Gulf Coast Beach Holidays

We recently stayed at Fontainebleau Miami Beach for 2 nights and honestly left pretty underwhelmed, especially considering the price point and reputation. The property itself is beautiful and iconic, but the overall guest experience felt very transactional. Everywhere you turned there was another service charge, added fee, or overpriced convenience. It constantly felt like we were being nickel and dimed instead of enjoying a luxury stay. The valet situation was especially frustrating since valet is basically required. It was slow, disorganized, and stressful multiple times throughout our stay. For a hotel operating at this level, the process should run much smoother. Another disappointment was the room setup. The mini fridge is sensor-controlled for the minibar, so you really can’t use it for your own drinks or leftovers without risking charges. Such a small thing, but incredibly inconvenient when staying more than one night. What really stood out most was how quickly the customer service disappeared once we checked out. The exit process literally sends you out the back, and the hospitality vibe was basically over at that point. Overall, the hotel looks impressive in photos, but the experience did not match the cost. We expected luxury hospitality and instead felt like every interaction came with another fee attached.