Miami International Airport Hotel review: Go for the convenience, stay for the water pressure

The Miami International Airport Hotel is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a hotel. Attached directly to the Miami International Airport.

It is convenient. It is nice. It’s the place you want to stay if you have a kink for a showerhead with really strong (almost abusive) water pressure.

It is not, however, a luxury property. It is not cheap. It is not new. I wouldn’t call it old, but it is slightly vintage. In a good way.

A full review of my one night stay at the Miami International Airport Hotel

My first stay at this property was back in 2017, and it seemed a little rundown. I’m happy to report that the rooms have been nicely renovated since then. Everything seemed modern, fresh, and clean during my most recent stay.

Location

This hotel is located just outside of Concourse E at MIA (near checkpoint 6). It’s on level 2 (the ticketing level) and you don’t even need to go outside to reach it. Just follow the signs.

Signage leading to the Miami international airport hotel from inside the airport — “**Hotel.** Hotel.” The signage leading to this place may not be all that descriptive, but I’m happy that it exists.

Lobby of the Miami International Airport Hotel — There’s no grand entrance here. The lobby blends into the rest of the airport like a snowflake in a blizzard, and you’re probably going to miss it. Pay attention!

The lobby (and checking in)

The lobby of this hotel isn’t sectioned off from the rest of the airport. It’ll be hard to know that you’re there until you’re standing right next to the reception desk.

Miami International Airport Hotel reception desk — Patiently waiting my turn to tell them all about how I walked past this place before realizing my mistake and then had to turn around and come back because of how much the lobby blends into the airport.

Walking to the elevators at the Miami International Airport hotel — They didn’t seem to care for some reason. Oh well. To the elevators!

I’ve never had to wait long to get checked in here. It’s always been less than five minutes, and my recent stay was no different.

Getting to my room

The elevators are located down a short walkway just to the right (your right) of the reception desk. It shouldn’t take you more than 30 seconds to make the walk.

Miami International Airport hotel signage next to the elevators

Inside the elevator at the Miami International Airport hotel

Fourth floor guestroom hallway Miami International Airport hotel — The fourth floor hallway (and a satisfying AF / textbook example of one point perspective).

Scott Leazenby walking down the fourth floor hallway to his room at the Miami International Airport hotel — Having flashbacks of staying up till 3 AM doing one point perspective illustrations for my 8 AM technical drawing class in college. All of that work only to end up as a hotel reviewer.

Room 451 Miami International Airport hotel — Room 451? What a coincidence! I vividly recall staying up to 4:51 AM once trying to figure out two point perspective. The worst night of my life actually. Let’s hope this one will be better…

Standard room overview

I booked a Standard room, which somehow ended up being slightly larger than the room that I had the first time that I stayed here.

Walking into my room for the very first time at the Miami International Airport Hotel — Right off the rip, I was faced with two tempting choices. Do I go left? Or do I go right? (I went right because I had to pee).

My room at the Miami International Airport hotel — Evacuation complete. Let’s have a look at the rest of the room…

My room at the Miami International Airport hotel looking across the bed and back towards the entrance — The exact opposite of the view that I just showed you. One can say that it’s an *alternate perspective*.

King bed in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — The third perspective, looking across the bed to the closet and the window. I’m happy to report that things are going much better this time.

The rooms are very small in this hotel. It’s an older (I mean “vintage“) structure, and I guess that’s just how they used to do it back in the day.

Large flatscreen TV in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — This TV (much like my brain trying to process technical drawing in college) didn’t work. Well, it did turn on, but there was no signal. Just like in college.

Desk and chair in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel. — The desk. A lot more sturdy than the one I had back in college, that’s for sure. That chair was really comfy BTW.

Kapsulyst coffee machine in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — Of course there’s a Kapsulyst coffee machine in the desk drawer. Why wouldn’t there be?

Exposed closet in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — The closet. Simple. Clean. You only get four hangers though, so pack lightly.

Steam machine and ice bucket in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — More machines where you wouldn’t expect machines to be. WTF is that thing anyway?

Pillows on the bed in my room at the Miami international airport hotel — The pillow situation. Can I trade one of these for an extra hanger? Asking for a friend.

Door leading to an adjoining room in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — What this room lacked in hangers, it made up for in doors. This is the door leading to the adjoining room.

The entrance door with security locks in my room at the Miami International Airport Hotel — This is the entrance door. Same color, same size, but with more security bits.

Door leading to storage closet or utility room in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — This is the door that led to what I can only assume was a black hole of some kind. It was locked, there was no noise coming from behind it, and no light from the gap at the bottom. Thinking back on it, I should’ve at least knocked (just to see what would happen).

Large full length mirror in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — Speaking of black holes (and third dimensions), this infinity mirror was a bit of a trip. *“Hey I know that guy!”*

The view from my room

Even though this hotel is connected directly to the airport, you’re not always going to get a perfect view of the action. Not only are the windows small and dirty, you won’t get any view at all from floors 1-5.

View from the window of my fourth floor room at the Miami International Airport hotel — I’ve never stayed at a hotel in urban Kazakhstan, but my assumption is that it would be something like this. There’s not much of a view from these 4th floor rooms, y’all.

My best recommendation? Book a room on a higher floor, and even then, don’t expect a view as amazing as what you would get from a room at the Marriott at the Calgary International Airport.

View of the airport from my 7th floor room at the Miami International Airport hotel — This is the view that I had from a 7th floor room (room 741) at this hotel back in 2017. The windows were much cleaner (and maybe not so tinted) back then.

The bathroom

The bathroom in my room during my latest visit didn’t seem to look any different than it did during my first visit in 2017. It was very clean and well maintained however, and I had no issues.

Shower and tub in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — Seriously, next time you take a shower (anywhere in the world) and you’re wondering where all of the water pressure went, it’s here.

Showerhead with high water pressure in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — The power of all that water coming out of this showerhead damn near had me pinned up against the wall. And I liked it.

Toilet in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — And the toilet? OMG. This thing was strong enough to flush a Volvo. And I liked it.

Nectar soaps and lotions in the bathroom in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel — I’m not even sure why they bothered providing soaps and lotions. All this stuff is just gonna get pressure washed off you the moment you step in the shower anyway. Thanks though!

Bathroom sink in my room at the Miami International Airport hotel

Scott Leazenby standing in the bathroom mirror in his room at the Miami International Airport hotel

Room service and food

This hotel does not have its own dedicated restaurant. However, there is a Mexican / Cuban restaurant right across from the lobby (Air Margaritaville), and you can actually order room service from there. There is also a Subway restaurant just a five minute walk away (inside the terminal).

Pros and cons of Miami International Airport Hotel

The convenience of being attached directly to the airport is what I like most about this property. It’s also charmingly vintage, which makes it worth a visit IMHO.

Pros

Did I mention that it’s attached directly to the airport? Because it’s attached directly to the airport.
The newly renovated rooms look great.
It’s not luxurious, but it sure is clean. They do a very good job with maintenance here.
Showerhead water pressure the equivalent of standing under Niagara Falls.

Cons

The rooms are a bit small by modern day hotel standards.
Newly renovated rooms or not, it still kinda feels like a dorm room experience.
Sometimes kind of expensive. At least if you compare it to other hotels surrounding the airport.

Miami International Airport Hotel review: Go for the convenience, stay for the water pressure