James Hotel

Prós: I liked the atmosphere and decorations/theming and the pleasant staff. The bathroom, towels, and linens were very clean and fresh.

Contras: Being South Beach on a weekend, there can be some rowdy guests/patrons coming in and out of the hotel late at night.

We really enjoyed the hotel reading the reviews of others before we reserved, there seemed to be two camps that suggested to us that it was idiosyncratic in a way that irked some but delighted others. We took a chance and found it delightfully quirky  the lobby and corridors are decorated with all sorts of stuff, sometimes slightly random in a kindergarten kind of way, but somehow it worked for us. The rooms are basic, but clean and comfortable and the A/C worked well. Noise was no more than a background sounds of the city. Our only beef was the low-flush toilet that didnt always remove all the paper from the bowl and smelt a little (despite the normal daily cleanings). The shower was good with plenty of hot water. The location is perfect for exploring the Deco region of Miami Beach and close to the shops and restaurants of the Lincoln Street Mall and just a 5 min walk to the beach. Parking is a bit of an issue. There is indeed free parking but there was not enough for all the guests with cars when we were there. Two nights we came back and it was full so we had to park around the corner in a municipal multistory lot  the rate was $20/24hours  we paid I think $15 each time still a lot less than a major hotel per night. The parking lot itself is basically a wide driveway that takes three columns of cars up to about 20 or so. This means you need to budget time for the staff to shuffle the cars to dig yours out when you need it. We were right at the back of the building and the WiFi didnt quite reach in the lobby it was fast and easy to connect. Wed definitely make a return visit if we stayed in Miami Beach again.

Prós: The quirky charm of the building. The staff, who were all super friendly and helpful. The location, which is great for access to the beach and many restaurants/shops of interest.

Contras: The room toilet seems is a curious low volume flush design that didn't always get rid of all paper. It also smelt a little. The free parking does not quite enough for all the rooms so we had to park in a nearby lot for two of our nights ($20/24hr).