While we ordinarily live in Miami, we’re not living there right now, as our place is still under construction due to an extended delay. Nonetheless we have to go to Miami once in a while for commitments, which allows me to try out some hotels in the area. We recently spent a couple of nights…
Continue reading: Review: Kimpton EPIC Miami
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Finally, a review of a hotel that can actually be booked with points! ; P
That resort fee is such a joke. $30 a day for internet and printing?
When was the last time anyone made an external call from a landline in a hotel room?
On the hook for a resort fee. Paid breakfast. You won parking but that wasn’t guaranteed.
You should try Hyatt!
@ Stvr -- In this case the nearby Hyatt Centric would have charged a $100 pet fee. That's about the same as we paid for the amenity fee and breakfast for one morning. And that's not accounting for the fact that I would have had to redeem 15K Hyatt points (worth $225 to me), rather than a free night certificate on an $89 annual fee card. So I of course agree in general, but in this case the math worked out.
A nice feature of staying at the Epic is that guests can use the amenities of the nearby InterContinental, two blocks away, and vice-versa. But the Epic is more modern in almost every respect. One negative aspect is the lack of privacy in the pool area, as the hotel is surrounded by residential towers in close proximity and you feel like you are being watched by the people on their balconies.
Great review! Was interested to read this as a former Epic Residences condo resident. Many of the amenities are shared, although the Residences have a private, extremely quiet, pool deck on the other side of floor 16 that is world’s away from the hotel pool party scene. While you’re right that no locals dine at the Area 16 restaurant, the Area 16 outdoor bar is very popular with locals, especially when it’s having its progressive happy hour at which drink prices increase a dollar per hour. Just a minor correction that the building is located in downtown, not in Brickell. The Miami River forms the boundary and people who live in the towers in Brickell love to take digs at the people in the Epic for living “up there” and “over the bridge” in downtown. Fun fact: Pitbull’s “Room Service” music video was filmed in the hotel portion of the building.
I've always been fond of Kimpton properties - what a shame they were acquired by IHG instead of Hyatt! I love the IHG card specifically for getting a free Kimpton night every year, because they are by far the most plentiful nice properties that can be covered by the certificate.
This was a great review and a useful review. I've looked at this booking property before but have usually been staying with friends who wanted to do one of the beachier hotels so I haven't had an opportunity to make it to this property yet.
Is it only me or does this not look and feel like a Kimpton? For starters, 400-plus rooms seems huge for Kimpton properties. This looks and feels more like a JW Marriott or Intercontinental; in other words, a bland upscale business-oriented property.
I am a Kimpton fan and Have stayed at a few over the years. I seem to remember that in room coffee makers were sometimes only “on request” but were available (this was in San Diego & NYC). Of course that was pre-pandemic.
$10 for a $2 bottle of water!!?? Straight out of the packet and not even ready chilled!
What is the world coming to? Madness.
There are often times I enjoy your reviews of hotels and places and make a mental note that I'd like to visit and stay at some of those.
However this hotel has definately not made the cut, and in fact the hi-rise monstrosity that Miami has become sees it drop off the (near bottom anyway) list, and onto the Avoid/Don't bother list.
Hello re your comment about no one to help when you arrived at the hotel: today I walked past the starbucks at 901 south miami ave just south of where you stayed.
There was a sign that they are only open from 7am til 2pm-this at the busiest time of the year.I asked one of the employees what is happening and he lamented they can not find workers.
Hmm Ben I wonder if your delayed move is to the elegant new Elysee condo in edgewater which had its CO months ago but seems to have run afoul of a local regulation.
He did mention it's an IHG property. Hotels get bought and sold and they fly whatever flag they want on the property. Perhaps it was under one of those brands (or similiar) previously?
What's with these "Resort fees" or "amenity fees" in the US? It's like you Americans are addicted to paying extra stuff for nothing. Same recently in Costa Rica, on the carribbean side where it was mostly european tourists nobody ever expected tips, meanwhile in the US touristy areas (Arenal, Manuel Antonio) every single bill had a big TIPS area (in addition to 23% taxes and service charges) and prices were incredibly inflated.
Ruining it for everyone else
Lucky - I hate 'dog-friendly' hotels. Cleaners miss things all the time and they mess with my allergies. I avoid them. That is my right.
HOWEVER, 100% you should bring your dog to a hotel that allows dogs if you want. I don't understand how anyone could tell you to not bring Winston to a 'dog-friendly' hotel. That is YOUR right!
- a fellow Miami resident.
Since I have 2 dogs, no kids, the dog friendly aspect of US hotels is important to me, but often hotels have a weight limit or a 1 dogs per room policy. If you were able to include that type of information in your reviews it would be most helpful.
Stayed three nights at here March 2021 using free night like you did. Lovely hotel, all new, free evening wine, nice pool (unless windy days - so many windy days in March especially this is in the middle of high rise buildings and pool is located at a higher floor). One minus factor was the noise from the connected room. The door wasn't fully insulated such that we could hear everything from the next room even when they speak quietly or turn on TV in moderate volume.
Stayed at the epic in 2019 and was even in that same room or at least same view +/- a couple of floors. I attended a two week conference and really got to like the hotel, the rooms are quiet and i enjoyed that view and watching the boats come and go and seeing the draw bridge open every 30 mins or so. The location is great if you are staying in Brickell and Downtown only since you can walk everywhere. There is a wholefoods right across the street for quick meals, snacks, water, beer/wine. The hotel didnt care when we brought beer we bought at wholefoods to the pool. Best part was the conference catering, the food and bev staff at this hotel were amazing. Best conference food and snacks i have ever had and ive been on a lot of these long conferences. Wine hour was a plus.
As far as I'm concerned, a five-star hotel that does not have a Nespresso or a good coffee maker in the rooms is bad. No coffee maker at all in the rooms is a complete joke, you have to get dressed and go down to the lobby? Or order from room service for a coffee that'll come 30 mns later? Is this a Hampton Inn? For this reason I will not stay at this hotel. Thanks for the review though, as I got a new job that involves traveling a lot to Miami-Brickell. I'll keep this one out of my list. And yes the resort fee is ridiculous too.
Does anyone know if the pool has a bar? I've booked a winter escape for mid-January