Miami Cruise Port Hotel Review of The Embassy Suites

Miami is a popular cruise port and home to many cruise lines. On our recent trip to Miami to sail on the MSC Divina we decided to stay overnight at the Embassy Suites in Miami, as we wanted to ensure an early arrival to the cruise port the next day. The Embassy Suites had received quite a few good reviews on sites like Trip Advisor, although guests reported outdated decor, so we were curious as to how true the reviews were. I can happily report that our hotel stay was delightful and enjoyable-and the decor really did not seem that dated! :) We ended up arriving at 2 pm-earlier than check in time but we were promptly given our room, as well as a bag of goodies, which included water bottles, cookies and chips. Our room was large, as all Embassy Suites have a bedroom, bathroom and living/dining area. The couch was a comfortable pull out queen bed for my son to sleep on. There was a mini fridge and a flat screen television. I asked for a room toward the front of the hotel as I read the rooms in the back get noise from the airport. Our room was extremely quiet. 

 The room was extremely clean, as was the entire hotel. The staff at check in was very friendly and eager to help make our stay a great one. We headed out to eat a late lunch after checking in at the yummy La Esquina del Lechon-
http://esquinalechon.com/

As we were in the Doral area of Miami, this restaurant was about a 10 minute drive from the hotel. While I did not have pork, my husband and son did and thought it was delicious. This restaurant was packed and it seems to be a popular and authentic dining spot. Their chicharrones, plantains and spice wheel at the table made this Cuban restaurant a real treat!

After our feast we headed back to the Embassy Suites to enjoy their Manager's Happy Hour from 5:30-7:30. The open bar was outstanding-with a large variety of cocktails and well drinks, wine, sangria and beer available. A selection of soda from the fountain was also offered for those guests who did not drink alcohol and for children. Snacks offered were cookies, nachos with salsa and pretzels with honey mustard dipping sauce. We were still so full from lunch that we actually made this our dinner! :) The bartender, Carmine "Santa" was awesome and made the best drinks for all the guests! The manager of the hotel even came by to inquire whether guests were enjoying themselves too. This complimentary event was truly a great perk to staying at The Embassy Suites! 
Here is the drink menu and the fabulous bartender "Santa" Carmine-

After the reception ended, promptly at 7:30, we wandered around the hotel to take some photos of the beautiful lobby and check out the picturesque pool and adjacent gym. There was a Starbucks coffee machine for guests to purchase-so if you are a Starbucks fan you can indulge! We were tempted to stop by the restaurant but besides not being super hungry the prices were really too high. I was disappointed there were not some reasonably priced dishes on the menu so the guests from the reception could continue over to the other area of the hotel near the restaurant and continue relaxing and socializing. If they were to have a few low priced appetizers available for guests, as well as bar specials, offered after the reception I'll bet many guests would take advantage of it. We certainly would have! For anyone curious here is the menu from the hotel restaurant-

 Here are some more photos of this pretty and tropical hotel-

We hung out in our room and watched some television before turning in early. The next morning we enjoyed a complimentary made to order breakfast, which was really good! The majority of the breakfast foods were standard for complimentary breakfast buffets-fruit, bacon, scrambled eggs, sausage, muffins, pancakes, donuts, etc. The one unique thing about the Embassy Suites Miami is that they also make eggs any style to order-including omelets. I got to order my favorite tomato, mushroom and cheese omelet-and the cook was surprisingly quick! We all had specially made omelets and we were all very pleased with them. :) 

Checking out was a breeze- and we did not pay a parking fee either. In fact, parking was easy as there were plenty of spots both in the front and the back of the hotel, so you really did not need to valet. Our drive to the cruise port took 12 minutes. Overall our experience with the Embassy Suites Miami was a fantastic one-and we plan to make this hotel our go to port hotel for Miami! 
http://embassysuites3.hilton.com/en/hotels/florida/embassy-suites-by-hilton-miami-international-airport-MIASPES/index.html