Hotel Ocean View 1 (Miami Beach, USA)

The hotel has a good and heated indoor pool which you are able to use.

Facilities are nearby plus, of course, you can use those provided by the hotel. The latter includes valet parking. It’s an easy walk to the beach and there’s a handy 7-Eleven store in front of the hotel building.

They are a bit limited as to the practical assistance that they can offer - because you are not a hotel guest. Staff members are though, friendly and as helpful as they can be under the circumstances.

The accommodation is surprisingly and disappointingly small. It’s also really quite shabby and doesn’t represent best value for money. Everything is old; furniture kitchen equipment … everything. There’s mold in the bathroom. It has to be stressed that apartments are individually owned, so standards may vary greatly.

Beds are old, falling apart, full of uncomfortable bumps and noisy. Sleeping is very difficult. Bed linen is clean, but that’s a charitable comment. It’s also old and discoloured. Lack of maintenance is an issue; a fact that is illuminated by the number of missing light bulbs. Cleaning is an issue. It’s not all bad here, but there aren’t enough good features to encourage you to venture back.

Housekeeping isn’t provided. It’s a DIY situation. There is a laundry room, but that comes with an additional cost. Plus, the time you spend in there detracts from the holiday. Because the apartment is privately owned, the hotel’s reception staff can only refer you to the owner in the event of a problem.