W Hotel Miami, Florida (COVID EDITION)

After my initial booking was cancelled by W South Beach, I decided to book W Miami instead. This was the conclusion of my 2020 Miami Hotel Fest. You can check out my stay at The St. Regis Bal Harbour and the old, but gold, Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne. Having just checked out of JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Hotel & Resorts, a family-friendly hotel popularly known for its’ famous Waterpark and 18-hole golf course, I was excited to end my Miami trip in the Brickell area which is known for its’ many rooftop restaurants and bars.

BOOKING:

Although I have stash of Marriott Bonvoy points to churn but knowing when to rather pay cash for lower rates bookings pays a huge role when it comes to points redemptions and value for your hard-earned points. Seeing that the cash rate was $192 per night, I instead decided to pay cash rather than using 50,000 points per night to book this Category 6 hotel. Although I didn’t have that much need for a suite upgrade, I decided to use some of my Suites Night Awardsregardless. 

With my Titanium Elite status and by paying with my Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card, I earned 23.5 points per dollar. This is in addition to the extra 1,000 points as a Welcome Gift since the hotel was not providing breakfast during my visit due to COVID-19.

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CHECK IN:

I arrived at the hotel around 1:30pm Eastern Time, and while the hotel looked quite busy from outside, the cozy hotel lobby was very quiet. The residents of the luxury ICON Brickell condominium next door which shares the same amenities (rooftop pool and gym) with the hotel were trooping in and out.

Suite Night Award was approved 5-days out and I was upgraded to a Marvelous Suite, 1 King, Sofa bed, Bathrooms: 1.5. And while the 9^th floor has that usual W Hotels feel, the Marvelous Suite wasn’t that impressive in my opinion.

Some of the room features looked dated and seemed to have seen better days, and I felt like the room wasn’t clean enough especially with the “Commitment to Clean” that Marriott boasts of during this global pandemic.

One of the best parts of the Marvelous Suite was the bedroom which featured a king size bed, floor-to-ceiling windows, an old and not big enough TV, a work desk, and an ample chair with futon.

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The main bathroom featured a double-vanity sink, a lighted makeup mirror, a deep-soaking bathtub, a separate walk-in shower, and the famous W Hotels MOMO by Davines, Bliss, and Skin Regimen bath products. 

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to access the famous W Miami Wet Deck (rooftop pool) due to Tropical Storm Isaias, but the views of Brickell / Biscayne Bay did make up for that.

Related: The St. Regis Atlanta

IN CONCLUSION:

As mentioned earlier, the hotel did not offer complimentary breakfast for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elites and higher, but instead offered the standard $10 food & beverage or 1000 points as a Welcome Gift. But the Panther Coffee at the lobby was open for grab and go only. And if you’re parking a car at the hotel, valet parking fee is $42 while self-parking fee is $34 per night.

It’s worth mentioning that the hotel is doing a great job by providing hand sanitizers in public areas and taking specific measures as far as Covid-19 is concerned. Remember, masks are required, and social distancing is enforced.

Bottomline is, this is not one of the hotels I could say I’d love to revisit. While the rate was reasonable enough, I don’t think this hotel delivered that experience that we know W Hotels for.