Greenview Hotel

“Pleasantly surprised with Greenview Hotel! ”

I feel the need to contribute an honest and transparent review. I booked my stay at Greenview - WEEKS PRIOR to falling upon the Tripadvisor reviews for this hotel. I read these overwhelming reviews days before checking in and they had me scared that I was walking myself into a nightmare stay. ... more

I feel the need to contribute an honest and transparent review. I booked my stay at Greenview - WEEKS PRIOR to falling upon the Tripadvisor reviews for this hotel. I read these overwhelming reviews days before checking in and they had me scared that I was walking myself into a nightmare stay. I decided to make my own mind and stay anyway - and I am glad I did. Upon arrival on a Tuesday morning (10am), the check in staff member was VERY nice and immediately took my bags to hold. March is a busy month in South Beach, so I didn't expect to have a room that early so I planned to do work in the lobby or a coffee shop. This hotel is located right off the Lincoln road mall so I actually decided to post at one of the nearby Starbucks locations. By the time my work was finished it was 2pm and I walked back to the hotel to check on the status of an early check in - and to my surprised my room was ready. I was on second level, #204 - the check in staff ensured I was in a room away from the nearby construction. I held my breath as I walked into my room - and to my great surprise, it was great. The floors are wood, the AC unit was working (blowing cold) and looked fairly new. I don't like cold, so I turned my unit off and didn't need to turn it on the entire stay. The room was like the picture of 2 full beds, same colors on the wall (green/teal). It is a little dim at night - but there was plenty of light and light fixtures to turn on. There was a nice flat screen tv with cable channels. The window was nice and large with a black out blind and sheer curtains. The black out blinds actually caused me to sleep so well the first night I woke up late! The bed is very comfortable, I had plenty of clean linens and pillows. The room was spacious, there was a separate small walk in closet with plenty of shelving, and hanger space as well as a personal safe. The room had a desk, chair and a small fridge. Bathroom was adequate with a spacious step in shower. I had plenty of towels in the bathroom as well as back stocked in the closet. The amenities were premium. Overall the room was clean, spacious, comfortable and equipped. It did not smell - this was my greatest fear from these bad review - as I have an acute sense of smell. I did not have or see any bugs at any time during my stay. Actually, the cleaning staff were ALWAYS working. I woke very early on days to run and so I was in and out the room a lot and I witnessed the cleaning staff constantly cleaning & servicing neighboring rooms. Now was the room and hotel BRAND NEW AND PRISTINE?? There are scratches on the wood flooring, wall paint and furniture - but scratches isn't filth. The tiles in the bathroom aren't brand new - they look to be original to the old construction of the building...but again, cracks and not being new, doesn't mean it's filthy just older. And if you're familiar with South Beach, or actually Miami as a whole for that matter - for the price point of "brand new and pristine" will cost a person upward of $300-400 a night. Most places from $70-$150 range won't likely be newly renovated and pristine new - but that doesn't mean it's dirty and not worth the stay. There are plenty of terrible bait & switch places including airbnbs in the Miami area - I have been coming to Miami for a decade several times a year and have stayed at many different accommodations in Miami, Hollywood, and Ft Lauderdale. The culture of accommodation is the same - you have either really cheap hostel like places under $75 a night or very very expensive pristine new $300-400 a night places. The places in the middle like Greenview are a hit or miss. But I really feel like Greenview is getting a bad rap for no reason. I interacted with different staff on the several days I was there - and ALL OF THEM were very attentive and nice. They even have clean complimentary beach towels for check out, which I used each day. The place doesn't have a restaurant or bar but that doesn't matter because the location is EXCELLENT - as I said before, it's right off the Lincoln Road mall so there's tons of shopping options and restaurants to choose from. And it's 2 blocks from the Ocean - so there's a ton of options on Washington, on Lincoln and of course Ocean & Collins. The location is also great for getting a good rest, because you're not sharing bars as neighbors, the noise factor wasn't an issue...I slept very good each night. Overall I'm giving an Excellent rating based on Location, Space/Cleanliness, Staff and Deal for the money. I feel like the people leaving bad outrageous reviews are the kind of people who would move into a busy city apartment on the bottom floor and complain that they hear their neighbors above them. Or pick a room that's above a pub and complain that there's noise all the time. I live in NYC, and I frequently stay in Miami - GREENVIEW HOTEL WAS A NICE SURPRISE STAY and I would stay here again.

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“Potentially good, but in transition”

The Greenview hotel has the potential to be terrific. It just needs to be completed by hospitality experts- not real estate developers. A personal touch could make up for rookie mistakes in how to treat guests vs. “ short term renters.” The “pristinely-preserved” hotel description is not entirel... more

The Greenview hotel has the potential to be terrific. It just needs to be completed by hospitality experts- not real estate developers. A personal touch could make up for rookie mistakes in how to treat guests vs. “ short term renters.” The “pristinely-preserved” hotel description is not entirely accurate. The hotel photos show something cleaner, more well-lit, and more finished than what I experienced. As of Dec 2023, the building is still being renovated. When I stayed, they were installing carpet. The lobby and elevators also need work. Once it is completed, the décor seems like it will be similar to The Ace or The Standard hotels. There was not free breakfast in Dec. 2023. PROS Excellent location near the beach, one block from Lincoln Road. Price is reasonable, especially for a room with fridge, microwave. They have a partnership with a beach chair service and beach towels are available. CONS Still being renovated Privacy / security: Even though I pre-paid through a major booking website, Greenview requires that you send credit card details and government photo ID PRIOR to arrival. They they also require a personal photo before you can check in. This seems REALLY sketchy- especially for single women or minorities. Why do they need a personal photo? Why isn’t my prepayment info from a major booking website enough to be able to check in? They also lack a data privacy policy on their website. Acts like an AirBnB / VRBO: There was an email request to take out trash upon leaving. This is a task housekeeping should take care of. There also really isn’t “staff and service”- again- it is like a short-term rental property vs. a hotel. No human contact: This could be a pro or con, but everything is done via text or email. You get your 4-digit key code to get into the building and into your room. This might not be appealing to some people.

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