Mandarin Oriental Miami

Another extraordinary stay at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami. From the exquisitely appointed room to the thoughtful welcome amenities, every detail contributed to an experience that felt nothing short of magical. The warmth and genuine engagement from the staff truly stood out, making us feel both welcomed and valued throughout our stay. A highlight of our trip was our dinner at La Mar, where the service was impeccable and the culinary offerings were simply outstanding. The restaurant’s atmosphere, paired with flawless attention to detail, made for an unforgettable dining experience. Additionally, the hotel’s prime location, just steps away from Brickell City Center, offered unmatched convenience for shopping and dining excursions. Overall, this stay surpassed our expectations in every regard. The exceptional level of service we received made our time at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami truly memorable. We eagerly anticipate our next visit and are already looking forward to the next opportunity to indulge in such unparalleled luxury and hospitality.

The experience from the first step on property was magnificent. We received prompt and friendly service, a lovely hibiscus tea on arrival, quick bag service, and a variety of complementary amenities and food and service credits for using our Amex. The room views are magical. The balcony is gorgeous with panoramic views of the entire Miami skyline and water. Our room has a cutout from the bathroom/ tub through the room and out of the balcony. There are views of the area from every single spot in the room; even the toilet, if you care to leave the door open. The room has lots of hidden gems, from a little tray for complimentary shoe shines to slippers and robes already laid out, artistic and delicious truffles, chargers and ports everywhere, luxurious (and not overwhelmingly scented) bath and body products, and a postcard they will mail from the concierge for you. The only ding against the room is the bathroom. There is an incredibly small sink/ vanity space with one sink and two slim, short countertops on either side that are already mostly full with the complimentary toiletries (toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving kit, shower caps, etc.) and washcloths. The shower was easy to miss at first, tucked in the corner with an awkward shape. The shower head is small and oddly close to the wall, but it is adjustable. No bidet, which I only mention because our Biscayne Bay hotel had one and that hotel wasn't nearly as nice. Food on site has been impressive. Breakfast was lovely at La Mar. Delicious food, polite and prompt service, and once again amazing views. The pool lunch was the best one I've ever had. There are quality, fresh ingredients and a fun spin on classic food, like the truffle honey grilled cheese with comté, aged cheddar, arugula, and of course truffle honey. The fries are perfect. The concierge, David, was incredibly helpful with restaurant recommendations. He was able to get us a same-day reservation at a top restaurant in the area with high demand and no public availability. All of his suggestions from the menu were excellent and he was so kind. The spa is relaxing and tranquil. There are limited facilities, but good ones. The women's area has a sauna, steam room, and relaxation room (with comfy chairs and a few snacks). The showers here make up for the ones in the room. Four overhead showerheads, four on the wall, and a handheld sprayer. There is a touch screen with various lighting modes (thunderstorm is soothing and even has flashes of lightning). The Bluetooth feature was not working, but you can set the set exact temperature of the water and toggle each shower head section on and off. Overall, this has been a relaxing and incredibly wonderful stay. We have one more night before we leave, and we're already trying to figure out when we can come back.

The hotel is lovely, with a nice location set away from the downtown area and brilliant views. The food was good and the pool environment very pleasant, without loud music. Even though the gym was being renovated, they had moved the equipment to vacant rooms, which felt rather strange but was much better than not offering any workout facilities. We would stay here again if we return to Miami. Unfortunately, a member of staff walked into the room when I was getting out of the shower, even though we had the door not disturb sign on. Mistakes happen, and although the incident was upsetting and embarrassing, it was the attitude of the manager that made it a disappointing end to the stay. While all other members of staff were highly apologetic, the manager, Aila, was incredibly rude and confrontational, claiming that ‘your check out was at 1pm so you shouldn’t be in the room’. When I explained that we had a late check-out at 4pm, as confirmed by a receptionist the previous day, she responded ’no’. She communicated in a very hostile way, saying ‘I see you want us to take the blame’ (we had not made any sort of personal accusation) and implied that we were lying about having late check-out. Overall, her communication was entirely unprofessional and shocking from a manager at a luxury hotel group such as Mandarin Oriental. We could tell that the other staff members were frankly embarrassed by her, and several of them apologised to us individually following our interaction. The front office manager did follow up concerning the incident by email, so I believe that the issue is with this one particular staff member, rather than a systematic problem within the hotel. Nonetheless, Mandarin Oriental should be more selective about whom they choose to represent them.