Aloft Coral Gables — Hotel in Coral Gables

Please avoid this hotel at all cost.

After reading the reviews about this specific location from months ago I was a little hesitant about booking, but being a Marriott guest for over 10 years I trusted their brand and customer service and wanted to give this location the benefit of the doubt because of their convenient location.

I was so wrong. I wish I could give -5 stars.

I immediately regretted my decision after walking in (there goes first impression lol) the two individuals seating at the front desk were too busy talking between them to even bother noticing I walked in. Not a good afternoon, not a welcome, not even a basic hello.

The woman went on to checking her phone continuing to ignore the guest standing there and the guy looked at me up and down and with a emotionless face said “last name” I replied and then silence, he turns around and talks to her in Spanish, then looks at me again with that expression like I’m wasting his time ?

I then say I have an important call and was wondering if there’s any way I can get to my room a little earlier, to which he made another “disgusted” like expression and said no then said he will let me know. Which he did so I guess he does work very hard.

I really thought that was only a bad first impression but then when we got to the hallway of the 4th floor we noticed a weird smell. We continue to our room to shower and head out. That’s when my sister noticed she could here conversations from other rooms.

That’s when I started to worry for my sleep quality, I was only staying for one night and was gonna drive my sister to the airport at 4 am to then come back to the hotel to rest before heading to airport again.

We left to get some food and were back before 11 pm. My sister and I TRIED sleeping but there was music coming from the outside. We went downstairs after an hour of this to find a bar inside the hotel with LOUD live music, we even heard the “owner” was there singing too.

Mind you we didn’t even know about this place, we would have had tried but the front desk didn’t even mention it existed nor mention the possible LOUD music that could be heard on the damn 4th floor.

I even thought about asking for earplugs but was immediately discouraged when I saw the guy at front desk ( different one ) just seating there on his phone without a single care in the world.

Went back upstairs to try sleep, put all 4 pillows over my head to get some peace and rest.

Which we did not get.

We left before 4 am and while we were waiting for the valet we noticed some men seating outside that bar, laughing and talking. Maybe one of them was the “owner”

After driving back from the airport I really thought I was gonna get some sleep before my flight. I was wrong again.

I was woken up less than an hour after by a LOUD slammed door. Then again about an hour after my house keeping cleaning the room next door.

I got my stuff and was READY to check out at 11 am. When I got downstairs the same two individuals that were there for my check in were there to check me out.

Lucky me right?

They were the same as the day before, talking and laughing between them and looking at the guest waiting to be check out like we were bothering and interrupting them.

This time the women assisted me by just asking my room number to which I replied saying “Good morning to you and my room number” I asked for a manager in sight and she replied by saying there was none and she was the supervisor.

Then it clicked. No wonder there’s such a pathetic customer service and experience. Look at who’s running the place … no one. And then look at their employees … if she was the supervisor then no need to waste more of my time or energy.

I have worked in customer service and understand it’s not a great shift or great day everyday but this was the WORST experience I’ve ever had in my life, even worse than hostels.

Please don’t waste your money or sleep here, no matter the cost or convenience.

Thank you to the valet employees who were there ready and present to work with the...

Beautiful building, nicely appointed lobby, even the pool looks stunning. But the experience in the rooms - where it matters, didn't match.||The rooms are on the smaller side, which from a square footage perspective, I didn't have an issue with. They don't feel as small as the size would suggest. Until you try to use the shower. The shower is so poorly designed that you cannot turn it on without getting soaked, unless you remember to move the shower head to point away from you. Totally absurd layout. The water pressure is awful. Prefer bar soap or bring your own things? Plan to put them all on the floor - there are no shelves anywhere in the showers. Oh, and bring your eyeglasses into the shower, as the words "shampoo" etc are very difficult to see among a sea of other words on the bottle if you're in the half of the population that uses glasses.||The room itself was fine, but boy do they need some attention. The wallpaper was peeling from the wall at each seam. The faucet in the sink was not well-connected, so the whole base of it wiggled around and just didn't give a sense of stability at all.||The rooms are decently dark at night, which is a positive, and the beds and pillows are comfortable. Those are the only reasons I didn't go as far as two stars.||Of the two elevators, only one is in service, so at times you have significant waits for it.||The fitness center is pretty poor. It is situated overlooking the pool, but good luck finding it. No indication in the elevator of which floor it is on...it's on 3. But even once you arrive at the 3rd floor, good luck finding it. The 3rd floor looks nearly identical to every other floor with halls of rooms. The door to the fitness center is not glass - it is a normal hotel room door. Then, they don't put a sign on the door. The sign is next to the door, exactly like every other hotel room, except instead of a room number, it says in the same small font "re-charge". Since we're all supposed to inherently know that this means it's a fitness center. You'd think in a multicultural town like Miami, they would know not to use euphemisms like this to tell you where to work out.||Oh, and there's a consistent puddle right outside the pull-in area to the hotel. Not just right after it rains, but for days. A deep puddle, like a couple inches deep. They should seek a resolution to this so walkers don't get swamped in it every time they walk through.||All in all, it's fine. But not at all what was expected based on the pictures. I see why the TA review levels...

⭐⭐ Mixed Feelings — Not For Me||I arrived at the hotel around midnight and unfortunately, the first impression wasn’t great. The overnight front desk clerk seemed a bit “off” — not rude, but definitely not welcoming. The lobby itself had a unique, industrial vibe — kind of like a warehouse with some decorative touches. There's a snack station, but I didn’t use it.||||Valet parking is $35 per night with in-and-out privileges. The parking staff were attentive, though I had some communication issues with a few of them. Thankfully, I speak Spanish, which helped a lot.||||My room was on the 6th floor, and stepping out of the elevator I was immediately hit by a very bold fuchsia color scheme — including the carpet, which reminded me of an 80s-style hotel. Not really my taste.||||Room 619 itself was decent — spacious enough and modern, especially the bathroom layout. The sink is right at the entrance with no bathroom door (which I didn’t mind), though the toilet does have a door for privacy. However, I noticed a lack of basic amenities: just one soap, a small body lotion, and standard shampoo/conditioner. Towels were clean and fresh, but the shower had very weak water pressure.||||Lighting in the room was a big issue. Despite turning on all the lights (two bedside lamps and one desk lamp), the room remained quite dark. On the upside, the bed linens smelled fresh, and the pillows were excellent — soft, comfortable, and not too firm.||I didn’t use the bar, restaurant, or pool, so I can’t speak to those.||||Now for the most unforgettable part: around 4:00am, I was abruptly woken up by my neighbor having what I can only describe as the night of their life. The "concert" lasted a full hour — complete with surround-sound moaning and pounding. She was screaming on top of her lungs. Just when I thought it was over, a baby started crying somewhere nearby — from another guest whose sleep was also ruined. Either way, the walls are paper-thin, and the lack of soundproofing is a serious issue.||||My flight was at 11:00am Monday, but I was so over the experience that I checked out by 2:00am.||||Overall, while the hotel has some interesting design choices and a few positives, the negatives far outweighed them for me. Between the lack of amenities, poor lighting, weak shower, and noise issues, I can say confidently — this hotel...