InterContinental Miami – fluctuating points prices

[hugo r]

I have 60k ihg reward points and wish to book 1 night in Jan at the intercontinental Miami

I’ve been keeping an eye on availability and rooms are available and the points required seem to fluctuate day by day … currently it’s on 69k for reward night but last week same date was 90k (same room)

I’m new to ihg so not sure if this is normal and whether the points required will actually ever go down to 60k .

I don’t want to do points and cash as budget tight with other expenses in Miami

Any advice appreciated

[NorthernLass]

They do fluctuate, and a couple of times recently have dropped drastically which you will know by the excitement if you check in here daily! But you can’t rely on anything so it’s best to have at least a backup option. Miami cash and points prices are very high just now – I moved a 5 night stay over New Year from Miami to Fort Lauderdale because there was much better value to be had with redemptions there.

[hugo r]

Thanks , I have another ihg booked just Incase however rather stay at the intconti Miami

[RonnieB]

The Miami IC is not impressive, you’d be much better at one of the Kimptons.

[harley]

I believe there are two as i was going to stay at the miami doral one, but changed mind

[hugo r]

The kimptons are just shy of 100k a night which I don’t have enough points for.

I have the indigo booked for 50K but would like to stay at the interconti as apparently it’s near the bayside

[AnotherUser]

If it’s worth the extra money to you, you could pay with points and cash? I don’t know how these hotels compare, though

[CraigV]

Beware the adjacent Hol Inn Port Of Miami Downtown. Rooms not that great. The hotel pool has a closure order on it served by the City. Bayside Park opposite fairly rough – OK on the face of it but on a Sunday afternoon walk I was propositioned by two working ladies, and offered crack.

[QwertyKnowsBest]

CraigV wrote:

Beware the adjacent Hol Inn Port Of Miami Downtown. Rooms not that great. The hotel pool has a closure order on it served by the City. Bayside Park opposite fairly rough – OK on the face of it but on a Sunday afternoon walk I was propositioned by two working ladies, and offered crack.

Wouldn’t agree that Bayside park is ‘fairly rough’. It’s a busy area popular with families and stayed in the IC many times and never had the ‘excitment’ that the OP poster mentioned.

[Swifty]

Holiday Inn
Miami Beach-Oceanfront not this one I hope!!! daughter’s 21st gonna be rubbish if so

[CraigV]

The Hol Inn Port Of Miami Downtown is a different hotel. Bear in mind though that some of the TA reviews for the HI Miami Beach Oceanfront are not that great.

Its a 3* hotel.I’d ask about everything before you go – a recent review said “no pool “.

I stand by my comments about Bayside Park. We’ve been there previously and it was no hassle. Good choice of the standard fairly plastic US food outlets, etc. Marina views. Latest visit was March 2022 to join a cruise ship. I was VERY surprised to find hookers and drug dealers operating at 3:30 pm in the afternoon in an area full of families with young children. I tackled a police officer about it and he just said that if he booked them, he’d be in the station for hours with the paperwork, whilst the offenders are out and back working in 20 minutes, so all the police tend to do is move them on. Disappointing, but no surprise.

I went for an evening walk about 8:00 pm. Restaurants were busy, but lots of security staff and more police. Once you start to look, there were quite a few rather strange looking people just hanging around. To me its “fairly rough” because you need to watch your back all the time. I’m no wallflower – working in places like Lagos is much more “exciting”.

[Fraser]

I was in Miami in December and the prices were horrendous ($600-$1000 per night excluding resort fees), due to a music event and an art event in town.

Points redemption at the Moxy South Beach was a great redemption in terms of pence per point, albeit still pricey 60k points per night.
I’d recommend the hotel, good selection of bars/restaurants and a short walk to the beach and Art Deco visitor centre. Rooftop bar/restaurant was lively.

Do be wary of the shameless tipping culture, much worse than I’ve seen elsewhere in the US, even earlier last year. Bills now include 20% gratuity as standard before then offering you the option to add a further tip! Two awful examples were a bartender expecting a $3.60 tip (plus more optional) for a single drink, and a waitress explaining that I ought to give an additional tip as the 20% went to the house, not the staff.

[NorthernLass]

I was in Florida over Xmas and New Year, didn’t actually get any tips automatically added but the bill came with it worked out with 18/20/22% etc options, though it has been that way for a few years. This even happened at breakfast at a Sheraton Suites where all the server had done was pour coffee – it was a buffet! I’d have been happy to pour my own but anyone approaching the coffee pots got the death stare and told to go back to their table! I left $5 so as not to be surly but I’d rather they just didn’t have staff doing this, like at the Hampton Inn where they only appeared to replenish the buffet and the guests managed to survive getting their own brews.
Miami cash and points prices were so ridiculous we changed our plans and did 5 days in Fort Lauderdale instead.