Miami is a beautiful city and is most famous for Ocean Drive and the South Beach neighborhood. I knew when we booked a few nights in Miami we had to stay in South Beach, but was concerned about the price. After doing some research, and finding out where I could use my remaining Aeroplan points that I had acquired a long time ago, I booked with the Berkley Shore Hotel. I was able to get two nights with all of my Aeroplan points which worked out to being about $220 a night… not bad for Miami and especially for South Beach.
The hotel is located in the heart of South Beach and only a block away from the beach and Ocean Drive. It looked closer to the beach on the map, but still, it really isn’t that far, about a 5 minute walk. The hotel has a reserved section on the beach with chairs and umbrellas. You will be provided with chairs and towels for free but end up having to pay for an Umbrella. Miami is hot, so believe me, you’ll want to dish out $20 for the umbrella, it’s worth it. You can order food and drinks there too but beware, like everything on the beach, it’s pricey. And besides being close to the beach, the location was phenomenal, being in close proximity to a number of bars, restaurants and souvenir shops. Side note: try Munchies Latin Café which is about two blocks away and has excellent Latin food and snacks. I didn’t end up eating at Salt, the restaurant in the hotel, but the menu looked good, although on the pricier side. But there was a daily Happy Hour with 50% off drinks which I took advantage of a couple of times. You don’t get a free breakfast or anything with the hotel, but for the price we paid to stay in South Beach, that is expected. There are also lots of good cafes and breakfast restaurants all within walking distance, try Eggstaurant.
Usually, flights get pushed back, but surprisingly our flight got pushed ahead a day. We were scrambling and the day before we left, I had to call Berkley Shore and hope we could get in a day early. They got us in no problem, and despite our room only being available for two nights, they moved us to a comparable room so we wouldn’t have to change rooms after the first night. The staff were accommodating to our situation and were all around friendly and helpful. The hotel also provided a crib for our baby to sleep in.
In addition to friendly and accommodating staff, the room was cleaned daily and the rooms were simple but nice. The rooms were clean and trendy and so was the hotel as a whole. The bed was comfortable and the washrooms were nice.
Finally, one of my favorite parts was the rooftop. Here is where there was a gym, that I never used, but should have, a nice pool, and two sitting areas. The view from the hotel was nice and it was a good place to soak up some rays and enjoy a good beer and view.
It’s hard to find a reasonably priced hotel in South Beach that is clean and doesn’t have numerous reviews of horror stories with bedbugs, but Berkley Shore is definitely an exception. The location is excellent, the staff are friendly and there is a great atmosphere and vibe, whether that be on the rooftop patio or the bar/restaurant. I will be back in Miami and will definitely consider staying at Berkley Shore Hotel again.
Overall here is how I’d rate the hotel:
Location - excellent
Staff - very good
Price: very good
Amenities - good
Atmosphere - very good
Cleanliness - very good
Restaurant/bar - good (I only drank, but based off prices, service and vibe)
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