When we arrived in Miami, it was stifling hot and humid, and it was nighttime. Checking in was relatively painless; the entrance and lobby of the hotel are quite impressive, with a superb marble floor and old world type chandeliers. The registration staff was friendly and courteous and we were checked in less than 10 minutes. A couple of things annoyed me: a $10 daily fee for use of the pool and exercise facilities which should have been waived in view of the inconvenience of the construction, and the detours one had to undertake to make it to the the pool. Had I wanted a refrigerator in our apartment, I could have it for an additional $15 a day. We settled for ice cubes instead.

We were in room 790 which has no view in particular except some high risers and palm trees, a couple of uninteresting roof tops and cooling units. However, we had a great balcony, but it was hermetically locked during the "construction phase". This irritated Chuck to no end, as he usually loves to go out on the balcony and shoot pictures or just fry in the sun. There was an enormous kitchen with many cabinets, microwave, etc.. but no utensils whatsoever. Desk was attached to the kitchen counter and had dial up service for the internet. The bedroom was humongous, and very "zen" in furnishings. Colors were neutral and soothing, and furniture was sparse. The pictures will tell you.

. The bathroom was well equipped with hairdryer, magnifying mirror (yeah!) ample towel supply, shampoo/conditioner, but no body lotion. Thank you, but I had my own. They supplied green bath gel, which Chuck mistook for mouthwash: imagine the scene there. Whoever drew the plans for this room must have been dozing when determining the placement of the closet. First you have to search for it. Then when you find it, it’s in the bathroom, but if the bathroom door is open, you can’t open the closet door, and vice versa. Once you’ve negotiated that entire situation, it’s a fairly good size walk in closet with a safe for all of my fake jewels.

There is daily maid service, and though they promise a hot tub in the studio, there isn’t one. The noise resulting from construction workers is from 9am to 5 pm and can drive you mad if you are trying to sleep. The extraordinary comfort of the bed is somewhat of a consolation. The ride from the airport will cost you a flat fee of $28; it’s cheaper to rent a car.

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Fair
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Very Good

Our street-side Executive Suite (studio) was an enormous 600 sq ft with two king-size beds covered with down-filled comforters. Extra pillows and blankets were found in the walk-in closet, along with a safe and cotton robes.

A work desk with leather chair and fax machine divided the room from the kitchen area, which had a sink, coffee maker and mugs. No refrigerator. The bathroom, while small compared to the rest of the room, came supplied with wonderful oatmeal soaps, shampoo and conditioner.

One morning my coffee mug slipped out of my hand and shattered on the floor. Housekeeping came right away to sweep up the mess and replace the broken mug. They were equally responsive when we needed a new lightbulb.

Renovations were complete in the major guest areas, though there was still work to be done on unfettered access to the pool and the ocean. To get to the pool, guests must pass through many public areas, and to get to the beach, we had to walk around the building. We were assured that these were temporary measures (hence the introductory rate).

The pool area affords wonderful views of the ocean, comfortable deck chairs (in the sun or shaded by canopies), towels, and two hot tubs. Bar and meal service was also provided. The private beach has chairs and cabanas, and attendants provide towels to guests. But don''t try to hang out here if you''re not a guest because the attendants do come around with a hotel guest list to check your name!

We were within walking distance of many restaurants, and had no difficulty walking to Lincoln Road, though we did catch a bus to take us further south to Ocean Boulevard. There are bus stops all along Collins Ave. and just about all of them will take you to the restaurants, shops and clubs of South Beach.

I absolutely loved this place and got quite a kick out of living in such luxury and glamour for a couple of days. I was lucky to have landed the introductory rates, as I just looked up December ''02 rack rates and they''ve creeped up a bit to $219, which seems about right, though I have no idea what these types of places usually go for.