National Hotel, Miami Beach > Reviews (1)

We stayed at The National Hotel for a few days last summer, on Collins Avenue, one block from Ocean Drive in the heart of Miami's Art Deco Historical District.

Built in 1939, the 13-story National Hotel lobby contains original period antiques and richly designed wood furnishings. It was restored in 1997 to showcase the original Art Deco details (the concierge desk is a precise replica of the original from 1939 !), this hotel is a visual delight for Art Deco fans !

It's not a massive hotel (unlike the Loew's just a block down the street), but then most of the South Beach / Ocean Drive hotels are acutally pretty small affairs...

Other features at this hotel include:

- 115 tower rooms and suites
- 36 deluxe rooms and suites in the Cabana Wing, along side the pool
- The Triplex, exclusive tri-level penthouse suite
- Award-winning, 24-hour concierge service. The concierge was extremely helpful with the few requests we had. I guess you bget what you pay for !

- 24-hour room service with a great menu
- 205-foot-long (but pretty narrow) "Infinity Pool" surrounded by lush tropical foliage
- Direct beach access and full beach services
- Poolside massage therapy and spa services
- Complimentary poolside yoga
- 2,200 square feet of event space
- World-class catering for special events
- Gourmet dining at the "Tamara" restaurant. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, "Tamara" offers a French-fusion menu including salads, quiche, steak, salmon, lobster, and lamb. Dark-red velvet lounge chairs, deep-green carpet, and shiny silver table accessories set the mood in this restaurant dedicated to the Art Deco artist Tamara de Lempicka.
- Live, cabaret-style performances at "D'Lounge". Open daily from mid morning till late evening, this Art Deco-style cocktail lounge offers specialty drinks, a Friday happy hour, and scheduled live entertainment
- Casual-chic dining and libations at "Zee Pool Lounge". Located poolside with daybeds, ottomans, and private cabana tents, this casual spot offers music, grill menu, and bar service for drinks, lunch, and dinner.

Our tower room was not huge, but very well furnished and decorated, with a DVD player & VCR, satellite TV, minibar, bathrobes, slippers, and Aveda bath and skin-care products, and I believe this is standard in all rooms.

There are two pools, including the 205-foot-long infinity pool, and it's from the pool area that you can access Miami's marvelous South Beach itself. The beach concierge service (in the $12 per day "resort fee") provides chairs, towels, and drinks, and can arrange for massages and beauty treatments (at additional cost).

This "resort fee" is a bit of a rip off, I think, but did seem to be the norm in the several Florida hotels we stayed in. If it's mandatory, then it should be included in the quoted rate, rather than a "sneaky" addition for using towels, beach chairs etc that you kind-of have to...

There was a computer in the fantastic lobby offering free internet access (to book our next stop) for guests,.

and wired internet was available in the rooms too, although I'd not brought my laptop so didn't use.

The's no car park at this hotel, but they do offer valet parking for about $20 per day. This is pretty quick, but as usual, it's best to give them 20 minutes notice or so when you do need your car.

Eating at The National is great, but as it's only a five minute walk to Ocean Drive where there are a hundred excellent eateries, it seems a shame not to eat out - and you'll probably save yourself a few quid (or dollars) too...

You can book your room at The National either directly with them on-line (where they claim to offer the best room rates - guaranteed) or through travel sites such as Expedia. Prices are clearly date/availablity dependant so I've not quoted any here to avoid confusion. Check on-line and find yourself a bargain...

The National Hotel
1677 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Main Hotel Telephone: 305-532-2311
Reservations: 800-327-8370
Main Hotel Fax: 305-534-1426

www.nationalhotel.com

Overall, I loved this luxurious and relaxed hotel, and it would be at the top of my list for any return visit to Miami's South Beach area.

I hope this helps...