Grand Beach Hotel: Miami Beach, FL

On a recent stay in Miami Beach, we checked into the Grand Beach Hotel, choosing a Double Ocean Front Suite. At first glance, the promise of a balcony overlooking the turquoise Atlantic—with a small table and two chairs for morning coffee or evening cocktails—seemed like the perfect beachfront escape.

The room itself was spacious and served its purpose for a girl’s getaway, but once we settled in, the illusion of luxury quickly faded. While the hotel markets itself as an upscale destination, what we experienced was more in line with an older spring break hotel given a fresh coat of paint and some cheaper furniture upgrades to photograph well.

A musty odor lingered throughout our stay, and small frustrations added up: the sofa bed was nearly impossible to sleep on, the armoire placement required crawling across the bed just to open the doors, and the “mini kitchen” appliances didn’t work properly. The fridge leaked and buzzed nonstop, despite staff being notified.

Service and amenities left much to be desired as well. Towels were rationed, which is an odd complaint to have at a beach hotel, three women requesting two towels each should not be an issue. The pool area felt run down, undersized, and frankly too dirty for us to even consider using. The beach itself was beautiful, as Miami Beach usually is, but the chairs were jammed together so tightly that privacy was nonexistent. A beach butler offered food and drink service, but waits were long, and the staff seemed more inconvenienced than accommodating.

In short, this hotel is not true Miami luxury. If you’re seeking upscale accommodations, world-class service, and refined touches, you’ll want to look at the nearby competition, which radiates the luxury vibes this property lacked. If you’re after a more affordable beachfront option with some nice touches and don’t mind sacrificing on luxury, the Grand Beach Hotel could work.

The best thing about this room/hotel was this view

Pros

• Spacious room with balcony and ocean views

• Beach access with butler service for food and drinks

• Convenient Miami Beach location

Cons

• Musty smell throughout the stay

• Cheap-feeling “upgrades” covering older infrastructure

• Sofa bed extremely uncomfortable

• Poor furniture placement making storage inaccessible

• Mini kitchen appliances non-functional; fridge leaked constantly

• Towels rationed despite simple requests

• Run-down, small, and dirty pool

• Overcrowded beach chairs with no privacy

• Slow and disengaged service from staff

Overall Rating: 3+/5

The Grand Beach Hotel in Miami Beach is better suited for those looking for affordability with some perks rather than true beachfront luxury. For us, once we saw the competition nearby glowing with high-end charm, it was clear this isn’t a property we’ll return to.