For our Symphony of the Seas cruise out of Miami, we flew down to Florida the evening before to avoid any travel delays. Over the years, we have learned to play it safe and add a pre-cruise travel day to our itinerary. Given its location and upscale furnishings, we decided to book our pre-cruise hotel stay at the Kimpton Epic. Being fans of this brand, we were eager to see if this Miami location lived up to our expectations. See why we would easily return to this hotel in Miami, FL in our Kimpton Epic Hotel Review.
Kimpton Epic Hotel Review
Arriving at Kimpton Epic Hotel
Along with being fans of the Kimpton brand, we were drawn to this hotel given the online ratings. It was rated as one of the top hotels in the city in 2018! Plus, the location had the potential to give us a view of the cruise ships in the morning.
Comparing prices and options, we booked the hotel directly on the company’s website at the refundable rate, just in case we needed to cancel the reservation for any reason.
Unfortunately, we could not find a great flight down to the city. So, flying out late afternoon, we arrived at the hotel around 9:30 pm. Arriving on a Friday night meant the hotel was busy with events and other travelers having a good time.
Checking into the hotel took only a few minutes. The main lobby is massive but with a rather simple and minimalistic design.
Related Post: Our Complete Guide to Symphony of the Seas – Planning, Reviews, and More!
Accommodations at Kimpton Epic Hotel
For our room, we booked the Waterview King Premiere. This was a slight upgrade when compared to the lowest priced king room category, the Cityview room.
Upon entering the room, we were surprised by the amount of space and open design. According to the website, the room is 475 square feet. This would be twice the size of the balcony cabin that we would be staying in on the ship.
The décor of the room was rather muted with mostly neutral tones. This was somewhat unexpected as Kimpton hotels usually have a more trendy design.
Still, we welcomed the ability to spread out. Using the desk to charge our technology and the ample space to store our luggage, we still had more than enough room for two people.
The bathroom was equally as large, and made it very easy to breeze through our morning rituals the next day as we prepared to board the ship. The in-room toiletries coupled nicely with the waterfall shower head.
The king-sized bed and plush linens provided the ideal conditions for a perfect night sleep. Although, we could hear some music from the outdoor pool party happening below us.
Having our balcony overlook the marina and the cruise port meant that we had a bird’s eye view of the cruise ships docked in port the next morning. There, we could see our vessel, Symphony of the Seas.
The Amenities at Kimpton Epic Hotel
The amenity fee grants travelers access to the fitness center, the pools, and includes complimentary newspaper delivery.
There are two restaurants at Kimpton Epic including the rooftop, waterfront dining at Area 31. The hotel also offers a pretty typical spa with fitness classes available.
Like other Kimpton resorts, the hotel hosts a nightly wine reception. Given our schedule, we missed this social hour. Although, we did take advantage of the water and coffee available in the lobby on the morning we checked out.
During our stay, we did not get to swim in the Rooftop Pools on the 16th floor, but we did get to experience the outdoor pool party for a bit. Surprisingly, there was decent crowd of people here.
Even if it doesn’t top the list of the trendiest parties in the city, the pool party overlooking the marina and cruise port was an added benefit of staying at the hotel.
Recap of Kimpton Epic Hotel Review
This boutique brand definitely lives up to its reputation with the Kimpton Epic Miami. As the name implies, the hotel is quite large. The public areas are well laid out, and the brand’s hallmark accommodations shined during our one night stay at the property, even if it did feel a bit more commercialized than other Kimpton resorts.
For those traveling on a cruise, Kimpton Epic is a nice hotel choice that won’t break your budget. The room was comfortable, spacious, and functional. We wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again in the future.
Like many cities, the parking fee is quite hefty though ($44 a night for valet), so it is not ideal for travelers looking for “park and stay” accommodations near the cruise port.
Before you book a room at this hotel, we recommend that you sign up for the IHG rewards program. Now that Kimpton is part of this brand, membership in the rewards program comes with some added benefits. These benefits include basic WiFi on all devices, and higher tiered members even receive bar and spa credits at the hotel.
Comments
Have you stayed at the Kimpton Epic Hotel in Miami, FL? What are your picks for best hotels near this popular cruise port? Drop us an anchor below with your review of this metropolitan hotel.
I stayed at the Kimpton Epic and Intercontinental Hotel before my recent cruise on Symphony of the Seas. While both are nice, I would vote for the Intercontinental.