For our first cruise out of Miami, we wanted a hotel close to the port and the city, but quieter than South Beach. The Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay fit. It sits on the water just north of downtown, PortMiami is usually about ten minutes away by Uber, and the night before a cruise it gives you what matters most, a good bed and dinner without a trek. We stayed two nights before boarding Icon of the Seas, and we'd book it again.
Getting there from the airport
The hotel doesn't run an airport shuttle, so most people take an Uber or a taxi. We tried public transport instead, mostly to see if it works with luggage. It does. The free MIA Mover takes you from the terminal to the airport station. The Metrorail gets you to Government Center in about 20 minutes for around $2.25 each. Then the free Metromover drops you at Adrienne Arsht Center, and it's a five-minute walk to the hotel.
The room and that view
We booked a bay view room with a balcony, and we should be honest about the view. Ours was partial. Another tower sits right in front of part of the hotel, so we had the water and the marina on one side, the downtown skyline on the other, and a lot of building in the middle. We could still see the bay and the cruise ships in the distance. Sitting out there at sunset was lovely. If you're picturing an unbroken panorama, though, it depends which room you get.
Booking sites list partial bay view and city view rooms as well as full bay view, so check which one you've actually paid for. It's also worth asking at check-in. One Reddit reviewer was offered a bay view upgrade for $20 at the desk last year, took it, and could see their ship from the room.
The room itself was really good. It felt freshly renovated, and that's because it was. The hotel finished refurbishing its rooms in 2023. It's a good size, with a huge bed and very soft pillows, and we slept well both nights. After a nine-and-a-half-hour flight from London and a five-hour time difference, that mattered more than anything.
All the practical things were there too. There's a small sitting area, plenty of USB ports and sockets by the bed, a wardrobe with a safe, and an empty mini-fridge for your own drinks. You can cast to the TV from your phone or sign into Netflix and YouTube, which every hotel should let you do by now. The bathroom is modern, with nice products and a big rain shower.
The rooftop pool deck
Go up to the fifth floor. The pool deck looks over the bay on one side and the skyline on the other, and it has a pool, a hot tub and a bar by the water. After a long day in Little Havana and South Beach, it was the best place in the hotel to sit down.
Food, drink and the shared lobby
The Marriott shares a big lobby with the DoubleTree next door, and that turns out to be one of its best features. There are several restaurants, bars and shops in there, including a liquor store. You can sort out dinner and pick up drinks for the cabin without leaving the building, which is exactly what you want the night before you sail. There's also a Starbucks and a grab-and-go market for breakfast on your way out.
The hotel's own restaurant, Gold Coast Kitchen + Cocktails, is on the waterfront with a big patio. Recent Tripadvisor reviewers rate the breakfast highly, and one said it was better than most hotel restaurants they'd been to. A small tip from another guest: the snack shop by the entrance isn't open all night, so if you're landing late, grab what you need on the way in.
What to know before you book
The room rate isn't the whole price. The hotel adds a destination fee of about $35 a night, so budget for it.
Prices also jump on busy ship days. One Reddit reviewer paid $349 for a single peak night last year, roughly double the usual rate. A Cruise Critic regular was quoted over $800 for the night before their sailing and moved to the InterContinental instead. Book as soon as you know your dates.
If you're driving, the parking garage is tight, and one reviewer found the parking lift out of action. We came by train, so we didn't have to deal with it.
Most recent reviews name staff who went out of their way to help, though one guest found the front desk professional rather than warm. We had no complaints.
Getting to the ship
There's no cruise shuttle, so you'll take an Uber or a taxi. The ride is usually about ten minutes, but give yourself plenty of time on embarkation morning. Traffic into the port turned ours into almost an hour. The hotel sometimes sells a pre-cruise package with a $10 Uber voucher and breakfast for two, so look for it when you book. The terms change, so check what's included.
If your room faces the bay, get up early on embarkation morning. The port views are at their best first thing, and having a coffee on the balcony with the ships in the distance is a good way to start a cruise.
Marriott or InterContinental?
These are the two hotels cruisers argue about most. The InterContinental is closer to the terminals and a short walk from Bayside Marketplace. The Marriott has the newer rooms, the balconies and that lobby full of places to eat. On Cruise Critic, one long-time InterContinental guest said they'd switched for good and called the Marriott "MUCH better." Prices swing between the two, so compare them for your night.
Our verdict
For a night or two before a Miami cruise, the Marriott Biscayne Bay gets the important things right. It's close to the port, the rooms are modern, the beds are excellent, and dinner and drinks are downstairs. Ask for a full bay view if the view matters to you, expect the destination fee, and leave extra time for the port traffic. We'd stay here again.
Good to know
- Address: 1633 North Bayshore Drive, Miami
- PortMiami: usually about 10 minutes by Uber, but allow up to an hour on embarkation morning
- Miami International Airport: about 6 miles, no shuttle
- Destination fee: about $35 a night
- Nearest Metromover stop: Adrienne Arsht Center, a 5-minute walk
