“Kick back for the city/ sea tour?”
I have to tell you the majority of the staff was extremely helpful. The wait staff and the front desk was terrific. The only complaint I have with the hotel was the suggestion of the concierge. He sat down with us and we discussed things to see and do, which was wonderful. However, he strongly recommended a "see Miami city and sea tour"... it was pretty pricey ($100) and rather bad if I can be completely honest. Both of us felt like maybe it was suggested because the hotel got some sort of kick back, since we had to pay half of the cost at the hotel first. We've been on many "city/ sea" tours on our travels (and living in Seattle) so we are pretty aware of quality... this was WAY overpriced for what it was. $20-25 a person would be more appropriate... and the hotel should give a heads up if it is the only tour in town and the quality is not good. I don't know if the concierge had never been on the tour or if the suggestion was simply for a kick back... but either way, it did hurt our opinion of our hotel experience... simply because the tour was really pretty awful and we felt scammed paying as much as we did for it.
Area recommendations
Going to see Millionaires Row was well worth it. The mansions were huge and it's always fun to see what architecture different celebrities choose for their homes. South Beach was fun for an evening, just to walk the stores and have dinner. I HIGHLY recommend Lario's cuban restaurant on South Beach's strip... the food was delicious and the atmosphere was delightful.
Getting around
We really wanted to spend most of our time in South Beach, so if that's your plan, I would suggest staying in a hotel on the South Beach strip. The cab rides back and forth to the hotel weren't too bad, but an added expense you don't really need. The bus system is pretty good... BUT REMEMBER IF YOU ARE AT A BUS STOP TO RAISE YOUR HAND WHEN YOUR BUS COMES, OTHERWISE THEY WILL NOT STOP! We got a lecture from one of the drivers. That was a local "obvious" thing, we out- of- towners didn't know anything about.
Comment from the hotel's management
Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know about your stay at the
Hilton Miami Downtown. Our convenient location to the Port of Miami makes
it very convenient for us to assist our guests in scheduling tours of the
city, and prepayment ensures your reservation. We are disappointed to learn
that the service you received while on your tour was not what is come to be
expected from most Miami city tours. We will certainly take your comments
into consideration when it comes to our recommendation in the future.
Hotel Management, General Manager
Posted 19 Oct 2011
