Fontainebleau Miami Beach Private Suites — Hotel in Miami Beach

I'm writing this review as a warning to those who are considering renting a suite at the Residences via Airbnb and NOT through the hotel. The Private Residences management company based in NYC that manages units in this building via Airbnb essentially STOLE $2,807.54 from me. I'm shocked and alarmed at how little protection the paying customer has in the arrangement. Airbnb is essentially indifferent to the theft. And Fontainebleau management themselves has very little authority in the situation.

Had I known we had so little protection as a paying customer I never would have gone through Airbnb.

My wife and her girlfriends rented a two bedroom suite for 3 nights at the Residences via airbnb for a weekend getaway. It was our first time using the service and it seemed like a good deal. On Friday October 11th they checked into the room and found it to be dirty and in disrepair. Attached are photos. The deal-breaker issues were mold on the fridge and shower (one guest had allergies) and the poorly patched fist-sized holes in the walls (another guest was a survivor of domestic violence) There were also stains on the curtains, splatters on the walls around the toilet, scattered sticky spots, hair and clothing tags on the floor, etc. Very grimy vibe. They felt extremely uncomfortable and immediately notified airbnb and the front desk at the hotel. The Host did offer another room to stay in, but they were exhausted & disheartened with the airbnb experience so they opted to cancel the room and purchase 2 new rooms directly from the Fontainebleau hotel. And then things got sketchy.

The Host refused to check them out of the suite or let them cancel the reservation, and then went dark. The next day, the Host texted novels of excuses and accusations, how unreasonable they were being for not wanting to stay in the Suite. The case was escalated within airbnb, but the Host was unresponsive. Finally on Sunday my wife sat down with a manager at Fontainebleau owner services who was very kind, and she checked them out of the suite. The manager said there was nothing else the Hotel could do, but we did get a printout from housekeeping documenting that the room was never used.

When the trip ended on Monday, October 14th we followed up on the case with airbnb and were told that....... You can't get a full refund because you never checked out of the room. The Host doesn't have to check you out early if they don't want to, even if you ask them to do it. The Host also doesn't have to answer you if they don't feel like it. The maximum refund you can get is 10% for the cleaning fee and a $300 courtesy credit. It's at the Host's discretion if you get a refund or not. If the Host says no, Airbnb is powerless to do anything. Airbnb takes no responsibility and won't cover your loses. Even though airbnb acknowledges the room was dirty and in disrepair, it wasn't dirty ENOUGH to qualify for any further action.

The first airbnb rep I spoke with issued an ultimatum, that if I didn't take the partial credit by the end of her shift she was logging out of her terminal and closing our case, and I would get nothing.

Finally after 3 weeks of back-and-forth with airbnb we were able to get a little under $1,000 back, but still lost over $1,800 for a suite no-one stayed in. I've never had so much taken from me in exchange for nothing. Please think twice before using airbnb (or any 3rd party site for that matter) when booking your vacation. You have no protection as a consumer. And if you don't like what you're being given they will just keep your...

Horrible experience right from the beginning. While me & my husband were checking in, someone that handled my luggage from arriving to the hotel to get it taken to my room. Ransacked my luggage and stole my jewelry bag. They made me go through what happened several times, write a a statement and the said they would reach out to me. I had one missed phone call and no left vm. I called back and asked what happened and they stated the case was closed. Super ghetto if you ask me. For how much you pay you would think your belongings would be safe and secure. But instead I felt violated and disgusted. The hotel rooms are outdated, dirty & dusty. I can tell this is a norm for them. I’ve traveled to many luxury places and this place definitely not what it’s put out to be. Save your money &...

I travel for a living and advise my clients where to hold their meetings. I’ve been here for three days.

I went down to the lobby tonight to get some dinner.

There was nobody waiting in line at front desk for the entire time I’ve been here.

So I stopped and asked one of the receptionists if I could schedule my room to be cleaned in the morning.

She told me no that was not possible. She said I had to call to request my room be clean only on the day of my request.

When you call to request that your room is clean you’re typically on hold for 10 to 20 minutes. I assume they do this in order to dissuade you from getting your room cleaned so that they don’t have to pay housekeepers.

Meanwhile, I have tipped every day for every...