Residence Inn by Marriott Miami Sunny Isles Beach — Hotel in Sunny Isles Beach

We had some good aspects of our stay as well as some negative but, overall, we really enjoyed our 7-night stay here. The location is great as far as what we heard the South Beach area is like. We wanted something a little more calm & family-friendly & Sunny Isles Beach seemed to be just that.

The beach was riddled w/ seaweed & the sand was, too, so that wasn't too enjoyable. But the ocean water was so warm & enjoyable once you got passed the seaweed. The hotel is easily within walking distance of the beach. Their "shuttle" (large golf cart) that takes you to the beach just takes you a couple blocks over but still on the west side of Collins Avenue. You still have to cross Collins to get to the beach access. They take you to where the beach access is which has the umbrella/chair rentals (2 chairs included every day w/ your stay as part of the amenity fee). We really enjoyed the 2 drinks a day part of the amenity fee. While we know we are technically paying for it, it was kind of nice to be "forced" to go get some drinks & spend some more time at the rooftop pool. For non-drinkers, you can get smoothies as well which were delicious.

The rooftop pool was probably the best part. There's nothing particularly special about the pool itself. It's a nice pool, certainly, but what gets you is the partial ocean view and just being high up (the pool is on the 9th floor). We spent one day at the beach but nearly every other day at the pool &, surprisingly, it was never busy or crowded. The pool sign had information about it being heated & it was heated the first time we went to it. However, the rest of the days it felt very cold. That was one of the disappointing things about our stay. We asked multiple days about the pool heater being turned on & the front desk said they would get someone to make sure it was heated but it never was. On our last day at the pool, we finally spoke to the maintenance person who was outside by the pool & he said the temp outside wasn't cold enough for them to turn the heater on. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for a spa temp, but the first day when it was heated it felt great & still refreshing. Heated pools still offer a refreshing feeling during the summer & are not really that warm. Our kids have never cared about cold water & even they complained about the pool being cold the last few days. Nevertheless, we had a great time at the pool. The staff at the front desk and the valet were all very friendly.

One of the biggest negatives of our stay, in part because we stayed for so long, was breakfast. It was decent but it was the same every single day. The only thing that changed was what kind of sausage they had. It was eggs, pancakes, sausage (never any bacon), bagels, yogurt, fruits, assortment of cereals, oatmeal, & some other pastries and danishes. After the 3rd day, we were done with the breakfast. We took our kids up every day because they loved the chocolate chips on their pancakes but we ended up eating other breakfast the rest of our stay. The fact that there was no bacon was a little mind-blowing for some reason. There was an empty food heater/container w/ the main food but it was empty every single day. Not sure why.

As far as food, there is no shortage of good restaurants in South FL. We got a lot of Cuban food during our stay. If you are looking to try some good Cuban food nearby, El Tropico Cuban Cuisine is 0.5 miles down the road & is a 10 min walk from the hotel. We ate from there at least 4 or 5 times during our stay.

We stayed in 2 separate rooms & neither had carpet which was pretty annoying b/c of the sand we brought in. I'm not sure the reasoning behind it but we really missed the traditional hotel carpet. One other thing we wish our rooms would have had was a table. They technically don't allow outside food at the pool & their restaurant so it would have been nice to have an actual table to eat at. There was somewhat of a desk but it wasn't what we're used to.

Overall, our stay was very enjoyable & we would likely stay here again if we returned to Sunny...

I had an unexpected death in the family and booked a flight and hotel package through priceline it was pre-paid. However, I checked into the Rensidence Inn on the 29th of August. Hela was the front desk associate that checked me in. I told Hela this was a third party reservation and it was pre-paid. Hela stated I need to pay an additional $525 outstanding balance not including incidentals. I told Hela to check again the only fees I owe are incidentals. Hela looks at my reservation again looking puzzled and stated I need to pay $371 for incidentals. I swiped my card and the funds were taken out immediately. Hela stated I need to swipe my card again because she didn't see where the charge went through. I swiped my card again than I paused to check my account. The $371 was taken out the first time I showed Hela where the charge was processed. She continued to give me my room key and I thought everything was fine. On September 1st I'm at the front desk and Hela is working. She proceeded to check me out and stated to me that I owed $225 for incidentals. I was baffled and wanted to know where did the $371 that was taken out for incidentals on the 29th applied to. Hela stated she didn't see the charge after I showed her the charge was processed. I asked to speak to a manager about the situation clearly this was an training issue on Hela dealing with third party reservation. Kevin ( manager) came out and tried to help Hela however, Kevin stated that he couldn't see the $371 that was taken out on August 29th. I showed Kevin (manager) where the funds were processed and he stated he didn't see it and for me to enter my card again. Kevin assured me that he will not run my card again he just wanted to see if the card match. However, instead of Kevin trying to research and find out where did my $371 for incidentals went on the 29th of August. He decided to run my card several times for additional funds. I called Bank of America today on September 2nd and they assured me that the funds were taken out of my account and the Rensidence Inn still has the $371 on hold. I called the Rensidence Inn around 1pm I asked to speak to the manager. However, I got the run around and I knew no one was really trying to get to the root cause they were just running my card on file over and over. I decided to called Marriott corporate office to explain my situation and report this privately owned Marriott hotel. After, a couple hours I received a call from Kevin ( manager) stating that they see $371 and I'll be getting back my incidentals. Overall, this entire front desk experience checking in and checking out was very unpleasant the lack of customer service and getting to the root cause of a situation was nonexistent. I think Hela and Kevin needs more training on their computer system dealing with pre-paid third party reservation. Also they need humility, sensitivity, and customer service training this hotel front desk staff could be excellent. Kevin never apologized for this ordeal that could've been avoided if he had more training. I'll never stay there again only corporate Marriott...

We travel year-round for work and have stayed in many Residence Inns. This one falls somewhere in the middle—not the best, but not the worst.

The hotel has an ocean view, though it’s partially obstructed by buildings along the beach.

The male bartender was fantastic, going above and beyond with friendly service. The “Cocktail of the Night” became a fun highlight, allowing me to try new drinks.

Most of the staff were great, with one exception—a night staff member who wasn’t particularly pleasant. Housekeeping was generally good, though they missed a few minor details.

The hotel has a smoking area on Collins Deck (4th floor) but lacks an ocean view.

Disappointingly, they don’t offer flavored creamer for coffee—something we’ve found at every other hotel, even the LaQuinta. They do have milk, oat milk, half-and-half, and sugar. The breakfast wasn’t appealing; I skipped it, but my husband tried it and wasn’t impressed.

The rooms are quiet with floor-to-ceiling windows, a kitchenette with a large fridge, dishwasher, two-burner stove, and basic cookware. My side of the bed was comfortable, but my husband’s side had a dip, as if the box spring was broken or the mattress was worn. The room layout is basic—nightstands, a desk, and a couple of small swivel chairs that have left scratches on the floor because they do not have wheels.

It’s valet-only parking, with rates decreasing the longer you stay. They didn’t valet our work vehicle due to its size, which was a relief since the valet drivers are rather aggressive while handling the vehicles. We still had to pay the Valet fees. The team is super friendly, but I’m glad they’re not handling our vehicle.

The hotel is pet-friendly, and there’s a resort fee that includes two free “Cocktail of the Night” drinks, two beach chairs with towels, and a ride to the beach. There’s also supposed to be bottled water, though we never received it. The website says $30/day food and drink credit but that’s not actually true. The drinks were the only part of the package we used; regular cocktails cost around $14.

We ate at the hotel restaurant once, which is a shared space with the bar and breakfast area. It was okay but not worth the price. There are plenty of better dining options nearby.

We never went in the rooftop pool but it’s sparkling clean and looks inviting.

One downside was the lack of a casual seating area for eating or playing games. When I took a pizza to the breakfast sitting area, the female bartender rudely redirected me to Collins Deck on the 4th floor, despite the windy and rainy weather. So, our choices were eating in the room or outside in the terrible climate.

When we check out tomorrow, we’ll have reached Ambassador Elite status—100 or more nights this year. Yet, there’s nothing about this place that screams “elite.”

Overall, the experience was mixed—there’s room for improvement.

• Depending on how long you plan to stay and how much time you’ll actually spend in your room, I’d recommend going for something cheaper that’s actually on the beach and saving your money for trying out new...