FONTAINEBLEAU MIAMI BEACH

Famous old school hotel with a great bar and pool area. Easy access to beach. It needs renovation and investment in remodeling lobby, horrible elevators. Liv is in lobby which is cool. Very expensive food and drinks, bring your platinum card. Lots of good looking people walking around.

Such a disappointment.

Poor location. To give future tourists a suggestion, the most tourist place in Miami is south beach's ocean drive. This hotel is 1hr walk from there. Like many others have said, there is no restaurants or convenience stores within walking range. You are restricted to the hotel's overpriced options.

Poor staff and room. Keep in mind this is a 5 star hotel. Upon check-in we were not given info like when is checkout time, what facilities the hotel has. We thought it's in the room, no it's not anywhere. We were told we only need wrist bands on weekends, but turns out wee need them all the time. Otherwise the guards treat you like a thief. Please is a word that don't exist in their world. I've never heard it during my stay. We asked the girl next to the pool about how to getting to the restaurant la cote and she told us just show our room card to the guards since we are just going through the pool area. We walked 3 ft and told the guard the same thing, and he, with a sunglass and cold face, said: "Get a wrist band there. Doesn't matter." It seems we were just given a lot of contradictory information and no one knows how things work there.
There is no coffee machine in the room, no water station on any floor, no free water, no bathrobes. Mini bar menu barcode is broken link. Mini ar has no price. In room dinning has no menu and doesn't deliver for restaurants in the hotel.
Last but not least, window is so dirty and everything we see through it is gray. Couldn't even get a good picture.

Uncomfortable atmosphere. I don't know how others feel, but there are constantly groups of people wearing suits, gowns, for the bar and even conferences around me in the hotel lobby while I'm wearing swimsuits. This just kills the vibe for me. Feels like I'm at the wrong place.

Deceptive room types. In other places, Oceanview faces the ocean, and partial ocean view and city view are self explanatory. In here, ocean front is what faces the ocean and ocean view is partial ocean view.

Beautiful location and property. The regular rooms are so so and super expensive. To say you stayed at this iconic hotel is definitely worth something. The ocean and pools are beautiful

Day1 - Saturday
1. We arrived Easter weekend 2 elevator were out and we could not get to our room, a huge issue as my husband gets claustrophobic in crowded elevators.
2. It's hard to get loungers - first come first serve but staff are great at assisting you - be proactive and connect with staff strength away.
3. Safety & Maintenance - The handle in the jacuzzi pool was broken and a huge liability. I reported it after hitting my toe. I reported it as kids and adults were struggling to get in and out the pool.
4. Outdoor dining area is great but closes at 6pm sharp. Note all restaurants include 20%tips (drinks are more expensive than new York bars ????)
5. You have to pay for the beach umbrellas $26????

So far the experience has been ok but it’s too early to say.

Day 2 - Sunday

1. Make the post of the pool and the beach!

2. Security needs to be better in the evening and at night!

Day 4

The banana ride is fun and the staff that manage that area were great and ran a smooth operation. Spots fill quick - turn up at 11am to reserve your spot.

Day 5

Unfortunately, when relaxing by the pool area just before the end of the evening with my family at 9:30 a group of young men wondered around the pool area and one was high as a kite followed by a group of other young men with one filming and the other shouting crude insults as he tried to engage. There was one security person on duty by the pool area and we mentioned the suspicious group. We heard one person peeing on the footbridge before entering back into the hotel and we’re a fraid to walking back into the hotel through the normal entrance. we asked the Italian restaurant to let us in through the lower level doors so we could avoid them. And I was surprised security did not escort them to their room or out the hotel. It's surprising because there is so much security during the day. There was less visibility which is concerning. I reported the incident to security in the bar area in the main lobby. What bothers me is that there are kids and teens walking around in the evening thinking it’s safe which it really wasn’t this evening.

Final day - lounger issues again it’s Wed. Final day full day of vacation and Angle’ is the lounge attendant walked over to the loungers we held and told us to move away awful obnoxious, unprofessional and cold. I asked to speak to the supervisor Gabel who had a professional approach. We ended up in Raul section by the Jacuzzi.

It’s a stressful lottery game with the loungers and most of the seating does not face the pool unless you’re vip.

Our experience has been mixed and I’m not sure I would recommend this hotel.

I am writing this in such gratitude! My partner and I originally booked to stay here but our first night we bee lined straight out of this over priced dumpster to the Ritz south beach (AMAZING). The room was dirty, the bed felt like a cinder block with a diaper on. The bed board had questionable stains and the TV was mounted on the side which could cause severe neck trauma. If you are young like 20, blacked out and on drugs then you probably won’t mind staying here. If you are a little older and care about your sanity and health then don’t. Let the odds forever be in your favor which ever you choose.