Royal Palm South Beach Miami, a Tribute Portfolio Resort

Horrible front desk staff and problems with billing. We had multiple «random» charges to credit cards not only during our stay but weeks after we got back. Front desk staff is incompetent says they have no idea about the charges. Hassle to have to call multiple times to try and get these issues resolved

Place is dirty!!! Rooms, especially bathrooms are filthy. Staff is dismal, housekeeping is a joke… the professional photos of the hotel are great bc they are perfectly misleading of this entire shit show establishment.

The breakfast buffet is pretty disappointing. Unless you want just fruit and toast, go elsewhere. Service was great, but the food wasn’t so good. Also, we had maid service every day. I’m not sure why some reviews said there was none.

I stayed here for a long bachelorette weekend and let’s just say things were a little rocky. The front desk was super helpful. Mariah was super sweet and accommodating, but once she left it all went to hell in a hand basket getting into our rooms, with a group from our party not getting a room till 5:30pm. They were kind enough to send a complimentary bottle of wine to our room.
The saving grace was the concierge staff! Nathalie did an excellent job decorating the room, so the bride would be surprised. Florin was quick and informative with helping to book our entertainment *wink if you catch my drift.

Horrible… there was no blow dryers (even cheap hotels have this amenity).no microwave. no coffee maker. For the money you pay to stay here, trust me you do not get what you pay for. Also, the resort fee is ridiculous. you still have to pay for an umbrella out on the beach which should be included in the resort fee. At The end of our stay we got a ride to the airport, only to realize that the worker from the hotel had never put one of our suitcases in the car. When I called the hotel, they said it was our fault that the luggage was missing even though they were responsible for our luggage because they moved it for us… we ended up missing our flight because of their negligence. Will never stay here again or in Miami in general.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of staying at the Royal Palm hotel South Beach! My friend and I had a great experience. All the staff were polite and friendly. The rooms were very clean and new. My room was upgraded by Nellie, who provided us wonderful service as we checked into our room. While waiting to get into our room, we had access to the pool and private beach facilities. Josue also provided amazing service as he assisted my friend and I with chairs, towels and drinks while we relaxed on the beach. I will definitely be back! My only complaint is the food. We ate at he hotel restaurant and ordered fish and steak tacos, which we found to be quite bland.

Although the décor was beautiful and the hotel was clean, we had a lot of issues with the service.
Valet is $ 45 overnight.
We checked in at 3:30pm. Got back to the car at 1am to get my boyfriends reading glasses. As we’re looking in his car we notice there are items missing from his center console.
Going back to the room to search for the items, we clearly didn’t have them.
It was apparent the Valet people stole things from our car.
This morning we spoke to the Valet manager and he waived the Valet fee, spa fees and every other bs fee that was on the bill.
However it doesn’t change the fact that this hotel employs thieves and expects their customers to trust their vehicles and property with their staff. And that we’ll never get our stuff back.

Given the poor average rating, I had very low expectations. I think that’s was a good thing since those expectations were easily exceeded. I had a layover in Miami and booked myself one night at the Royal Palm on Starwood points.
I was given a room on the second floor of the Lanai building. Upon entering, I was struck by how spacious and modern the room was. There was a separate seating area with a table and TV and the main bedroom area had another TV. The bathroom was large and had great soaking tub.
It was late so I changed my outfit and headed out for a drink. The hotel is centrally located near many bars, clubs, and restaurants. I was on who-​knows-​what time zone and I woke up very early the next morning. I took a stroll to the beach (there’s direct beach access), then worked out at the gym. Then I spent the rest of the morning lounging at the pool. It was a perfect morning. Too bad the fun had to come to an end so quickly.

Valet is ridiculously TERRIBLE! You can pay ¹⁄₃ of the price to park across the street. Waited half an hour to get our car back! Never come back again. Management is just terrible at what they are doing!

I really enjoyed staying here! The hotel overall was very clean, refreshing, and smelled great. The rooms are simple but well kept. The customer service was awesome… there were a few separate occasions when I received exceptional service. For example, checking in with Alex at the front desk – he gave my friend and I drink vouchers and breakfast vouchers for her birthday! The patio staff at the pool were all very friendly and accommodating. I would definitely come back!

Our room was ok. Told we got an upgrade, but what really happened is they gave away our original room and as such we got a room in front of the elevator.
The private beach is very nice but you often have to wait a while to get the umbrella and seats set up– I think they need more people– too many guests and not enough employees. I felt bad for how much running around the beach staff had to do.
The pool is wonderful and I liked the outdoor set up a lot.
Concierge was helpful.
Can’t comment on food as we didn’t eat at the hotel.
Our bed in the room was really comfy.
Overall par for the course on south beach. Would maybe look for a different place next time, but not opposed to staying here again.

From check-​in to check-​out, my experience at Royal Palm was one of comfort and competence. (After reading some of the other reviews I do wonder if we all stayed at the same hotel?)
A smile greeted me as I began my stay, followed by a friendly chat with the front desk worker who surprised me with a room improvement from the fourth floor to the twelfth. Elevator going up, disembark, swipe and behold a suite and view that was truly captivating. The neons lights of St. Morritz and the tower of Loews Hotel were in my line of sight and a small balcony offered up a view of the beach and turquoise waters of the Atlantic.
The king size bed was comfortable and the important detail of light blocking curtains helped reduce the neon lights and night and sunrise in the morning for this weary traveler. A flat panel LG TV was in the bedroom where I rediscovered how morning TV shows follow a universal format regardless of what city you reside in.
The living room space also had a TV, a table, sofa and plenty of storage space for clothes. Power outlets were abundant in this digital era and the wifi strong and consistent enough form me to get actual work done in the room. (The tragedy of working while viewing others frolicking on the beach from my balcony was not lost on me!)
At breakfast, the buffet options were split into hot and continental. The one minor gripe was that this wasn’t initially explained to me although I was able to deduce the way things worked. I never left hungry, my water glass was constantly refilled, new plates for the buffet were also quickly handed out and the staff did it all with smiles. Complimentary newspapers in the breakfast area were also a nice touch.
The outdoor area included the on site restaurant patio along with a small pool and lounge chairs. While I didn’t have time to relax at the pool with a drink at hand, I did spend a few minutes one evening limin’ and the atmosphere was comfortable, with mostly families and couples enjoying each others company. No wild antics or overly boisterous behavior which was fine by me.
Access to the beach is across a path and a brief walk to the area set aside for hotel guests. Alas, my beach going was also limited but the few moments I spent proved memorable. Blue skies, clear water and temperatures in the mid 70’s on my last day here was a stark contrast to the cool, grey milieu of NYC.
Requesting a taxi was never an issue and the retrieval of my checked luggage on the final day was also quick and pain free. I’ll also add that a more informal grab and go style breakfast kiosk is right in the lobby as is a lobby bar. Small in scale but sizeable in liquor options, the bar was never overly crowded.
Thanks to the Royal Palm’s location, I was never a few minutes from Lincoln Road, Espanola Way or the iconic art deco living museum of Ocean Drive.
I’d return to the Royal Palm for vacation (or business if I really must) in a heart beat.

Think twice before staying at this Hotel. I am currently staying at the hotel and it is total chaos. The front desk is understaffed. i heard a guy say that he was waiting over 6 hours for his room. Don’t be fooled by the pictures of the pools. They are really small and overcrowded. This hotel looks more like a Holiday Inn than an SPG property.
We are loyal Ritz, Marriott, and SPG Gold Members. My only request was for a quiet room, and they put us on the main street and the room right next to the elevator. When I approached them about the noise from the room, they told me that they were booked. But, there were so many people checking out. We were really tired and tried to take a nap, but could not due to all the street noise. We were in a Deluxe Suite. The bed made so much noise that the street noise almost didn’t matter. Also, the furniture is tired and chipped all over. The room had a really musty smell and the sink would not drain. Not to mention there was no upgrade ever mentioned even though I heard them being offered to other guests.
I tried three times to ask them to help me. I called the front desk twice and then I finally went down to speak with them in person… and nothing! We had waited hours for our bags, and since we couldn’t sleep and were in the lobby, we decided to find our bags. We found our bags in a room with the door wide open and no one watching them. So, we simply grabbed our bags and took them to our room. Anyone could have just walked in and taken any bag they wanted.
To top it off… there is nothing like a little hair in your shower from the previous guest. Enough said!
Please believe all the bad reviews. I can only imagine that the good ones are not real. This has to be the worst experience I’ve ever had with a Hotel Room. We were totally fooled by the pictures and just a few good reviews.
If you’re willing to take a risk… go right ahead. As for us, we will never come close to this place again!
UPDATE: I had the Night Manager by the name of Carlos call us last night, He was really nice. He told us that he will have us out of our room tomorrow morning. He mentioned that he would leave a message for the Day Manager. It’s 8PM the next night and we’re still waiting for that call. This place never ceases to amaze me. WOW!

Absolutely lovely stay! Gorgeous hotel pool and it’s right on the beach! We were so happy here :) The customer service was great, everyone was so nice, from the front desk to the pool staff. Lakesha was so friendly and even gave us free drink tickets :)
PROS:
— gorgeous pool & spa
— right on the beach
— very nice staff!
— clean rooms
— food and drinks available by the pool
— walking distance to restaurants & shops
— free water bottle & apples & beach chairs every day
— quick check-​in and check-​out
— feels like a luxurious resort you never want to leave!
We found a great deal on
. I gotta say, was a little hesitant after reading some of the comments on Unilocal… but our stay was great! Maybe the hotel has fixed things, because everyone here was wonderful!

Fantastic location on South Beach — a little removed from the crazy late-​night activity, but (very close) walking distance to lots of great restaurants (albeit slightly touristy), and most importantly, right across from the beach. I love that this hotel has two separate pools, both of which are nicely heated and manned by attentive and friendly poolside waitstaff. (They offer complimentary baskets of apples and water, which is a really nice touch.)
I got a room upgrade which was very nice and unexpected. The room was huge (for a hotel), sunny, and had super-​effective blackout curtains, which were great for my friend who wanted to sleep in. The toiletries were luxe and minty — never a bad thing. The Royal Palm is in the Starwood portfolio, but feels more like a boutique hotel, which is great because Starwood people can get their points but still have the boutique hotel experience.

Taken over by Starwood, it’s a spacious and somewhat updated hotel. At least our room was. It seems from these other reviews that we had one of the nicer rooms. The suites are cute — nice layout with a wall couch and large showers. They have a good buffet breakfast in the morning where the bacon is on point.
I liked the space outdoors, especially the hot plunge pool with a waterfall, located behind the main pool. It was very clean. But I agree with the review about the towel guy by the pool. It was really funny when he was bringing towels around one at a time from the beach to the pool, instead of having a stack of towels by the pool.
Overall I would probably return in the future since the price point is decent for this area of South Beach.

After reading all of the reviews, I was very unsure of visiting this place as a starwoo0d gold member. Aloft too far away, and the W is overpriced (I have stayed at both). Let’s focus on why I would give this place 4 stars:
Pros:
1. Courteous staff at check in. Received a room without asking (and on a Friday)
2. Bar staff were fantastic and personable… Classy without that mixology pretension that we see throughout that area
3. Suite was really well put together and had a nice ocean view
4. I asked for an umbrella from the doorman who sent me to the concierge. The concierge was enveloped in a conversation and I had a reservation to get to, so I left. The doorman saw me leave w/​o the umbrella and chased me down to the street to give one to me.
5. Location
6. General cleanliness of the rooms, general common area and pool
Cons:
1. Bed was uncomfortable
2. Bathroom accouterments were limited and just ok
3. Had to hunt down the pool towel guy with another guest, including heading down stairs around the back of the pool where staff were hiding and smoking, so as to ask for a towel
This property is a win for Starwood, and I look forward to coming back

The worst hotel I’ve ever been to.

For the amount of money that we spent to stay in this hotel… the service is god awful. Incompetent staff who don’t know what they are doing. Very rude and patronizing… had an issue almost every time we dealt with them. Waited a half hour for towels at the pool and then got yelled at by the towel man who stated we stole the towels from another group when he had clean fresh ones he could give them in his hand. Really?! I asked him if he wanted the towels back even though he had clean ones in his hand and he said no I’m just letting you know that you took the towels that weren’t yours and the guest is asking me why you have towels. I told him, why don’t you give him the ones in your hand? We’ve been waiting for towels for 30 mins… Mind you we are paying 33 dollars a day per person in resort fees… wouldn’t recommend this hotel to anyone. Trip advisor had misleading reviews compared to the ones on Unilocal.Definitely agree with Unilocal reviews more. However I will say that housekeeping was excellent. Room looks great everyday. It was very much appreciated.

Unexpectedly disappointing. Reprehensible treatment and pathetic room-​upkeep.
–Specifically paid premium for high floor south view over Miami Beach. Windows were literally caked with dirt as though not washed in years. Possible to clean from inside (vs only from outside) as well. Requested three times on two days to remedy and nada. Nothing. Actually a promise to do so then no action.
–Finger marks of women’s black eye make up all over the bathroom walls. If anyone wants to confirm this, I would be pleased to send the pics. Literally revolting.
–My gf ordered a hamburger from room service that had plastic the the chef had not removed. Caused her to become violently ill on consumption. Hotel manager actually tried to blame outside food distributor. Beyond belief for a «premium» hotel.
–After my gf literally scream at a very uncooperative and unapologetic manager, he finally offered a free spa service as a concession. Next day on check out, the spa service ends up on invoice as a charge!
I am a very forgiving traveller, but the combination of staff lies and push back and filthy windows and bathroom walls make this hotel a Never Return /​Never Recommend.

I was expecting something a little more special when I paid way more for my stay just like other people have. The hotel has a modern retro look on the inside– It’s clean and organized. They charge at least $ 42 for Valet parking. They tried to charge us at least twice for valet parking in the 3 days that we were there and after letting them know we weren’t paying that, they removed the multiple charges and left it with just one charge of $ 42ish.
The room service menu is a joke. They have all food made at the Florida Cookery Patio downstairs (their restaurant) and if delivered to room, there’s a $ 4 charge on top of the 18% gratuity that you’re required to pay. The food is very, VERY good– but they’ll nickel and dime you every way they can. We avoided room service at all costs.
We dined out once at their restaurant and it was great, but you don’t get side dishes with your entrée! If it’s crab cakes, you get crab cakes. Oh, the alcoholic beverages… for about 8 oz. with ice, costed me $ 15 alone. Had another alcoholic drink that costed the same as that. Sadly, they don’t show the prices of the drinks in the menu. $ 15 for ONE DRINK?!
I loved the Florida Cookery environment. The Breakfast bar is fantastic and we used our meal vouchers when we went there. Otherwise, we probably wouldn’t have dined there because we got the idea that Royal Palms is all about Nickel-​and-​diming you at every angle.
The staff there at the hotel and restaurant are so nice. I have nothing bad to say about them. They did a great job and they were wonderful to us.
The music playing all the time was great– I constantly puled up the Jazaam app on my phone to find out what song was playing at the hotel. Thanks to Royal Palms, I have new songs in my iTunes!
The Room: NO microwave, NO fridge. A heated water pitcher is provided to make instant coffee and to sip tea bags in, but that’s all. No coffee maker. The starbucks instant coffee that they provide in the hotel room stunk so bad with a pungent smell, that I had to throw it away. We’re supposed to drink that?! I would rather drink cheap hotel coffee made with a coffee maker!
They provide shower gel, shampoo and conditioner in large bottles that are mounted and glued to the shower wall so you can remove them. They’re used over and over by other guests, so you’re basically sharing those same bottles with everyone else that sleeps there before and after you. I was a tad bit grossed out about that.
There’s no hair blow dryer so you can dry your hair. I didn’t bring one because I thought the hotel would have them provided in the room like other hotels do. WRONG.
The bed and pillows were super comfy and I slept like a rock.
The A/​C was super nice. We walked into a chilled room and it made for a pleasant night of sleep. I was very thankful!
They provide a safe in your hotel room to lock up valuables. So big that I could stuff 2 laptops, our wallets, sunglasses, etc in there and STILL I had plenty of room left. Thank you for the safe!
The walls are a bit thin– the doors slam very hard and are noisy when they lock. There’s nothing you can do to put a damper on that door noise to keep from making your neighbors mad. We’ve tried walking out like we’re on pins and needles and gently closing the door but still, it makes very loud noises. All the doors do that. We actually felt bad for our neighbors every time we came to our room or left.
The elevators function well. No complaints there.
About their valet service, they give you a ticket to hang on to that has a barcode on it so they can find your car when needed. I read that ticket and found that they’re adamant about not being held responsible for your car being stolen, vandalized, valuables being stolen, etc… We didn’t leave valuables, but if we let you hold our car and pay you for it, then the least you could do is have a security guard in the garage to make sure no one’s car is being stolen. They’re claiming that ticket is a legal contract that holds then unaccountable for car theft, etc. Hello! If I didn’t sign anything, that doesn’t mean I agree to your «contract»!
Checking in was a breeze for the hotel room. No problems there!
They don’t have snacks in the hotel. No drinks either.
Their pool and hot tub are nice! The pool is heated. The scenery is beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for more.
The TV in our room was big. I’m guessing 40+ inches? It was nice. The tv didn’t work well the first day due to signal or something, but that was the least of my worries.
The final comment: OUR ROOM NEVER EVER GOT CLEANED OR STRAIGHTENED UP DURING OUR 3 DAYS THERE. I NEVER saw housekeeping on our floor! Never! Our room stayed unkept and nothing was moved. Our bed never got made up. Trash never got emptied out. Towels never got replaced. Housekeeping was non existent those 3 days we stayed there. It was really terrible. I shouldn’t have to ask for housekeeping. I made sure there were no signs on our door! So sad!

Hotel is clean but dated. It is not modern. First room we checked into had a pungent smell. I was expecting something better than this.
Not a top hotel, mid level. Avoid if you like modern.

Poolside review only! (Wish I could give a ½ a star!) What a disappointment! Crazy overpriced! I shared the guacamole & chicken wings! The quac was flavorless although fresh! The salsa was ok. The chicken wings were just gross… I can’t even form words to explain it! I order ONE Miami Vice cocktail, my friend order a mango frozen drink! Brace yourself… the bill was $ 87! For ef’n what? 2 appetizers & 2 frozen drinks? GTFOOH! Esp for horrible food & drinks with almost no alcohol! A pitcher of mojito was $ 75! Just crazy overpriced! Common sense… do u want visitors to sit poolside all day and order 1 drink for 20 bucks or order 5 drinks for $ 50? NO ONE sitting around the pool had a drink! We even saw hotel guests on the beach with their own bottles of wine, beer & snacks! Smart move in my opinion! But I don’t vacation to self serve! WTF
The service however was polite & humorous! The bartenders agreed that the prices were ridiculous and recommended other places to visit! A revision is definitely in order & a new chef!

Service and cleanses really good! The location is the best! I do believe the pool fee the food and bar are way too expensive!
Besides one unfortunate situation on our first night there everything else was fine and we had lots of fun!

First, I am totally surprised at the poor experiences at this hotel. We decided to stay here the weekend as a group for a company event, which was at a different location. Our check in was fine. The entrance is somewhat narrow and short so it can get backed up. We were 2^nd in line. 2 valet attendants came with a single cart to unload our bags. We told them we would not need the car for the weekend and to park it away from regular traffic.
Our room was 807 which you walk halfway through the lobby to a hallway with 3 elevators. Our room was fresh and clean. The balcony is about 2 feet wide but there was a view of Ocean drive and the beach in the distance.
The closet had robes, cubbies and a safe. A wet bar had 2 complimentary bottles of water, Starbuck coffee, sink, glasses, cups, ice bucket and tongs. There is plenty of lighting throughout and the A/​C was cold and quiet. There are white opaque drapes and a layer of sheers on both balcony doors. The sitting area had a sofa bench, large table and wooden chair (which was uncomfortable). The king bed was clean with soft sheets and full pillows. There is a slide door to the bathroom which is somewhat private. The bathroom was ample with a deep tub (there is a stool under the sink which you might need to get in and out). Plenty of hot water but with the rain shower head, there isn’t too much pressure. We had a total of 6 towels which were clean and soft.
The lobby offers a breakfast bar, alcohol bar, lots of sofa seating with a large TV and citrus water at the front desk. We did not use the wifi, the pool, or outside dining/​bar.
They offer both a continental breakfast and hot breakfast until 11 am. The continental had danishes, breads, cold cuts, cereal, fresh fruit. The hot meal had eggs, meats, potatoes, pancakes, parfaits. We opted for the upgrade to the hot meal and was very good. Also, the coffee is very robust. This resto is on the 2^nd floor over the pool area.
We stayed in our room the 2^nd day and dismissed housekeeping early in the day, We called the front desk to let them know we were leaving and to have housekeeping services done. We arrived back after dinner to find new towels and partial sheets delivered on the table. The bed was not made and the used towels were not removed.
We had a bellhop help with our bags for checkout and he was very friendly and professional to all ahead for our car. The check out at the front desk was easy and the bill was accurate. Our car was ready and our bags were already being loaded into the trunk.
Be aware that there is a $ 30 resort fee and $ 42 valet fee.

Beware! Once you leave the hotel do check your bank account. The day we were supposed to leave we received a bill which was wrong. At check in I was told that I will receive a 50 dollars dining credit per night which was not included. I had to come and make sure that the bill was corrected. I stayed 5 nights and the front desk guy told me that he will credit me 200 dollars, then I had to correct him again because it was 5 nights. Finally, they did it. However, when I was finally home and checked my credit card, they charged me a fee for parking, while I didn’t have a car! I don’t even know how to drive.
This place has no sense of integrity. Avoid it.

ITS NOT A HOTEL its a HO-​HELL! seriously can’t even believe i am wasting additional time even taking about this crap hole. Anyway, just save yourself the time and money and avoid it. I won’t waste anymore of your time going through the 250 reasons why this place is such a disgrace. And honestly, Dear Manager don’t waste my time by even writing a rebuttal to this review, spend that valuable time making your ho-​hell better and hire some people with half way decent attitudes and maybe i won’t fly a banner behind a plane over south beach with this review on it!

Many of the Unilocal reviews (and trip reports I’ve found elsewhere online) have such stunningly negative reviews of this hotel that I’d shied away. Due to some changes in my travel plans while in Miami though, coupled with a Starwood points promotion for staying at Tribute hotels and an extremely cheap AAA rate, I felt that I would be remiss in not trying a night here just so I could form my own opinion. I’m very glad I did.
Before making my reservation, I dropped an email to my Starwood Ambassador (sort of a concierge for those of us who stay 100+ nights a year in SPG properties), expressing my concerns and referencing these reviews. She didn’t have any personal experience with the Royal Palm, but assured me that she would reach out to the property and try to make my stay as pleasant as possible, even though I was booking on the same day that I would be checking in for.
Check-​in was a rainy and miserable evening, and the valets met me at my car in the driveway and agreed to watch over my vehicle even though I wasn’t going to be leaving it in their care. Walking into the small lobby, I’m starting to understand where some of these negative reviews come from, as another guest cut into line ahead of me and started berating the Front Desk agent because he wanted (nay — demanded) an upgrade to a room type that was sold out. The FD agent smiled and apologized through it all, and then it was finally my turn. Victoria turned that winning smile to me and introduced herself, and that smile got even wider once she heard and recognized my name. I’d been upgraded to the Lanai Wing Penthouse suite overlooking the ocean. Victoria and I chatted a bit about the hotel being new to Starwood’s program, and she then handed me off to Hans, who accompanied me and brought my bag up to my room, as we found ourselves happily chatting in German.
Now, on to the stay itself — the Lanai Wing is low (3 stories) and access to the rooms is via an exterior (although covered) walkway. The name «Penthouse Suite» is a bit of a misnomer, as you’re on the same floor with about a dozen other rooms, but this room is situated right at the end of the walkway, and looking down you can see the pool and restaurant area, and through the palm trees the beach and ocean. Due to the height of the palm trees, you can’t really see the ocean from inside the rooms, but there is a little seating area (open to whomever finds it) outside this room and overlooking the beach and pool. Once inside — it’s massive. Little lounge area right inside the door, with a wet bar, living room, and guest bathroom to the left. Straight ahead is the first bedroom, which has its own bathroom with shower, large closet with a safe, and an incredibly comfortable king-​sized bed. To the right from the entrance, walking back to the second bedroom takes you through a breakfast nook of sorts, with enough space at the booth for 4 people to comfortably sit down and partake of room service. The rear bedroom has another fantastic king bed, separate closet and enclosed safe. The rear bathroom is a bit of a larger affair — with both a larger shower and a bathtub. This room is larger than many NYC-​area apartments I’ve been in, and could have reasonably satisfied 2 couples staying in it for weeks. I was in heaven.
Breakfast the next morning was a little hard to find, as one goes back into the main hotel, up a set of stairs, and then into the breakfast dining area. One minor gripe with the hotel came here, as I was charged for breakfast even after being told it was complimentary, but that was sorted out with a few phone calls and emails back and forth, so no major foul. The service at the restaurant was exceptional — from the moment I sat down at the table I’d requested of the hostess, there was someone there to take a drinks order and ask if there was anything he could bring me. I was then pointed to the buffet line, where I proceeded to load up. The chorizo omelette looked like it had been there and under the heat lamp for a bit too long, but then again I did arrive right at the tail end of breakfast, but everything tasted fresh if a little dry. Different servers kept dropping by with coffee, juice, and to take away plates. Definitely highly attentive service for me and everyone else there that morning.
Check-​out was a similar breeze, and the FD agent happened to have a manager behind her while I was checking out. The manager proactively inquired about my stay, and if everything was to my satisfaction. Her concern was that the Royal Palm was very new to Starwood and SPG, and they were keen to improve whatever shortcomings guests found. I’d pointed out that the wireless was a bit slow, but that everything else was spot-​on, and if this was what the Tribute chain was going to be at SPG, then I was looking forward to staying at more of them in the future, and this one in particular.

Worst Hotel in the World.
Literally, the most unorganized, disrespectful, unwelcoming, ghetto establishment on the beach. From security to hotel management, this hotel needs to close then reopen.
Every single person needs to undergo deep customer service training. I will try to put this into a short review. Having stayed at this hotel when it was a James property a few times, my fiancé and I decided to have our wedding here. After going back and forth with Maria the Sales/​Event Manager at the time, we were eager and very excited.
Soon after planning and putting down a deposit, Starwood purchases the James and, we were then passed off to Victoria a new Sales/​Event Manager and this is when the nightmare began.
Here are a few things that really made us want to cry:
Our Wedding Link that was given to us stopped working, guests couldn’t book any rooms on our «special site». 100 of our guests were given a link to book at a rate of 199 and every time someone tried to book we had to call Victoria and verbally give her names. Many guests gave up and stayed at nearby hotels because the website was a joke. Can you imagine having 100 guests from out of town stay at another hotel for your wedding simply because the hotel can’t get a website to work?
Wedding Cake– 2 months before the wedding we were told they weren’t sure if they could make our cake, even though we were contracted for it. We had to find someone ourselves. Weeks before our wedding we wanted a final bill, we were pushed off to no returned phone calls and unanswered emails every week.
Upon check in for our wedding weekend, they were on a wait, Valet took our items and when we went back, both tuxedos were on the floor in water. Wedding shoes, decorations, everything ruined. Front desk manager gave us another free night. Just to reassure our wedding would go smoothly, Peter and Victoria gave us another walk thru and things seemed to be on the right path. We nearly died. The day we check in for our wedding and our items are nearly ruined. This hotel really knows how to F shit up. My mother in law, sisters and family members were all horrified of our story. This put us on edge the entire stay.
Fast forward… the day of the wedding, everything was fine. Food and service was fine, not exceptional but good.
Items stolen. Mother and law forgot an iPad and medications in her room after checkout. Having stayed an extra night we went to the lobby and notified security. Security told us they checked the room and nothing was inside, after arguing with security to let us inside the room to see what was left… Lo and Behold, we found her medication, gifts, and an iPad plug still inside the wall but no iPad. If they went inside they would have seen all of this. They either stole the iPad or never went to check. HORRIBLE.
However, one big screw up was that we gave cash directly to Victoria a few days before our wedding, for our rehearsal dinner, we even got a receipt from her inside the the lobby. But, when we got our final bill 2 months after we saw that they never accounted for our 2k. WTF. After countless emails to her office and to accounting no one answered. After weeks of no communication, we got an email from Victoria saying that they are sending us to collections for non payment. How on earth can you bypass all of our emails and phone calls for a corrected final bill and now say your just sending us to collections???
HOW IS IT OUR FAULT WHEN YOU DON“T HAVE YOUR SHIT TOGETHER???
There are 100 more horror stories we had with this hotel. If you are planning on having your wedding here, please think twice.

So we have stayed at the Royal Palm several times and the Hotel is good, But we spent 4 – 500 dollars at the pool grill on a very rainy day, and wanted to order pizza from a restaurant next door and eat it at the grill which was empty because of all the rain. So we asked for permission and were told that it was okay.
When the pizza arrived the very rude manager told us that we could not eat pizza at the grill which by the way is very casual.
We explained that we asked for permission and were told it was okay. We have been spending money daily on food and drinks and we just wanted to keep ordering drinks but not go elsewhere.
It was a simple request and if they would have had pizza or if we were told it could not be done we would have been fine.
By the way the waitress was great.

I really didn’t see any of the things that anyone complained about here during our stay.
The gf and I had a great experience here.
First of all, the location of this hotel is perfect. You are right above (but not on) the start of crazy Ocean Drive. So you are able to walk the block if you are up to it and want to go out but you don’t have to be disturbed all night by the madness. Plus, you have a full service hotel with waiter service on the beach and in the pools as well as a covered outdoor bar & restaurant.
If you won’t be coming and going much, you can park overnight at the public garage, 1 block away, for ¹⁄₃ the price of valet service.
With all of that said, you can’t beat it for the price we paid, and the front desk hooked us up with an available room upgrade.
The only thing that got a little hairy was when one night a rowdy group came from an event next door and started using the pool area and making a scene. I thought the hotel management should have been more on top of that, even if just for their own liability.

DO NOT STAY HERE!!!
We purchased a suite and regular room, and were truly disappointed. The first night of staying in our room there was a HUGE roach the size of Asia crawling around the bed seal– I immediately called the front desk and requested to be move as THAT is not acceptable (however was told there was no rooms avaialbe) a $ 100 dollar credit was posted to my account instead. I have so much to write the list will go on and on, however here are 7 TOP MOMENTS
1. House keeping open the door with out knocking.
2. Light bulbs out and/​or broken.
3. Valet did not help a guest carrying her luggage up the stair to front desk.
4. House keeping threatening they wouldn’t clean the room if our music didn’t get turned down.
5. Suite not cleaned for 2 days
6. Front desk informed me to lower my voice when speaking to him about the order of our room, and informing the SUITE was not cleaned for 2 days.
7. The up keep of the property is mediocre.

The whole hotel smells like cheap men’s cologne and it’s strong especially in the lobby. I imagine they have some guido bro standing by the a/​c intakes that they spray down frequently to distribute the scent thought out. I think the smelling senses in my nose are permanently damaged.
There are many noticeable broken things around here like hand rails falling off in a couple of the elevators, two wall mount lights in our room fall off and a third with a broken switch that can’t be used.
The walls are thin so if you have that loud couple next door that talks loud late at night, screams at each other when they wake up at the crack of dawn and leaves the TV blasting all night like we did, then your stay will not be pleasant.
Other than that, the service is top notch and the location is good. Could have been a 3 or 4-​star review, but that smell has to go.

Other than waiting longer than necessary for checking in, my experience was a good one.
The lobby has plenty of sitting area and big screen TVs to entertain while waiting.
Front desk Staff members, valet & bellmen were nice
The room was clean and had a beautiful ocean view
Location is perfect on south beach.
I like the modern furniture and firm mattress
Good amount of storage and good lighting and mirrors to get ready for a night out.
The pool is small and quiet
The cocktails were good and the bartenders were really nice.
Did not eat at the restaurant. Sorry.
Would definitely recommend this hotel.

I suggest you avoid. They quote you rates then charge your bill differently.
The worst part is the pool. There’s one woman pool server, she puts towels out to block anyone from sitting there to save for her friends that she lets into the pool. I hope management finds out. I reported it, they said they’d adjust the resort fee and didn’t :(. She’s super unfriendly, don’t bother getting drinks because she’s too busy with her friends and sneaking into the bathroom to use her cell phone.
Other staff is friendly!