I was in Miami on business for 4 days and stayed at The National Hotel. My company always uses this hotel when we do business in Miami and also houses our guests here when we fly people in for events in the city. It's very centrally located within walking distance of the Miami Beach Convention Center, Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road where there's tons of shops & restaurants. It was my first time staying at The National but all I heard from my co-workers who have stayed there before was that the pool & beach are amazing...and that was definitely true! I didn't have time to enjoy either but I had drinks by the pool one afternoon and took a short walk on the beach behind the hotel and it was pretty gorgeous. The walkway that connects the hotel to others nearby and to Ocean Drive is very convenient for getting around South Beach without having to walk on the busy streets. BEWARE: I sat out by the pool bar and all the lounge furniture had teeny-tiny little reddish brown bugs on it. Not sure what the were but they were everywhere!!

I stayed in a tower room and it's definitely a "boutique" hotel; small and visibly dated but charming. The room was a good size and always clean. My only complaint was that the tile in the bathrooms was a little gross and the water pressure in the shower was awful. A co-worker of mine who stayed on the same floor said she had roaches in her room but I didn't see roaches or bugs in my room. My room was on the 7th floor facing Collins Avenue and the noise from the street was pretty loud. I got woken up a few times with the traffic noise and people being loud out on the street.

I never ordered room service during my stay but I did have breakfast at the restaurant in the lobby and the buffet was delicious! Lots of food items to choose from and no waiting.

Overall I thought The National Hotel was okay. I would definitely stay there again but would pay a little extra for a Cabana room to avoid all the street noise. The location is great for tourists who want to be in the middle of the action since there are so many great shops & restaurants close by. I've been to Miami a couple times but on this trip I discovered "Espanola Way" which is about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. Don't miss it! So many AMAZING restaurants on this quaint little street with sidewalk dining, it feels like you're in an artistic, romantic Mediterranean village in Paris or Spain...a must see when you're in Miami!

Impeccable service and a lovely enviornment. The cabana rooms are very nice. However, the tower rooms are greatly in need of updating. The "city view" streets are loud, bring ear plugs. It's a great location and the pool area is one of the nicest for a small boutique hotel.

PRICE: Hotwire.com, $239/night for a Fri - Sun stay. Be aware that there is a $12.50/night fee that is NOT included in the taxes and fees paid through Hotwire that you will need to pay once you arrive.

THE GOOD: great location, friendly staff, free towels and lounge chairs on the beach & by the pool. Drink & food service on the beach & by the pool as well. There is a large lap pool, and a smaller heated pool for folks to lounge in.

THE BAD: The hotel is undergoing renovation, so do not plan on sleeping in. We're not sure if housekeeping was lazy or lacked attention to detail, because some of our toiletry items were used already. I'm not sure if it's because we got a "discount" room through Hotwire, or if all rooms are setup this way, but our bathroom was a room w/ a sink, small counter, industrial toilet (the kind w/ no tank, just a metal stick you push on with your foot to flush) A shower curtain down the middle of the room separated the sink & toilet from the showerhead (think highschool locker room).

I was impressed by the lobby and front desk staff when I entered the National, but my room did not live up to the same standards. The room was poorly lit, to the extent that's actually hunted around to see if I was missing any light switches. The bathroom was particularly dark, with no lights anywhere near the shower. The room had an old tube tv with a fuzzy picture. I would complain about how noisy the room was, but they are upgrading to sound proof windows, so this won't remain a problem for long. So while my stay was fine, I expected a bit more from a 4 star hotel.