Continental Hotel Miami South Beach

Okay... it's not the Ritz. There's no mint on your pillow, and they don't shine your shoes overnight. BUT, you can book early for less than $100 a night, and for that price it's very reasonable.

It's kinda old. There may be a stain on the floor, or a cigarette burn on the sink, but the TWO SEPARATE rooms I've seen were dusted, cleaned, and well-kept. I didn't witness any broken furniture or weird smells. The TV worked fine, the sheets were clean, and towels were kept stocked.

I can't say anything about the staff except that I'm a grown woman and can usually survive without calling room service every 10 minutes, therefore I had little experience with them. They were fairly prompt in letting us in when we misplaced our key, though.

The pool area was very nice and the bartender was friendly and helpful.

I had no complaints.

Basically, if you can settle for a clean room for a reasonable price, this place is perfect. If you want a brand new, shiny establishment and someone to kiss your feet... well, why are you booking the $100 average hotel, anyways? Stop complaining and book the Ritz.

First and foremost I must begin with this if you are going to make a reservation with this hotel do it by calling do not do it off of a travel site. According to the staff at this hotel there are only double bed occupancy rooms. Well that was the first problem on travelnow.com my then bf ordered a single occupancy to be told that what he paid for they did not have. Ok well we get to the room March 22 2008 the bell hop opens the door I see dirty carpet, paint that peels and we all know the only paint that peels is lead paint another no no for a person like me with allergies and respiratory issues. Ohh and not to mentioned didn't seem like they even attempted to dust that room at all. I give it to them though the air conditioning worked very well. Well here comes March 24 the kids are all coming in for spring break and yes it is winter music conference as well. So you can imagine. Now I know initially when we checked in on March 22 there was a big sign near the check in that stated no noise after 11pm or else they will be removed. I kid you not every single night there was nothing but noise. The walls were so paper thin you heard everyone conversations. I could even hear when someone was in the shower next door to our rooms. Ohh and not to mention the constant comings and goings of loud and high kids all nite long not knowing how to keep their voices down.

Now we will talk about housekeeping. First and foremost I have an issue with people being in my room cleaning while I am not there I fear for my valuables so I decided to stay and watch the cleaning lady . I am glad she did. This woman propped opens the door and had her cleaning cart ready to go to work. I saw her go to the bathroom with Ajax and come out then I saw her with a broom I thought she was going to sweep then mop my floor before she decided to clean the tub ohh no I hear water and then I heard something bumping against the tub I walk in to see and this woman is taking a broom to my tub I was floored. A broom. A broom I could not believe what I was seeing. Please be aware there are many rooms on the floor we were on and I only saw one broom in that cart lol. Now the cleaning in this hotel is bad. Toilet and face bowl hardly cleaned. Now the maid makes it to the beds instead of changing the sheets and comforter she dust the bed with a towel and I told her no change sheets. She turns to me and says no speak English. So I had to motion for her to change the sheets in both beds. She changed the sheets but would not change the comforters so that leads me to believe before we go there they weren't changing sheets just turning up the sheets and stuff. I can't see myself staying at this place ever again. It is located in a good area if you're looking to party right next to the Shelbourne and a few blocks from nice restaurants but I would not suggest this place to anyone. It's good for spring breakers who just need someplace to put their bags down in and take a shower but other than that for vacation or romance it's a not!!

bECAUSE THE LOCATION IS EXCELLENTE , NEAR THE GOOD PONTS.

The service was terrible. They 'nickel & dime' you - i.e. $25 to check in one hour early and $25 for a late check out. The rooms were old and disgusting. If you open your window on the Collins Drive side the traffic noise is outrageous. The towels were thread-bare. They rarely provided washclothes. The tub did not have a stopper. We were suppose to have a special rate for our group which was $100 less per night. BUT, they don't honor it if you book online. We tried calling numerous times to book it before the deadline and could not get through on the phone. This is the first time I have ever written up a hotel but I feel VERY strongly against this one.

This hotel is not as bad as many reviews say. First let me disclose that I went to Miami as part of a vacation package and did not have a choice in hotel. Most of the hotels in the area were built in the 1930s and 1940s and therefore are quite old. The Continental is no different. But the hotel and the rooms were clean. It isn't your top of the line hotel. There are many nicer and fancier hotels in the area. But if you are looking for your basic hotel this is it. It would rival that of a Holiday Inn. It does need some touch up work. It probably hasn't been renovated since the 70s or 80s, but it is a perfectly fine hotel. As far as the staff.... depending on whom you get and what time of day it is will depend on their attitude. Upon arrival the afternoon valet was extremely rude. At times the front desk was very helpful. Our first room had a very noisy a/c vent and at 4 am the desk clerk allowed us to try other rooms until we were satisfied (all the rooms on the 5th floor we found noisy but we are light sleepers. We moved to the 4th floor). Some of the people were pleasant some weren't.

The biggest problem with the Continental that I found was parking. You have 3 options.... 1. Park your car Valet (on site) for $45 a day. There are only about 6 spots and they are parked right out front of the hotel 2. Use the general valet for $30 a day. I don't know where your car goes and this too is "limited availability". 3. Find a parking garage. We opted for choice number 3. We found a parking garage about 5 blocks away that was only $8 a day but keep in mind that the Florida heat and humditiy can easily had an extra 10 degrees onto the actual temperature so you have to not mind walking in the heat for this option. Over all it was an acceptable hotel. It is a great location with Lincoln Ave and the beach all within walking distance. Overall if I had to do it again I may consider shopping the other hotels and see how their rates and reviews compare, but don't completely rule this one out.