I have been to Miami four times in the last 3 years and 3 of those stays were at the Clevelander or Essex House. The one time I didn't stay was because I was with my parents and younger brother staying for a night before our cruise.
My first visit was for a bachelor party in May 2010 - what can I say...WOW. We came to party and that is exactly what we got. First off, the staff was extremely friendly in the check-in process, holding our bags, and getting us a complimentary welcome drink. Since we arrived at 10am, I wasn't expecting a room to be available, which was not a concern to us in the first place, we went to the rooftop and lounged for a bit with a few rounds.
When we got into the Rockstar Suites (we had all 3) and man, that was great! We opened the connecting doors and enjoyed our time there! The staff down at the bars were friendly and our waitress brought our drinks in a timely matter and made small talk with us even though she was busy.
Mike was our host the first time and was extremely helpful and knowledgeable in everything we asked him about. He also scheduled a passenger van one night to take us out. I had a great time that entire trip, I knew my future visits to Miami would be here.
My next visits were to Clevelander (Dec 2010) and Essex House (July 11) respectively. Again The Clevelander upheld my expectations and I was a happy camper.
Now, on my third visit, I honestly felt like I was royalty. Natalia helped me with reservations over the phone as I had asked for more than what was offered on their website. She was able to accommdate my request and I was happily set for my trip. Once I arrived, Zah checked us in quickly and informed me that the Manager (Brandon as I'll refer to him) had taken my special request a step further, I was quite surprised and ecstatic. We got to our room and the Essex House suites were much nicer than I expected (sure I'd want more windows, but the only time I was in the room, I was drunk between 5am-11am, who needs windows then?)
Natalia had notified me that a balcony room was on hold for another night's stay and that I could check it out before making the switch (which busy hotel in south beach holds a hotel room just in case a guest wants to swap?) After one night in the essex house suite, I decided to forfeit that room and let Patricia (front desk) know that I would prefer to stay in my current room. She took care of it and made the arrangements with no issues.
Lastly, I had to let the manager know how amazing and accommodating his staff was. I have stayed at a number of international vacation resorts and not been giving this kind of treatment. I travel often each year and value customer service to the highest degree. I'm also a sharp minded person, if I don't receive good service, I let them know what could be improved, and when I do get great service, I make sure the people who made it happen are recognized.
Some of the negative reviews I've read on here are hard to believe since I've stayed here quite a few times. I've stayed at two other hotels on my first two visits to Miami one up by lincoln mall and the other down on 4th street (neither of those will be visited by me again)
I can assure the readers of this review that I do not work for nor was I paid to write this review, I simply had a wonderful stay and rely on this site for opinions before I book a trip. I can assure you that if you want to party hard and have a good time, this is the place to stay. Trust me, this is not frat/house party place, it's a fun place to be. My next visit will be in one of the balcony rooms looking over the pool area towards the ocean.

To preface this account, I am a 5-time traveler to Miami's South Beach. I have stayed at the Strand two times (now, Congress Hotel on Ocean Drive), the Sanctuary Hotel one time, and the Winterhaven (on Ocean Drive) once as well. I would have to state that this hotel is okay for what it is worth. I am an English teacher and that is the only word I could generate for this hotel: okay -- as it is nothing bad but nothing great either.

The hotel is very nice on the outside -- the sidewalks are power-washed daily, the lobby and rooms are very fragrant, and the rooms are very, very clean -- so clean that you could smell the bleach on the sheets that are changed daily.

Yet, the problem with the hotel is that the rooms are smaller than a sardine can; and, the pool, that is advertised as "the heartbeat of the Clevelander South Beach Hotel, not only famed as one of the most unique Miami event venues around but also known for its nine-foot Art Deco Historic Pool; one of the only original in-ground pools left amongst South Beach Hotels. Refresh with our Classic frozen Rum Runners, Margaritas or Pina Colada’s while you lounge poolside" on the web site, is no longer in use (according to various staff members and guests that frequent the happy hour on weekdays).

I thought my experience was only okay because nothing wowed me and I left with an empty feeling. There was no presence; no excitement for the actual hospitality I was supposed to experience with staying at a hotel.

The reason that I would never stay here again is the fact that it was nothing fabulous and there were no perks. These were not negatives, but in my opinion, what the hotel lacked: the rooms were TINY; the pool was nonexistent; there were no continental breakfasts, towels, or lounge chairs provided; it was very loud each and every day due to the consistent bass blasting from the bar below; there was no bath tub--only a shower; there were no drawers in the room to stow away our clothes; they mostly only have double beds -- not king size (even if you request it); and, honestly, I felt stifled in the room.

I love Miami but I will not come back to the Clevelander Hotel.

I usually always do my research before booking a hotel, but in a split decision we decided to spend a couple of days in Miami. The price was right so we booked it. We sure got our money's worth!!! Service, atmosphere, and friendliness is so much more than I expected (and I have high expectations). Please keep in mind this is a party atmosphere, so if that is not what you are looking for this may not be the place for you, but their sister hotel The Essex looked laid back. Thank you Clevelander for a wonderful end to my vacation!

I don't know where to start! There are so many great things I could say about this hotel!
3 of us stayed here for 4 nights for my 30th birthday, after reading everyone's reviews I felt it seemed like the perfect place for a celebration, and i'm glad I wasn't wrong!

Along with a frozen cocktail, we were greeted by the happiest, friendliest and most accommodating hotel staff I've ever come across. This was a pleasure to experience not only at check in and check out, but throughout our stay. Nothing was too much trouble, they chilled Champagne for us, and Chad ( who is just awesome!) sent up 3 complimentary, delicious red velvet cakes to our room when he found out it was my birthday :)

The room itself was spotless, the bathroom, shower and sink was sparkling clean on arrival and that's how we found it everyday after house keeping visits. The house keeping staff are super efficient and all our requests were responded to pretty much instantly. I've read people say the rooms are small but there were three of us and we managed fine without feeling cramped. One thing I noticed which was a welcome change from other hotels was there were plenty of well positioned power points for all our chargers, hairdryers and styling tools, which was very convenient. The beds are super comfortable and really the noise was not half as bad as I was expecting, we slept very peacefully when we actually DID sleep!

What I really like about this hotel is its party, good time vibe which is great, especially if you are in town for that reason as it gets you in the mood, and is a perfect place to start the night! We visited the bar outside twice and had a great time eating and drinking and meeting loads of fun people! While there are loads of crowds buzzing around the security always check your room card and ID which makes you feel safe as a guest. Upstairs the rooftop bar area is a fantastic place to chill out and enjoy the view, they serve yummy food and drinks up there too.

In fact we were loving the hotel so much that we overslept past our check out time on our last day and were frantically packing to leave our room when we realised. Jermaine on the front desk however was so cool, didn't charge us for the late checkout and reassured us it was fine when we made it downstairs. I have to also mention Jamal who worked there too, he was a very sweet and helpful guy, always a pleasure to talk to but on the whole I think all the staff who work there are a real asset to the hotel.

Finally you can't get a better location; the beach is a few steps away across the road, shops, restaurants and bars are all around, and the hotel is in the midst of all the action on South Beach. In fact, the Clevelander IS the action on South Beach!

They truly made my trip a memorable one for all the right reasons and I cant WAIT to go back!