Holiday Inn Express Miami Airport Blue Lagoon Area, an IHG Hotel — Hotel in Miami Springs

Let’s start by saying that the hotel offered a very clean and comfortable room which was quiet and reasonably well appointed.||So with this favourable review of the accommodation in mind why have I rated this as a terrible stay? Well, largely because of the absolutely dreadful guest service I experienced from a team of people working there who seem most unsuited to any kind of hospitality job.||Whilst the check in experience was passable (if a little difficult given the poor command of spoken English demonstrated by the reception team in general), my experience at breakfast the following morning was nothing short of atrocious. This was probably not helped by the receptionist incorrectly telling me (and other arriving guests,too) that breakfast was served until 10 when, in fact, I later noticed a sign on the wall starting it would be served until just 9am, which, in itself, seems a ridiculously early finish time.||Armed with the correct information about breakfast, I arrived in the lobby / breakfast area about 40 minutes before the advertised closing time to find empty fruit bowls, no breads, yoghurts or juices available. The place was packed, with no available tables. More and more guests were arriving and the scramble for the remaining scraps of food intensified. There was one female team member on duty who again spoke little / no English. When I asked her if she could replenish the displays she said ‘We close soon!’ and she carried on clearing tables despite there being 20 or so guests roaming around the breakfast buffet counters looking for food.||I escalated the matter with the receptionist on duty and, after an exchange in Spanish between her and the unhelpful breakfast host, a few, pitiful, almost frozen bagels and a bowl of bananas were then brought out from the kitchen in an attempt to feed the masses.||The selection and quality of the items was very poor and disappointing, and so after my meagre breakfast, I asked for the opportunity to speak with a manager. I was introduced to a middle-aged hispanic gentleman who wore glasses and I was later told was called Dean. His level of concern about my experience was negligible and bordering on indifferent. He told me he would speak with the breakfast staff and let them know they should replenish the buffet until closing time in future. When I asked what he intended about my own inadequate experience that day, he said ‘I can do nothing for you!’. When I pointed out that a day earlier I had been welcomed (somewhat robotically) as a loyal IHG Diamond Elite member at check in, he shrugged his shoulders and said ‘So?’. I went on to say I would not be inclined to ever stay here again based on my experience, to which he responded “I say to all my guests, if you are not happy, you don’t have to stay here!”.||On checking out, having previously verified with reception that the hotel’s airport shuttle was operating normally and was running to the published hourly timetable, I waited for over 45 minutes for the shuttle to arrive before being told the shuttle vehicle had developed a fault with one of its tyres and that I’d have to arrange my own transport to the airport terminal! Thankfully, the driver of the shuttle for an adjacent Marriott-owned Springhill Suites property took pity on me and allowed me to hit hitch a ride with him instead. ||The staff at this poorly led IHG hotel would do well to read “The Spirit To Serve; Marriott’s Way”, a book which might give them a few pointers as to why, next time, I’d choose the hotel next door over their own. After all, as Dean said, I don’t have to stay there - and...

Firstly, let me be clear that I had no issues with the room itself at this hotel which was clean and comfortable. However in terms of everything else this was poorest service experience I think I’ve ever had at an IHG property.

The problems started when I (and it would seem some other guests) were erroneously informed at check in that breakfast was served until 10am. Actually, it’s only served until 9am which I discovered from a sign in the lobby later on the evening of my arrival.

The following morning I arrived for breakfast about 40 minutes before closing time to find very little food available.There was no fruit, no yoghurts, one single slice of bread and only a small amount of one type of fruit juice. When I asked for these items to be replenished the only team member on duty initially told me “We close soon!” but eventually capitulated and brought out some virtually frozen bagels and a bowl of bananas. As more and more guests arrived in the last few minutes of service, some clearly thinking they had over an hour left to enjoy breakfast, the scramble for what little food was left was a deeply unpleasant and a stressful start to the day.

When I attempted to speak to a manager about what had happened, he was somewhat defensive, saying the property could not always predict demand levels but that he’d remind his staff to replenish the buffet in future. When I politely highlighted that this didn’t help me as a customer and asked what could be done to make up for my meagre and substandard breakfast, he said he could do nothing to put right my experience and my disappointment. Shockingly, despite having been welcomed at the property as Diamond Elite member, I was told “I always say to any unhappy guest, you don’t have to stay again here if you don’t want to!”

Had I known beforehand my choice to stay at this hotel would be have so disrespectfully and openly acknowledged as clearly unimportant to the property’s leadership team, I would simply not have stayed here. The least I expect from anyone working in hospitality is that they are hospitable. There was not a shred of this quality evident in my interactions with the staff here, but perhaps this was not surprising given the deplorable ‘take it or leave it’ attitude of...

Stayed here one night on the way back from a cruise last year (2024) shortly after they'd finished a lot of renovations. Our entire group was impressed with the staff's friendliness and willingness to help. This year we returned with a group of 21 of us for two nights before and 1 night after a cruise. The staff is still fantastic! The rooms are mini suites with a bathroom, lounge area with a TV, couch, desk, mini fridge and microwave, and a bedroom area with a second TV and spacious closet. The beds and pillows were incredibly comfortable! I had some of the best sleep I'd had in a while. We were in room 620 and 420, both by the laundry chute. I was worried about that being an issue, but it never was. Breakfast is available every day and has a good selection of standard options. There is coffee and tea available 24 hours in the lobby, and they keep it pretty well stocked. The outdoor pool and gym were nice, as well. The lobby is huge, with lots of tables, chairs, couches, etc. A few of the tables have charging ports built in. It's common to see people waiting to check in or for flights or cruises. There's a little shop with somw drinks, snacks, and personal care items. They offer a shuttle for free to and from the airport and anywhere within 3 miles of the hotel. They no longer offer a free shuttle to the cruise port. Instead there is a paid one that they "book" for $18 per person. One of the drivers was the man working at the front desk. This worked fine getting to the port, but coming back after our cruise they canceled on us after confirming via text saying we were all set, necessitating flagging down multiple taxis and ride shares. Your mileage may vary, just make sure you have a back up plan if you book the cruise port shuttle. Other than that, our stay was fantastic, with reasonable prices, nice rooms, comfy beds, and a convenient location for travel. I would...