The Tropics Hotel & Hostel is a mix of convenient location, old glamour, and hostel-pitched prices -- perfect for a visit to Miami's flashy beachfront.
The Location
The Tropics is situated right in the pumping heart of the Miami sideshow, with easy access to the world famous South Beach strip. This area is also home to the historic and distinctive Art Deco district and more restaurants than you could possibly walk past in an hour. Whether it's a tattoo, a tequila shot, or some bedazzled South Beach short-shorts, everything is within five minutes' walk of this central location. Due to the constant flow of tourists and rapper/Paris Hilton wannabes down the main drag (Ocean Drive), the area is a relatively safe for groups and single travelers alike. Getting here by taxi, shuttle, and bus is straightforward -- it's hard to miss the glowing neon light announcing its presence on the very prominent Collins Avenue.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The Tropics Hostel itself may resemble a hotel enough to make you think you have the wrong address. It occupies a classic Art Deco building that hints at former grandeur but now is perhaps a few years past its prime. Now converted into a hostel, it has both private rooms with bathroom, A/C, cable TV, and a phone, and shared rooms sleeping four to eight people, all with A/C and linen included in the reasonable price. A private bathroom was also included in our shared dorm of four. Rooms are clean, functional, and still retain some of the original feel of their former life as a traditional hotel room (bathtubs in the bathrooms and the floor area is considerably more spacious than is traditional for a hostel room). All rooms are permanently locked and there are lockers available upon request for storing valuables.
Common Spaces
As guests are generally making the most of the nonstop Miami nightlife, the hostel has a quiet feeling throughout the evenings (or at least until the revelers return). Overall it has a safe, international vibe that makes you feel comfortable leaving your baggage unattended in a shared room (as we did). Typical hostel amenities have recently been added, such as a coin-operated laundry and a communal kitchen with plenty of storage space. The twenty-four-hour front desk with no curfew is convenient for early morning departures or any late night concerns. There is a well maintained and generous Olympic size swimming pool on site with a large adjoining BBQ area with seating, which is the main social focal point for the hostel. An internet terminal is available in the grand-sized lobby -- however, our one complaint is that there is currently no wireless internet access.
Summary
Located right in Miami's ostentatious neon capital of glitz, this historic building no doubt has a few good stories to tell. It is a relaxed, affordable, and fitting place to explore the beach famous for vices of every description.
— Informe exclusivo de Hostelz.com
September 2008
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