Element Miami International Airport Hotel Pre-Cruise Stay Review
- Jun 11, 2016
- 3 min read
Element is a fairly new Starwoods brand. It was started in 2006 and was heavily inspired by one of Starwoods other hotel chains, Westin. The Element prides itself in it's environmentally-friendly approach to designing and running a hotel. The rooms are designed to utilise space in the most efficient way, while outfitting the hotel with energy saving lightbulbs and recycling cans in every room. Currently there are only 59 Element hotels worldwide that are either open for or preparing to open for business.
My husband and I stayed at the Element Miami International Airport Hotel for a one-night pre-cruise stay. We had arrived a bit earlier than expected, but we were able to check-in immediately.
The lobby is beautiful. Very sleek, modern and extremely clean. I loved the white everywhere. There is a small restaurant on to one side of the lobby. It was not open when we arrived and we did not eat there that night either.
Our room was on the third floor right across from the elevator. In terms of location, it was very convenient although it could get a bit noisy at random hours of the night. The rooms were absolutely fantastic. They were large and spacious and came equipped with a small kitchen for those that had an extended stay. It also had a desk that would be very useful to those on business. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a view from our room. The hotel is located in a rather urban area. There were more office and businesses and was not somewhere you can walk easily to anywhere from. However, if you were here on business, I can see how it could be a better location than a tourist.
The bathroom was my favorite part of the room. It was very large with a modern design and a walk-in shower. In continuing with their 'going green' initiative, you can choose how much gallons the toilet can use to flush. My only complaint was that there was only one towel rack in the bathroom. It would make more sense to put two as that was the room's occupancy and there was no shortage of room.
Due to the restaurant being closed, the only other place to get something to eat would be in their little snack shop that they had set up behind of the check-in desk. It wasn't much but it was something. I just wished it had somewhere to get food in the middle of the day.
The hotel also came equipped with a small business center consisting of two computers and a printer/scanner/copier. It was helpful to print out boarding passes and luggage tags for the cruise. They also had a decently sized gym and a nice outdoor area. It had a few chairs and tables outside, a barbecue pit area and the pool.
The Element also offers complimentary breakfast. It was a small variety of breakfast foods. Bagels, toast, muffins, breakfast burritos and fruits. There was also various juices and cold cereal. I'm sure there were a few more options but none of them really appealed to me and I didn't take any pictures during breakfast. My husband doesn't eat pork so I recall his breakfast consisted of breads and fruit for the most part. I wish it had a bit more variety, however, it's free so I shouldn't complain.
For a charge, the hotel provides a shuttle to the Port of Miami. It was $12 per person and we arrived to the port in about 15-20 minutes. I wouldn't mind staying here again and I definitely look forward to staying at other Element brands throughout my travels. It's definitely a welcome addition to the Starwood family.
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