Fab location, as promised. Air conditioner non fuctional but we arrived too late for help. Parking $30, rooms old. View grim out back of hotel down alley where, promptly at 7am the loudest beast of a garbage truck arrived and seemed to work through the rest of the morning.

Casanova Suites has all the promise of a fantastic hotel – prime location, fabulous rooftop view, decent-sized rooms, and wonderful staff. Unfortunately, the reality falls far short of the promise.

Casanova’s website describes it as “A Beachfront Boutique Resort Hotel,” but there is a lot of work to do to achieve either boutique or resort status. The entry to the hotel is the first issue. It is a bit tricky to find as it is in a drab alley at the side of the hotel. The foyer feels old and dated and can definitely use a pop of color & better lighting and the restrooms off the lobby are dim.

The rooms aren’t terrible – spacious & clean – but, they feel very sterile, especially for Miami. A fresh coat of paint and less awkwardly placed art would be a great start. Remember the oceanfront view and balcony the website mentioned? Unless you have one of the rooms at the very front of the hotel, don’t plan on having breakfast on the balcony as you gaze at the ocean. Despite what the site says, most rooms are not oceanfront and in fact overlook the alley. The “balcony” on most rooms is in fact a very narrow ledge off the sliding doors in the living room. The best you can do is open the door and take one step out. The sofa bed in our living room was not intended for sleeping. It was actually a hard, uncomfortable IKEA futon. The bed in the bedroom was a little better, though small and a bit on the soft side. There is a flat screen TV in the living room and another in the bedroom.

I found the hotel a bit noisy at night, so if you’re a light sleeper, bring ear plugs. There is a club in the restaurant next door and you can hear the noise well into the wee hours. There was also some construction-like noise at night that made sleeping difficult.

The hotel is very close to the beach (a short walk), but I would not describe it as truly beachfront since the beach can only be seen from the hotel if you are fortunate to have one of the front-facing rooms or if you go up to the roof. Still, given, the close proximity of the beach, this is not much of a negative. The rooftop area has an absolutely gorgeous view of the ocean, but it is desperately in need of beautification. New tile for the pool, a thorough cleaning of the entire area, some greenery and perhaps a few umbrellas would do wonders for the space. I suggest the hotel go the extra mile and replace the old loungers with tables and chairs so guests can have breakfast or lunch on the rooftop. In my opinion, that would be a much better use of the space.

The hotel is in a prime spot. You walk out of the hotel and right into all the life on Ocean drive. There are a lot of restaurants to choose from, both on Ocean and in the surrounding area. Prime One Twelve and Nikki Beach are less than 10 minutes walking, and there is a Walgreens and a liquor store on the corner, so you can skip the minibar in the room. You’re also a short walk from banks, local buses and retail stores like Mango and The Gap. If you’re up for a longer walk, Lincoln Road mall is about a 20 minute walk away.

The staff at Casanova are the true gems of the hotel, especially Carlos. He was warm, friendly, very informed on the local area and made us feel very comfortable during our stay.

Not the worst hotel I've stayed in, but unless there are some upgrades, I don't plan to return soon.

Three night stay over new year's eve-expecting a bad experience but wee very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the rooms and service. Front desk staff were very accommodating and pleasant, helpful and entertaining. Location excellent with discounts at restaurants downstairs. Would recommend especially during quieter periods. Ok for kids

I Celebrated my birthday in Miami and stayed in the Casanova. The staff was very nice and resourceful. Carlos was a great help,

Dj Malik Shabazz