If you're planning a trip to Miami and are looking for a relaxing, family friendly hotel with luxurious surroundings and beach front views, we can highly recommend The Palms Hotel and Spa located just steps away from the soft sands of Miami Beach.
Situated in the Mid-Beach area, it's an easy journey to the more lively South Beach, or the towering structures and luxury dwellings of North Beach.
We recently spent 2 wonderful nights at the hotel, and my only regret was that we didn't book to stay longer.
The moment you step into the tranquil setting of the lobby, with its rows of ceiling fans and gorgeous aroma, you're offered a warm welcome, and the top level of service we received when we arrived continued throughout our stay with everyone we encountered. We loved the surroundings, the choice of restaurants and bars, and of course, the hotel's proximity to the beach.
Facilities:
Whether you're seeking complete Spa relaxation and early morning yoga on the beach, or the perfect surroundings in which to enjoy some family pool time, and a dip in the sea, there's something for everyone at The Palms Hotel & Spa.
Pool
The pool area boasts a standard pool ringed by a number of sunbeds and parasols, with palms trees and plants providing an element of tranquility, as well as some welcome shade.
For an extra cost, you can hire one of the cabanas located behind the main section of sunbeds, which include a couple of more luxurious loungers, a 32 inch TV, plus complimentary waters and an ice bucket.
Nearby, the Tiki Bar, a circular thatched roof structure, provides a great focus as well as delicious food and drink. There are a number of adjacent tables, and the extremely attentive and friendly staff will take your orders, as well as keep your sodas constantly topped up if you so wish.
On the menu, you'll discover a wonderful mixture of bar meals, including: sandwiches, wraps, flatbreads, burgers and tacos. Where applicable, these can be made healthier by substituting fries for salads or fruit. We enjoyed the burgers, and especially the Carne Asada Tacos with fruit.
Pool towels are provided from the desk on the path leading to the beach - you'll need your towel card, issued at check-in to receive these. Whilst here, make sure you say hello to the hotel's resident parrots who will reply when they're in a talkative mood.
Beach
During our pool time, it was relatively busy, so you may struggle to secure a few free sunbeds together, and the pool can become quite crowded. However, as you've got the world's biggest pool just outside the hotel gates, and across the famous Miami Beach boardwalk, there's plenty of space for everyone.
Access to the beach is via the automatic gates at the back of the hotel. You'll need your hotel keycard to get back in, so make sure you take this with you.
The area directly across from the hotel is reserved for hotel guests, and identified by the blue umbrellas and lounger cushions. Hotel staff are on hand here to set up more loungers and parasols as required, as well taking food and drink orders from the blue striped beach kiosk, which they will then deliver.
We noticed they'd even set up an area for younger children, including a huge sand mound with buckets and spades. A lovely touch.
Dining
Whether you're looking for a relaxed dining venue or something a little more formal, Palms Hotel & Spa has something to suit every occasion.
Essensia Restaurant
The main restaurant, Essentia, opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as brunch at the weekend. Here you can enjoy a wide selection of meals, many made from locally sourced ingredients. Breakfast is served buffet and al a carte style, and consists of many staple favourites - fruit, cereals, pastries, alongside hot offerings.
The lunch menu at Essensia more or less matches that at the Tiki Bar, whilst dinner provides the opportunity to dine on a number of fish dishes, salads, vegetarian options, plus steak, chicken and pork chops.
You can choose to sit on one of the terraces - either by the pool or covered, or request a table in the inside dining room.
Essentia Lounge
Our personal favourite was the more laid-back setting of Essentia Lounge, where we enjoyed some tasty bar snacks and a couple of pre-bedtime drinks on both nights. The outdoor area boasts cushioned chairs and low tables under a covered terrace, with live bands providing a fabulous atmosphere. There's more seating available indoors, either surrounding the bar, or in an adjacent location at the back of the large lobby.
Again, the menu is similar to that of Tiki Bar, and we enjoyed the chicken wings, carne asada tacos, and guacamole with salsa.
Spa & Gym
Although we didn't use these particular facilities, if you're seeking the ultimate relaxation, there's a full Spa and Salon located in the hotel. Or, if you're feeling a little more energetic, you can also use the well equipped fitness room.
Rooms
There are 4 main room categories. The City View and Oceanfront both have either one King-size bed or two double beds, as well as a table and 2 chairs, ample storage in the wardrobe and large drawer unit, above which is a 49" flat screen television. There's also a coffee machine with complimentary coffee pods, plus a pay mini bar and snacks drawer.
Very handy for when there are 4 of you sharing a room, the bathroom is split. On one side is the large walk in shower and sink unit, with the toilet and a further sink in a separate area. In here, you'll also find bathrobes, slippers and Aveda products for use during your stay.
There are also 9 accessible rooms specially designed to accommodate guests with special needs, plus, larger roomed Suites which all have views of the ocean - some having balconies so you can step outside and breathe in the sea air.
Although the Oceanfront rooms don't have balconies, you can still admire the fabulous view from the comfort of your own room, and I have to say, waking up to this each morning was well worth the extra cost from City View rooms:
Booking
We booked our room through Agoda.com - which is owned by Booking Holdings, the same company who own Booking.com. As is usual with online booking companies, it was all straight forward and we were able to select the 'book now, pay later' option, meaning if we subsequently discovered the price had dropped, we could cancel and re-book at the lower price.
Parking and getting around:
Valet parking is available at the hotel for $42 per night. We personally felt we didn't need a car to fully enjoy our Miami experience, so opted to order an Uber from Miami airport which dropped us directly to the hotel door for just $37 (bearing in mind we required a larger vehicle to fit the luggage too). With the wonderful hotel facilities, you could easily be tempted to stay within the hotel grounds, and enjoy everything it has to offer.
If you wish to venture further afield to South Beach, the boardwalk located at the back of the hotel provides easy access, and after an approximate 40 minute walk, you'll find yourself at the end of Ocean Drive.
If, like us, you are visiting during the sweltering summer months, the walk may prove a little onerous, therefore, I recommend catching the complimentary Miami Beach Trolley. With a stop just a short walk away from the hotel, the Miami Beach Trolley operates every day until midnight, and is a fabulous, free way to get around.
From the hotel, you'll need to pick up the Collins Express route which loops from North Beach, through Mid-Beach and down to South Beach. We boarded the trolley at the end of 29th Street, which dropped us off at Lincoln Avenue - where we could admire the Art Deco buildings we past on our way to Ocean Drive and the beach front promenade.
For more information, check out the Miami Beach Trolley website, or look for the signs and blue busses.
Service
Outstanding is the only way to describe the fabulous service we received from every single person we encountered during our stay. From the warm way we were greeted by the friendly bell service and reception staff - who went out of their way to answer all queries we had about the hotel and amenities, to the wonderful restaurant and bar staff. This even extended to a humorous chat with one of them as he was setting out the sunbeds and parasols one morning.
Everyone was so approachable, quick to offer advice and recommendations, and are a real asset to this wonderful hotel, helping make our stay a pleasant and memorable one.
Pros:
Beach location with its own private area, exceptional service, comfortable accommodation, superb view from the Oceanfront rooms, wonderful facilities, ambience, great food and drink at reasonable prices.
Cons:
There's not a great deal to do in the immediate area surrounding the hotel, but South Beach is a short distance away and very easily accessible.
Star Rating: 
(5 / 5)
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Whether you're seeking a spot of luxury, family friendly surroundings, or a Miami Beach front location, check out the Palms Hotel & Spa. It exceeded expectations for our short family trip to Miami, and is certainly somewhere we wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
