South Beach, Miami

The Abbey Hotel is a great little Art Deco hotel in Miami’s South Beach district. The location of this hotel is a definite asset: it’s on a quiet street across from Lincoln Park and the Bass Museum of Art (a favorite of Enrique Iglesias) and two short blocks from the beach itself. There are a couple of cheap breakfast joints around the corner on Collins Avenue, and Lincoln Road’s many cafés are just a short walk from the hotel.

Three things impressed us when my husband and I checked into the Abbey:

1. The rooms were very clean and well appointed, with a chic and peaceful decor, comfortable king-size bed, and lots of extras (like a CD player, VCR, and dataport).
2. The quietness of the location and of the hotel itself.
3. The attentiveness of the staff.

Although we did not sample the dining room, on Friday night we noticed that it was busy. The eclectic Mediterranean menu featured a range of entrées, such as: lamb tajine, paella, bouillabaisse, snapper, and tenderloin, as well as lighter fare.

A car is really not necessary, as several buses and shuttles operate in the area, including a local 25-cent shuttle that goes around the district and other shuttles that go further afield (like one to the airport and another to the Sawgrass outlet mall).

If you do have a car, as with everywhere else in South Beach, parking is problematic: on-street meters need to be fed until midnight and parking lots are not necessarily secure. Valet parking is available at the Abbey for $17 per day, with in-and-out privileges. The Abbey does not own its own parking lot and has an arrangement with the parking garage across the street. As a needed precaution, if you use the hotel’s valet service, make sure that you note the mileage of the car’s odometer when you hand the keys over and when you get the car back. If you notice a discrepancy, report it to the Abbey’s management.