The Alexander Ocean Front Resort

Trying to be constructive here this may be a little long wish we’d read more reviews…we stayed in 1506 and wish we hadn’t. • General supplies in kitchen- cooking supplies were VERY sparse even after we asked for and received a cutting board, metal pan for cooking in oven, a spatula and a pot holder. Got one tiny silicone one. Those came very quickly from sending a message through Airbnb - but there were no dish towels or dish rack - how to dry dishes other than w the one paper-towel roll…? The markings on the stove that would tell you which burner you’re turning on and the temperates were gone. Very unsafe. • We had an unfortunate incident that led to one of our travelers having to be transported to the E/R in the middle of the night for a bad stomach bug. She got some treatment and ended being fine but we needed to clean up the mess in the room. We asked repeatedly for a mop and cleaning supplies - started by asking at desk at 4am, at desk at 9:30am and cleaning folks in hallx2. We were willing to pay. we pushed further at 4pm. The solution was to give us a broom and dustpan that looked to be 30 years old. Hello? Can’t clean vomit w a broom. We had some language issues at time - After going to front desk and in nearly in tears - pushing further & we were able to get some disinfectant spray but was told we could only use it for 20 minutes and then it would need to be picked up. • Other issues o WiFi in room w twin beds doesn't work. One of the twin beds was very loud. King bed very noisy - springs? No hand soap in bathrooms - which is key during flu/stomach bug season. o Bath towels- had to bring dirty towels down to front desk and then they’d give us clean but we didn’t get as many as we brought down. Luckily we were headed home the next day. no toilet paper holders in the bathrooms which is a bit gross. o Condition of unit - not sure when the pictures were taken for the air bnb post but they omit the bubbling paint in both bathrooms and spotty finishes, couch has some stains and they were both very uncomfortable, bathroom grout was attrocious. bathroom shower tub wasn’t installed properly and causing the bottom to flex considerably which caused users to slip. Other units appeared to be decorated differently. o Air bnb post also failed to mention construction would be happening directly across from the balcony. Given the price we paid for the room our expectations were a lot higher.

I booked and paid for a two BR suite for a week before seeing all the negative reviews so I was extremely worried. Overall, based on our experience, we felt like this place was satisfactory in meeting our needs and I did NOT think it deserves all the negative reviews that said people should absolutely stay away. Things could be better however. Location: It was convenient to all we wanted to do in Miami, not as crowded as South Beach, only 20 min or so driving time from main tourist sites in downtown Miami. Parking: We rented car but did not use the valet option; to save money we parked at the public parking lot just north of the next door hotel (Imperial hotel). It was a quick walk and plenty of spaces available. Public Parking was only like $1/hr so parking during the required hours (8am-6pm) was only $10 opposed to the $40/day it would have cost us to valet park. No charge for overnight parking, you just have to remember to use PayMobile app on your phone to pay for car at 8am to avoid getting a ticket. We chatted with valet staff despite not using service and they were always helpful and friendly. Hotel lobby and front desk staff: Area was clean, smelled pleasant and interactions with staff were positive. Room: We had a 2-BR suite with full kitchen. The rooms were clean, tastefully furnished and beds extremely comfortable, and I am usually picky with beds. With that said, I wholeheartedly agree with other reviews that say the rooms need some fresh paint and better upkeep (scuffed doors, walls and trim, etc). The quality of repairs and craftsmanship of the place was poor (ie. messy tile caulking and repairs), but not unlike other beach places I have stayed at so it wasn’t so bad that I felt like I couldn’t stay in the unit. The kitchen had the bare necessities, did not have all the kitchen needs you would normally find at a timeshare (no knives, no kitchen towel, no measuring cup or strainer, etc) so it would have been problematic if we actually planned to cook full meals. The coffee makers should be standard coffee maker or keurig, not weird espresso machine that spits out an ounce of liquid. Coffee in lobby is outrageous expensive, paid $18 for a small latte and two black coffees. Pool/beach area: Nice and clean. Use of 2 beach chairs included with our stay; this applies to specific rooms only. We did find it a bit ridiculous that they would not let us bring any food or drink out to the pool area or beach. It wasn’t like we were bringing a cooler, but it would’ve been nice to have our own water bottles and a snack or two. Overall, if you are on a budget I would recommend this place since it is not as expensive as other nearby locations. You just have to manage your expectations- this is not a 4 or 5-star hotel. I would book directly with hotel inatead of AirBNB because it appears that your amenities differ from people who book indirectly. I would stay here again.

Horrific customer service at the front desk. Had an issue with our VRBO booking synching up and The Alexander completely wiped their hands of helping resolve it. If they don’t want to deal with VRBO issues, they shouldn’t be working with them as a 3rd party. Management refused to even come out and talk to us. Definitely would never stay here with this type of service.