Hotel Breakwater

Miami Beach, Miami

Virgin rating

The hotel

Immerse yourself in the spirit of Miami, with a stay at the lively Hotel Breakwater. In the heart of Ocean Drive in the iconic Art Deco district, and just steps from South Beach, you’ll be surrounded by the excitement that’s made Miami famous. Complimentary bicycle rental makes exploring more fun, although it’s just as easy to get around on foot. So, why not head to one of the nearby galleries, or treat yourself to some retail therapy? Cool off in the glass enclosed pool, and be sure to make time for a bite to eat at Ocean’s Ten, where your al fresco meal comes with a side of people watching. You'll love the nightlife in this area too, so get ready for an unforgettable trip!

Amenities

  • Bicycle Rental
  • Bar
  • Evening Entertainment
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Internet Access
  • No Smoking
  • Restaurant
  • Room Service
  • Safety Deposit Box
  • Spa
  • Swimming Pool
  • Valet parking

Where is it

Located in the heart of Miami’s South Beach on Ocean Drive, in the iconic Art Deco district. Within walking distance of a variety of eateries, galleries and shops, and steps away from the beach. Transfer time from Miami International Airport: approximately 30 minutes.

Hotel information

Comfortable and modern rooms with art-inspired décor, and a wealth of amenities, including: air conditioning, free WiFi, free international calling, 42” LCD TVs, coffee machine, room service*, iPod docking station, minibar*, iron, safe, and hair dryer. 

Superior Rooms feature either 1 king-size or 1 queen-size bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Superior Ocean View rooms have partial ocean views, with bathrobes, and either 1 king-size bed, 1 queen-size bed, or 2 full beds, sleeping maximum 2 adults. 

Deluxe Rooms are more spacious, with a side balcony and partial ocean views, featuring either 1 king-size or 1 queen-size bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Junior Suites feature a sitting area with full-size sleeper sofa, and 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 4 adults.

Penthouse Ocean View rooms feature an outdoor balcony/lanai/terrace with private pool and full ocean view, as well as a sitting area, and 1 king-size bed sleeping maximum 4 adults. 

Penthouse Sunrise rooms feature an outdoor balcony/lanai/terrace with private pool and full ocean view, as well as a sitting area, and 1 king-size bed sleeping maximum 4 adults.

Valet parking*. Complimentary WiFi. Complimentary bicycle rental. Complimentary international calls. Fitness centre. K’Alma Spa. Pool.

Havana 1957 (Cuban dishes). Ocean’s Ten (casual indoor and outdoor all-day dining, with nightly entertainment). Mamma Mia (ice cream, gelato and coffee). Nearby Gianni’s (blend of Italian and Mediterranean food in a historic setting) offers a discount for hotel guests.

There is a resort fee of $20 plus tax per room, per night (payable locally, fee subject to change).

*Denotes local charge. 

Please note: this is a non-smoking hotel

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (1964)
  • Very good (775)
  • Average (354)
  • Poor (173)
  • Terrible (267)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating WOULD ADVISE ALL TO STAY ELSEWHERE

Nov 3, 2024 Deanoboy84 Lincoln, United Kingdom

We recently stayed the the Hotel Breakwater at the end of September. The hotel was recommended to us by a Virgin Holidays travel agent who spoke highly of the establishment. This was our first time in Miami South Beach so we wanted to stay somewhere special. We enjoyed our stay with very little issues. The interior of the hotel is dated however,… Read more
We recently stayed the the Hotel Breakwater at the end of September. The hotel was recommended to us by a Virgin Holidays travel agent who spoke highly of the establishment. This was our first time in Miami South Beach so we wanted to stay somewhere special. We enjoyed our stay with very little issues. The interior of the hotel is dated however, and the mattress was old and worn! The room did smell of damp but we could see through this as the location is great. However, upon checkout and unknown to us, the guy on reception charged the full price (£400 in total) of our stay to our personal credit card when the charge for the stay should have been claimed from Virgin Holidays as part of our package holiday. (So we paid twice) We didn’t challenge this cost for a few days due to the fact we believed it may be some sort of “holding fee” for any gratuities placed upon the room. We were shocked to then see this large amount of money taken from our credit account. Virgin Holidays told us that the hotel should not of done this and we should contact the hotel for a refund. After several attempts to make contact with the hotel, they never responded and ignored all our emails. Virgin Holidays have also attempted to contact the hotel to get them to issue a refund, with no resolution or response. I find it really disappointing and disrespectful that the hotel management have chosen not to respond to our request for a resolution to amicably sort out this issue. Reading other reviews on here, it looks like this isn’t the first time errors have been made by the hotel in over charging guests! Virgin Holidays have had to now resolve this issue thankfully after 3 weeks of nothing from the hotel management. I’m a very fair reviewer, I’ve never had to write a review like this before, but the severity of this issue and the stress it has caused shouldn’t be overlooked. I would recommend to anyone, pick a different hotel! DO NOT STAY AT THIS HOTEL. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Horrific, badly managed and an absolutely disgusting experience.

Oct 28, 2024 Juan M

In 35 years of coming to this incredibly city, we have never experienced such disgusting accommodation and totally incompetent management. We booked a 4 night mid-week stay at The Hotel Breakwater. Firstly, this is not as advertised, it is not a boutique hotel and the images of the pool area are misleading. To say that it’s shabby, run down… Read more
In 35 years of coming to this incredibly city, we have never experienced such disgusting accommodation and totally incompetent management. We booked a 4 night mid-week stay at The Hotel Breakwater. Firstly, this is not as advertised, it is not a boutique hotel and the images of the pool area are misleading. To say that it’s shabby, run down would be an understatement. I have seen cleaner and deeper public fountains in and around Miami. This pool looked and smelt as if no care or cleaning had been done. And forget about relaxing there… it is impossible as they have the loudest generators I have ever heard running 24/7… in fact my wife thought at first that an emergency helicopter was about to land. It is impossible to relax there. The images are so mis-leading. At 1.30am one morning we heard the loudest banging, the about 5 minutes of sawing… When we called down to security, they investigated and the noise stopped. 20 minutes later security very kindly called us to wake us up again to tell us the noise had stopped. Idiot. Reception explained that this had been due to maintenance but this excuse was then retracted by the GM. The next day the hotel upgraded us to a non-existent room…. When we came back down the receptionist was looking a little worried as our old room AND the new room my wife was previously shown and agreed on had been sold. So we now didn’t have a room with two more nights to stay, for which we paid for. A few angry moments and some frantic calling and the reception team had managed to find a room and bought a small bed for our daughter to sleep on. Our room had a pull out sofa so rather than sleep on the dodgy old looking wooden bed we started to make the pull out bed… and that’s when we discovered the state of the disgusting mattress that the hotel expected our daughter to sleep on. See images. They made that bed for us, they would have seen the state of the mattress..,and yet they expected someone to sleep on it? So I dragged the mattress back to reception where I left it on display there. I’ve seen matrasses like this before, but usually on the side of streets, or in murder scenes. To be fair the reception team were as shocked as we were.. and apologetic and assured us we would be comped so nights for the inconvenience. We were ‘comped’,a breakfast at The News Cafe as a way of an apology. When we got there we were told it was on their restrictive menu and our menus were immediately removed…. Not much of an apology. We paid for a proper breakfast. We complained to every one, but no one was getting back to us. In desperation I spoke with the GM at their sister hostel, The Victor… who looked so shocked and we felt was truly sorry for the incompetence. And organised a meeting with the GM at the Breakwater. I have to say that encounter was a complete waste of time, and it soon became apparent why this once iconic hotel was now a disgusting, run down shadow of what it had been. TheBreakwater GM was so blasé, so unhelpful, and his lack of understanding a would suggest that complaints like this are not uncommon. His team really did feel for us though and continued to be apologetic. Shame the GM couldn’t man up and take responsibility for his disgusting, shameful hotel. We were told this would be sorted out by Monday at 12pm… and in true character of this hotel, we have not received any form of communication or offer of compensation (except for a lunch at the Versace restaurant, which they knew full well we could do as we were leaving) from the incompetent team at The Breakwater. This in it’s self is not unusual as we would have to chase several times to get a response whilst booking.. Please, if you are considering this hotel, DO NOT BOOK. There are other hotels, that are cleaner, quieter and where the management team respect the fact that they are working in the hospitality business and welcome their guests and perhaps have pride in their hotel. Some hotel pros even use mattresses that haven’t had a hard life in the adult film industry. The Breakwater is not one of them Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Excellent Stay at Hotel Breakwater

Oct 25, 2024 IamTheBestInTown

I had the pleasure of staying at Hotel Breakwater in October 2024, and I was thoroughly impressed. The room and bathroom were exceptionally clean and maintained to a high standard. The quality of the furnishings and amenities exceeded my expectations, and the bed was incredibly comfortable, with soft, clean sheets that made for a perfect night’s… Read more
I had the pleasure of staying at Hotel Breakwater in October 2024, and I was thoroughly impressed. The room and bathroom were exceptionally clean and maintained to a high standard. The quality of the furnishings and amenities exceeded my expectations, and the bed was incredibly comfortable, with soft, clean sheets that made for a perfect night’s sleep. The overall experience was fantastic, and I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Miami. Great service, cleanliness, and comfort make it a top choice! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Charged twice

Oct 24, 2024 rh2ohouse

When checking in, our credit card was charged twice. The clerk said the charge did not go through the first time. My phone immediately registered two charges from my bank. I showed the clerk, he said only one would be the final charge. Three days later when checking out, I again showed the clerk we had been charged twice. He claimed his… Read more
When checking in, our credit card was charged twice. The clerk said the charge did not go through the first time. My phone immediately registered two charges from my bank. I showed the clerk, he said only one would be the final charge. Three days later when checking out, I again showed the clerk we had been charged twice. He claimed his system only showed once and to take it up with my credit card company. Today I received notice from my credit card company that it has been 25 days since they reached out and have not heard a word from the Breakwater. We are not surprised. The Breakwater was difficult to work with from the beginning. We never received email confirmation of reservation, even after several phone calls. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Early check in

Oct 12, 2024 Debby T Tamworth, United Kingdom

Thanks to Jonathan Lilly and Harold who helped us as we disembarked our cruise earlier than expected they let us check into this fabulous hotel early , the bar and restaurant look amazing can’t wait to use them . Thanks to all at Breakwater for a wonderful stay