Hotel St. Michel, Coral Gables

If you want the same old tired middle American decor and the same stale wrapped danish for breakfast then go to the Holiday Inn. But if you want something off the beaten path with a polite staff and warm eclectic decor with a cozy breakfast of fresh muffins, coffee and juice then this is the place you've been looking for. I had a choice between generic and unique for the same amount of money and I chose Hotel St. Michel. From the moment I walked in the door I could tell that this was a class act. The man at the reception desk was friendly and helpful. The parking in the garage across the street was $9 for a 24 hour period. The room was small but decorated with antiques and modern pieces with a king size bed and euro pillow top mattress. Unfortunately, there was a leaky faucet in the tub that I could not turn off so I went to ask for another room. That was no problem at all and the second room was even better. Large soundproof windows with wooden frames that opened up to experience the sounds of church bells that rang every half hour. The streets were empty on Saturday as it is a neighborhood of banks, office buildings, some retail shops and restaurants. The air conditioner was silent and worked GREAT!!! The room had a fruit basket waiting for us which consisted of an apple and an orange, also bottled water and a bucket of ice. The bathroom was tiled and had old gold faucets and a variety of french milled soaps and shampoos. The shower and the plumbing worked just fine considering the age of the hotel (circa 1927) and everything was immaculate. Checkout was at 12 and I was told that it could be later if I wanted. All in all I am so glad that I chose this hotel. It was in a great location (central to most of the best of Miami), it was quiet, romantic and the staff was super helpful. The breakfast was free and just enough to start the day and the price was the same as any other hotel with no personality and zero charm. I would have paid double for this experience, but luckily I got a great deal!!!

They promiss a lot but..... After a wonderfull week on a cruise we were looking forward to go to Hotel St. Michel to spent our last day in Miami. When we arrived to room was just cleaned, but the soap, hair and spots from the guest before us were there too (can happened we thought). We had diner in the restaurant. "Every Friday is LATIN NIGHT, live entertainment". No way, there was no music. On saturdaymorning the restaurant was closed and on the piano was orangejuice and a croissant. No excuses, nothing, the restaurant and the hotel are seperated and they couldn't help it.????!!! But the worst thing was that the amount on the receipt we signed from the restaurant was not the same anymore. It was higher. In the Netherlands we call that steeling.

PLEASE BE AWARE: When we arrived for the 8:30 am breakfast, our table of 30 people was not ready yet. There wasn't enough food for our group, and the manager told us they forgot about us coming in. Some of the group was served some potatoes with eggs, a piece of bacon, an old croissant, 1/4 piece of a strawberry and some OJ mixed with water :(. Naturally, everyone of us was dissappointed about the food, rudeness of staff et cetera. Although, the place is beautiful and was well decorated for Christmas, this place was a disaster!

They promote customer service. However,no matter what the question, the response was "no comprende". The staff in the restaurant was just plain rude. We actually left early. The only nice thing I can say is about the actual building. Beautiful architecture. Look but don't stay.

I had a wonderful stay from May 6-7, 2007. The staff was very helpful and accommodating, especially in holding my luggage while I interviewed at FIU and awaited my night flight. I would definitely recommended the hotel to visitors to Greater Miami, and particularly Coral Gables. PS- I was able to walk to Venetian Pools and the Biltmore Hotel from there, and ride on the trolley up and down Ponce de Leon. They have a prime location in Coral Gables.

It took us an hour to find the place because they had taken down their awning and there was no sign plus the streets were confusing. The BIGGEST disappointment was the lowsey continental breakfast. $7.50 PER PERSON for 2 slices of wheat toast, coffee & OJ. NO JOKE! McDonalds would have been cheaper and more satisfying. Then the concierge tried to charge us the balance when it had already been prepaid!! Very dissappointing and expensive.

I travel to Miami area several times a year, and have stayed at much "fancier" places, but never enjoyed them nearly as much as I do the Hotel Place St. Michel. This place is full of history, antiques, charm, old fashioned service, ROMANCE, and HDTV (flat panel wide screen). It's in a great area for walking (easy to walk to the Miracle Mile from here) and the restaurant is outstanding. Had room service, delivered quickly and perfectly (Salads are amazing). We had a 2 year old with us, and they treated us like Royalty.

The hotel was just plain comfortable, with comfortable furnishings, not splashy, but solid. I could tell my room was sensitively furnished; it had odd angles that would have made it hard to furnish, but everything was angled by someone with a good eye to smooth them out. Some of the rooms have showers and not bathtubs, which might be a problem for some, but I was traveling with about 18 others, and we all found our rooms pleasant.