Howard Johnson's in Miami
Paul
Fred Lanyard <fredl...@att.net> wrote:
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> <html>
> Hi Everyone,
> <p>The subject of this hotel has come up frequently in my four years
on
> rtc so I thought I would pass on some current information. Lois and I
stayed
> here pre-cruise two weeks ago for one night prior to our Paradise
cruise.
> We arrived in early afternoon and had time for a burger in the coffee
shop,
> which was near deserted and service was still slow but the food was
edible.
> We didn't feel like making the trek to Bayside, though some
friends
> from rtc did so with their young sons without any fear or incident
whatsoever.
> You can also take the monorail which is adjacent to the parking lot in
> the rear of the hotel, just across the street. The area around the
hotel
> is somewhat deserted and barren right now but that will soon change,
for
> the better I believe. The hotel is bordered on the north by the
highway,
> on the south by a vacant lot and there is a park across the street. We
> saw no evidence of vagrants or homeless in the park when we looked out
> the window.
> <p>Now the reason I say this area is in for a change is that the new
Miami
> Arena, home of the NBA Heat is due to open in a few months, supposedly
> in time for a New Year's concert by Gloria Estefan. Still a lot of
work
> to be done from what I could see. The vacant lot across the street
from
> HoJo's will be a parking garage for Arena events. As for parking, it
has
> been stated here that you can drive to HoJo's and park your car free
for
> a week. Be advised that is no longer the case. In anticipation of
overflow
> parking, they now charge $7 a night for parking. There is still
the
> free shuttle across the street into the pier but I suggest a cab
rather
> than wait for the shuttles. It can't be more than a few bucks
for
> the short ride to the pier.
> <p>The hotel is still clean, modern looking inside (exterior still
needs
> some work) and has a rooftop pool with view of the port. We got
a
> special rate of $55 for the night. This was for a city view; the port
views
> were $10 more but they were sold out since a pre-cruise package at the
> Marriot was oversold and some pax were shifted to HoJo's. I didn't
hear
> any complaints from them at this change in plans. I did hear
complaints
> that the noise from the street kept some awake at night. Our room
overlooking
> the parking lot was quiet.
> <p>So, all in all, it accommodated us nicely at a really good price. I
> would bet the rates go up when the Arena opens as the area will
probably
> become more renewed and improved. We didn't have to venture
outdoors
> in the evening since we were the recipients of gracious hospitality by
> Ernest Jones and his wife Gloria who took us on a tour of South Beach
and
> North Miami Beach. We enjoyed a spectacular view from his condo
overlooking
> the ocean before dinner and my thinking is that they should be on the
list
> of shore excursions for cruisers. You can see the ships leaving Ft.
Lauderdale
> from the north and the ships leaving Government Cut to the south from
his
> vantage point. All I can say is WOW!!
> <p>Fred Lanyard
> <br>Cruise Value Center
> <br>888-735-7447</html>
>
> Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but we stayed at Howard
Johnson`s for one nigh pre-cruise this year and thought it was a run
down dump of a hotel. The room was noisy, the water in the rooftop pool
was dirty and the hotel is situated in a derelict part of Biscayne Bay.
Garbage strewn everywhere outside the hotel, and a view of the homeless
people living in the park across the street. Not what I want to see on
my vacation. You get what you pay for. Next year we will spend the
extra few bucks and stay at The Hiatt.
Paul
--
The Paradise Again in February 2000!
(((((SWORNTOFUN)))))
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Mikky66
Paul
and must have been taken 20 years ago! My point is that this is not the
way to begin your cruise vacation by slumming it at this place. If it
was on the interstate and I was looking for a cheap overnight maybe,
but I learned my lesson this year, never again. How nice it was to get
to The Paradise the next morning and escape Grotty old Howard
Johnson`s. I can`t believe a major American hotel chain would run a
dump like that one! It`s just not worth it cruisers, spend the few
extra bucks and stay away from this one. I recommend The Hiatt, The
Wyndham or The Marriot.
Liv2cruise
>So, all in all, it accommodated us nicely at a really good price.
I'll second Fred's recommendation. Having stayed there four times, I would
repeat again in a heartbeat. The *only* thing that kept me from staying there
before the GGC2000 was the desire to be where the action is. IMHO, it's a
no-frills hotel that offers comfortable accommodations at affordable prices for
a one-night stay.
Arline in Gator Country <-----GO GATORS!
60 days, 22 hours to the NCL Sky AND COUNTING!
Liv2c...@aol.com
Fred Lanyard
> I'll second Fred's recommendation. Having stayed there four times, I would
> repeat again in a heartbeat. The *only* thing that kept me from staying there
> before the GGC2000 was the desire to be where the action is. IMHO, it's a
> no-frills hotel that offers comfortable accommodations at affordable prices for
> a one-night stay.
Hi Arline (and yes I owe you an email on postmortem NCAA football),
As I sit here in the Sunny Acres Rest Home and Trailer Park, sipping my
Old Milwaukee and trying to remember how long it has been since I put
the Chevy Pick up on those blocks, I may have missed the boat on HoJo's.
Maybe just because it was elegant and classy to the likes of Lois and
me, I should have considered that rtc is made up of diffurnt folk. Hell,
there ain't much diffurnce tween the homeless and us trailer parkers but
a few millimeters of tin on top and sides. And I LIKE litter in the
hallways and lobby...makes me feel right homey. And you mean there are
axully...axallee...uh, I mean, achullee, more better hotels that cost
more than $55 a nite around those parts. GOLLLLEEEE!!!!
Jim
the accommodations for the cost. It was not luxury by any means but
satisfactory for the $49 we paid for a room with 2 people. The last time we
went there, there was a change of management and suddenly the rooms were
more expensive, and there was a $8 per day parking fee. They also refused to
honor their coupons they have published in travel guides. We did not stay
there because of their change on costs and what they offered for that price.
This hotel is now being operated by East Indians like many hotels in the USA
and our experience is that they will not provide a good product and we have
had problems with billing.
Jim <no, I'm not a racist or even a bigot, that is just common practices
with these owners>
Liv2cruise wrote in message
<19991123180453...@ngol07.aol.com>...
>In article <81d0pu$27r$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>, Paul <ppha...@my-deja.com>
writes:
>
>>So, all in all, it accommodated us nicely at a really good price.
>
>I'll second Fred's recommendation. Having stayed there four times, I would
>repeat again in a heartbeat. The *only* thing that kept me from staying
there
>before the GGC2000 was the desire to be where the action is. IMHO, it's a
>no-frills hotel that offers comfortable accommodations at affordable prices
for
>a one-night stay.
>
Diane
Bedsides, you know what they say. You really don't buy beer; you just
rent it ;-)
Diane <---- if you sip it, you never get it finished before it's warm
beer, yeeech
Diane
Paul
freeway gave us barely any sleep. The restaurant looks like it was last
renovated in 1969, and NO I didn`t eat there. Any more than one night
and we would have checked out. As we were arriving at this place I
witnessed several people turning around in the lobby to look for
somewhere else! Had we not been flying for twelve hours I would have
done the same. One night was plenty enough for me! Unless you are a
trailer park dweller, This is NOT a vacation hotel. Spend the extra few
bucks and enjoy your pre-cruise hotel!
paul
Liv2cruise
writes:
>As I sit here in the Sunny Acres Rest Home and Trailer Park, sipping my
>Old Milwaukee and trying to remember how long it has been since I put
>the Chevy Pick up on those blocks, I may have missed the boat on HoJo's.
>Maybe just because it was elegant and classy to the likes of Lois and
>me, I should have considered that rtc is made up of diffurnt folk. Hell,
>there ain't much diffurnce tween the homeless and us trailer parkers but
>a few millimeters of tin on top and sides. And I LIKE litter in the
>hallways and lobby...makes me feel right homey. And you mean there are
>axully...axallee...uh, I mean, achullee, more better hotels that cost
>more than $55 a nite around those parts. GOLLLLEEEE!!!!
Good reply, Fred, but Jim also has a point. New management can change things
dramatically. I still think it's *probably* a good value for a one-night stay.
Somehow, on the fifth floor, we didn't hear the crazies screaming in the street
<vbg>. Now, I won't go so far as to call it *elegant and classy*, but then
price means A LOT to me. I absolutely refuse to spend big bucks to stay one
night in a hotel, no matter how elegant and classy. Also, I prefer Carnival
cruise lines and I'm a Gator fan.....that should explain everything. LOL!!!!!
Arline in Gator Country <----GO GATORS!
60 days, 0 hours, 32 minutes to the NCL Sky....AND COUNTING!
Liv2c...@aol.com