The rooms are a bit smallish, but good-sized closets help. There are TVs and phones and plenty of lighting. And GREAT beds. VCRs as well. It's not a great business hotel, and most rooms are good for lounging around, but it's in a nice, quiet spot across the street from a museum/park; a block off Collins and far enough north in South Beach that the late-night madness is walkable but not on top of you.

And it's a VALUE for SoBe. I paid $139 per night for 4 nights during the week. My parents stayed there as well for two of the nights and had only nice things to say. So if you're looking for a nice, manageable hotel in SoBe, try the Abbey!

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.

The lobby doubles as the Abbey Dining Room, where breakfast and dinner are served daily (not included in room rate).

We arrived the day before Christmas Eve, December 23, and the hotel appeared to be virtually empty. We requested an upgrade to a king suite, but were told that would be an extra $25. We settled for the standard king room.

Standard is the appropriate term to describe our room. While fairly spacious, any extra touches to make the room feel cozy or homey were lacking. The room was reasonably clean, but the bathroom walls were peeling from a leaky shower door.

As someone who prides himself as able to sleep on any mattress, I quickly dismissed my wife's claim that the bed was "awful." Unfortunately, she was correct: soft, lumpy, mushy; my entire body was sore after spending 8 hours in bed!!

The staff was friendly enough, and they did allow us to extend our checkout by 2 to 3 hours.

Valet parking is offered at $17 per day. We parked on the street and fed the meters, saving about $10!!

Overall, the Abbey Hotel is as advertised. Just check your mattress before you settle on your room!!

This boutique hotel only has about 50 rooms, so while the staff was quite small in number, I felt the service was personalized and attentative. The staff mentioned that it was a crowded weekend because of the Miami Boat Show, but I did not find the Abbey to be crowded at all. It was surprisingly quiet with much privacy for such a busy weekend, and it didn't play any annoying background music like some overly trendy hotels like the W Hotels do.

The rooms were comfortable and tastefully decorated. My single room at $189 per night was on the small side, but I was otherwise very satisfied with the accommodations. I enjoyed a nice, quiet, healthy breakfast of fresh yogurt with berries and almonds one morning in the dining room.

I really enjoy the location of the Abbey Hotel because it is located on a quiet street at the edge of the action, but within a quick walk to the hear of Miami Beach nightlife, shopping, smoothie shops, and the too-cool Art Deco palaces like the Delano. It's also a quick two blocks away from the excellent beachfront and the boardwalk that begins on the beach at 21st street.

If you are looking for a cool weekend in Miami Beach and don't mind spending more than $180 bucks per night, I would recommend the Abbey.