My wife and I stayed here on the night of January 28, 2012 while we were in town for the Jimmy Buffett show at the American Airlines Arena.
There are plenty of other hotels that are closer to the arena, and for the most part, all of those hotels are either run down, or cost a fortune. If you only care about distance, this hotel is not for you. However, if you are like my wife and I, and want to stay at a quality hotel for a decent price, or if you want to be close to the airport, then this hotel is for you. At the time I booked this room, this hotel was rated by Tripadvisor as the #9 hotel in Miami! It is rated that high for a reason, this was an excellent hotel.
We arrived promptly at 3pm (check in time), and I was greeted by two wonderful girls that were working the front desk. Both were very friendly and professional. They were both very engaging, asking the reason for our trip. When I advised that we were going to a concert, they informed me of another concert, the "Chili Cook-off" that was in the area the next night.
Being in Miami, which is a very cosmopolitan city with a large Hispanic population, both girls spoke both English and Spanish (I heard them on the phones with customers when I first came in the lobby). This is very helpful for any travelers which prefer to communicate in Spanish. My special room requests (High floor) were granted. The facility has both a 1st and 2nd floor parking area, each of which are accessed via room key, with a full security gate (I will get to the need for this shortly).
The room was very clean. The only downside was no refrigerator, but the ice machine was close by. Comfortable bed, quiet, was able to get a good nights sleep. Bathroom was nothing special, just a typical hotel bathroom, however it too was very clean and there were enough towels. There was also a very nice, large flat screen television in the room. If you need it, a desk and chair, with free wi-fi.
The hotel is not in the best area, although there is a McDonalds, Walgreens, and a Chevron gas station in walking distance. I would not hesitate to walk around the area myself, however I would not want my wife or children (if I had any) walking in the area alone.
Most people that stay at this hotel probably do it as a convenient point for heading over to the cruise port or if you catch a late/early plane flight.
All in all, this was an excellent hotel, and if we were in the area again, I would likely stay here.
Believe the high ratings this hotel gets! It gets them for a reason!
Room Tip: If you are on the top floor of any hotel, you will never hear people above you unless there is a hel...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
6 February 2012
Dear Jrdavis,
I would very much like to thank you for such a thorough review of your experiences with us at the Hampton Inn Blue Lagoon. I appreciate your positive feedback about the service that you received. Our front desk staff is always willing to help with ideas for activities throughout Miami, as well as with our International guests.
I am glad to see we were able to accomodate your needs and assign you a higher floor room as per your request. Though our standard rooms are not equiped with refrigerators, we do have them in our King Study rooms or our Suites, should you need it in the future. I can also assure you that the surrounding neighborhood is perfectly safe for the entire family. You will find many pedestrians walking around at any hour without a danger.
Once again, thank you for your extensive review and top-notch ratings of our property. We hope to welcome you again soon!
Christian J. Riofrio
General Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
