The Betsy - South Beach

The room is small but nicely laid out, good products and materials, the location is great, across the street from the beach and close to many restaurants and bars. The gym and pool(s) are also nice and there are dining and drinking options on site. I think The Betsy is a good option depending on the price difference between some of the nicer competitors. For example, during my stay, I could have opted for some other options that I know are much nicer for minimally more per night.

The Betsy consists of 2 older buildings with a lot of hallways and elevators considering it's relatively small size. Depending on where your room is, this can make getting around a bit of a hassle as it is confusing and maze like. For example to get to my room on the 2nd floor of the Art Deco wing from the lobby I had to take the elevator to the 3rd floor in the Colonial Wing, walk to the Art Deco wing, then take another elevator down to the 2nd floor. This may seem petty but can be a bit frustrating. Evidently there was a maintenance issue, water leak in a large portion of the building that made some of the hallways unattractive and filled with maintenance equipment. The roof deck closest to the ocean was also closed due to this. It would have been nice to know this ahead of my stay. There is no coffee maker in the room, which is always frustrating, there is also no room in the fridge for leftovers, your own drinks. I had a balcony room, but the balcony faced an alley which was loud with the sounds of air conditioner units so I never used it. There are daily resort fees that you pay regardless of whether you use them or not. It is nice if you are using the beach because it includes beach chairs, towels, umbrella, but if you're not using them, just be aware that this affects the overall price.