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Back in August of 2021, my friend and I took a little 5 day trip to Miami Beach. This trip took place during my friend’s birthday. So, we chose to go with a hotel that had a beautiful beach front view. Plus, it had to have easy access to the beach. After searching for a while, we decided to go with the Best Western Plus Atlantic Beach Resort on Collins Ave. Since our stay at the hotel, I’ve come up with a review on the hotel, the room, and our stay in general.

Booking.com

The total cost for a one bedroom with two double beds, and a balcony beach front view, for 5 days was $811.70. Seems like a lot of money but it was on the cheaper end of hotel prices in the area. We could have found something that was cheaper which was located further away from the beach.

However, my friend wanted to be close to the beach, and have a balcony ocean view, for her birthday. So, the Best Western Plus Atlantic Beach was the best option at the time. We ended up going with it because of the cheaper price for our stay, the easy access to the beach, plus the balcony ocean view.

The Room Was Good

My friend and I shared a bedroom with two double beds. There was a T.V. in the room, bathroom, refrigerator, pretty typical stuff. What made the room extra cool was the balcony ocean view. It’s awesome when you have a balcony; you can relax outside and get some fresh air. What makes it even better is when you have a balcony with a view of the beach!

My friend and I loved this aspect of the room. It’s what made the room worthwhile. Almost every morning, we’d go out onto the balcony and soak up some sun, and watch the waves crash on the beach. The very next day of our arrival, we both got up around 6am to watch the sunrise from our balcony. That was a highlight for sure!

However, certain areas of the room were a bit dusty. Don’t get me wrong, it was clean overall. But you could tell that some areas were missed when cleaning and dusting. Besides this, the interior design of the room was good. It had a nice, modern look to it but it didn’t look ridiculously modern or up to date.

Overall, a pretty decent room with lovely views of, and easy access, to the beach.

Problems With The Key Cards

One of the irritating issues we had with the hotel was our key cards. That’s right, the ones that open your room. We had problems almost every day with them. When we got back to our room, almost every time, our key card would not give us access to the room.

Did I mention we were on the 8th floor of this hotel building? Well, going all the way up to the 8th floor and seeing that your key card isn’t working is irritating. We had to go all the way down to the lobby to get new key cards. It was something so small yet so troublesome.

Mind you, I kept the key cards away from my phone and credit cards. They weren’t in contact with one another. With that being said, I don’t understand how the key card wouldn’t work on so many occasions. At one point, my friend said the receptionist in the lobby was very rude to her because she had to replace the key card.

My friend said that the woman made it seem like we were doing something wrong and gave such an attitude. Not exactly professional. I’m unsure of how many other guests had this issue. I know one man on our floor had an issue with his key card working. So, if you decide to stay here, be aware of this issue.

Easy Beach Access

One of the highlights of this hotel was the easy beach access. I mean, you literally walked out the back, past the pool, across the pathway and you were on the beach. It was so simple and easy! You didn’t have to walk for many blocks or take transportation to the beach.

Of course, we took advantage of this on almost a daily basis. When you’re that close to the beach, how can you not? Having such easy access also made it a lot better when we had to go back to our room. We didn’t have to walk for a long time or change clothes to take an Uber to get to our accommodation. We just went past the pool and straight into the hotel.

When you stay in a hotel that’s right on the beach, access to it becomes so easy.

Beach Area Is Less Crowded

Since we had easy access to the beach from our hotel, the area on the beach we visited was less crowded. When we were there, it never got super crowded or noisy. Compared to it’s counter part, South Beach, the beach area where the hotel is located sees less people.

This is a plus if you’re looking for a hotel or area that has easy access to the beach but doesn’t have tons of people on it. It was perfect during our stay, because we never felt like we were in the middle of a crowd or didn’t have our own space.

If having less crowds on the beach, while still being close to the beach, is something you’re looking for, then this is the hotel for you.

Beautiful Lobby Area

Whenever I walk into a hotel or resort, I immediately look at the layout and design of the lobby area. I just love seeing the beautiful designs, furniture, lighting, colors used, and overall vibe of the lobby. For me, it really sets the tone for my accommodation and the overall vibe of the place.

I must say, the lobby area of Best Western Plus Atlantic Beach Resort is beautiful. I was very impressed with the cleanliness, design, and layout of the lobby. I was very nice and welcoming. It’s a very open and spacious area as well.

Convient Access To Stores

Another benefit of this hotel is it’s location. It’s prime location means that you have convenient access to a lot of stores that are around. For the most part, stores are within walking distance from the hotel. There’s a CVS that’s right across the street from the hotel. If you keep walking on Collins Ave, you come across more stores as well.

If you need any snacks, water, medicine, alcohol, it’s within walking distance. So you don’t have to go far out of your way to get to a store.

Within Walking Distance Of Restaurants and Cafes

The amount of restaurants and cafes in the area is awesome. There are restaurants in hotels and on the main avenue as well. Little cafes are present as well. You have options to choose from. My friend and I’s favorite restaurant is called, “Tavern”, which is about a 5 minute walk from our hotel.

Collins Ave is a very good location overall, because the access you have to food and drinks is pretty good.

Beautiful Beach Views

Last but not least, the beach views! When you’re in a hotel, one that’s right on the beach, you have stunning views of the beach. If you’re able to catch any sunrise or sunsets, that’s even better! That’s the primary reason why my friend decided to go with this hotel, was because of the views it provided to the beach. The balcony ocean view room provided stunning, wide views of the beach without any buildings blocking the view.

All thoughts and opinions on this hotel are my own. They’re all based on my experience during my 5 day stay in Miami Beach. Whether you decide to make the Best Western Plus Atlantic Beach Resort your accommodation of choice while in the area is up to you.