything, but I also did not push it. I also completed one of those survey cards that they leave in the room giving a horrible review and I dropped it off at the front desk. We’ll see if they do anything about it.
Overall I’m very disappointed in the hotel, especially for being rated a category six and spending as many Marriott points as I did. The Courtyard Eastside in Midtown NYC has more consistent service and quality than this joint. At best this place should be a category 4 or 5. And if you’re paying for it, forget it, not worth the money. Highly not recommended.
Oct 27, 2008, 3:38 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: MR Gold, DCL Silver, RSSC Silver
Posts: 775
I'd probably just stay at Eden Roc.
Oct 31, 2008, 6:33 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Ashburn, VA (IAD/DCA/BWI)
Posts: 2,748
Not Ready for Prime Time
I just checked in today.
Got zero elite (Gold) recognition :
The rooms are nicely renovated with nice bathroom but there were many small things that bothered me:
Pluses were
If it wasn't for the special $129 rate, I would been disappointed if I was paying on going regular rate of $340/nt at this property.
Got zero elite (Gold) recognition :
- No room upgrade. Got a no view room near the elevator.
- No breakfast unlike reported earlier. Oh, well. Since breakfast is not office benefit at resort, its not unexpected.
The rooms are nicely renovated with nice bathroom but there were many small things that bothered me:
- Only one trash can in the room but maid brought 2nd one following day
- Extra towels weren't lint free type/pre-washed
- No ice machines - you have to request ice (extra tips)
- No glasses in the room but provided on 3rd day
- Construction noise in the pool areas but no problem on weekends (Sat & Sun)
- Front desk staff had problem handing gift cards and premium pounds
- Valet parking option only for $32/day + tax
Pluses were
- Friendly staffs, most of staff greeted us
- 3 pools including a kid's
- Bathroom
- Connect-ready (?) HDTV and alarm with iPod adopter/charger
If it wasn't for the special $129 rate, I would been disappointed if I was paying on going regular rate of $340/nt at this property.
Last edited by DH; Nov 4, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Jan 2, 2009, 12:10 pm
#14
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: CO Plat, Starwood Plat, Hyatt Plat, Hilton Diamond, CO Pres. Plus, Hertz #1 Gold
Posts: 1,213
I'm staying there later this month for 2 nights before shifting over to the Harbor Beach for a conference. Got it for $199/night under the "Sneak Peek" promotion for a Friday & Saturday night. Will report back after the stay.
Jan 3, 2009, 6:24 pm
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
I just checked in today.
Got zero elite (Gold) recognition :
The rooms are nicely renovated with nice bathroom but there were many small things that bothered me:
Pluses were
If it wasn't for the special $129 rate, I would been disappointed if I was paying on going regular rate of $340/nt at this property.
Got zero elite (Gold) recognition :
- No room upgrade. Got a no view room near the elevator.
- No breakfast unlike reported earlier. Oh, well. Since breakfast is not office benefit at resort, its not unexpected.
The rooms are nicely renovated with nice bathroom but there were many small things that bothered me:
- Only one trash can in the room but maid brought 2nd one following day
- Extra towels weren't lint free type/pre-washed
- No ice machines - you have to request ice (extra tips)
- No glasses in the room but provided on 3rd day
- Construction noise in the pool areas but no problem on weekends (Sat & Sun)
- Front desk staff had problem handing gift cards and premium pounds
- Valet parking option only for $32/day + tax
Pluses were
- Friendly staffs, most of staff greeted us
- 3 pools including a kid's
- Bathroom
- Connect-ready (?) HDTV and alarm with iPod adopter/charger
If it wasn't for the special $129 rate, I would been disappointed if I was paying on going regular rate of $340/nt at this property.