Miami, Florida: DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay

February 2020, weekday, 1-night, double bed bay view guestroom 657

I had a difficult time getting a room at this hotel. Starting a year before our stay, the hotel was either showing sold-out, or the room cost was outrageous (over $300 + taxes). I was finally able to book a room with 60,000 points. There were three of us, so I booked a room with two beds, and a balcony overlooking the bay. I received an offer to upgrade to a condo for $20, so I took it. The day before we arrived, the condos were sold out, so I checked in online and chose guest room 852.

View of cruise port from pool deck on floor 10 
while waiting for guestroom.

Diamond perks and check-in

We arrived from the FLL airport around 1:45 PM, and checked our luggage with the bellman because our room was not ready yet. I received a text around 3:15 PM saying that our room was ready. I returned to the front desk, and we were assigned guestroom 657. The agent did not tell me why we were receiving a different guestroom than the one I had chosen during online check-in, and I did not ask. I mistakenly assumed they were taking care of their diamond members, and giving me a guestroom that was at least as nice as the one I had chosen. As a diamond member, I received bottled water and a breakfast coupon for two.

Same view of cruise port from guestroom 657.

Guestroom 657

This guestroom is located near the center of the hallway above the back rooftop. It is fairly spacious, with a large bathroom.

Entry area in guestroom 657.

A safe was located in the entry closet. The beverage area next to the closet contained a small fridge, ice bucket, coffeemaker with supplies, and glass glasses.

Shower room in guestroom 657.
Vanity located across from toilet.

The large marble bathroom contained a room with a fabulous stand up shower. We loved the shower, although I was surprised to see this in a guestroom with two double beds. The toilet, a bidet, and a vanity with sink were also located in the shower room. A sign on the vanity indicated that pool towels should have been provided in this area; however there were none in the guestroom. We had to get towels from the front desk.

Second vanity outside shower room.

The area outside the shower room contained a second long vanity with a sink, large mirror, and bath amenities.

View from balcony guestroom 657 at DoubleTree Biscayne Bay.

The sleeping area of the guestroom contained two double beds, flatscreen TV on an armoire, desk and chair, soft chair and foot stool, end table, and nightstand between the beds. The bed and pillows were comfortable, although the beds are quite small. I do not usually reserve a room with two beds unless they are at least queen size; however, since there were three of us, I thought this was a better option than a sofa bed or rollaway. There was no sofa in the guestroom (as shown in the online photos), and the balcony is not as large as it appears in the website photos. Unfortunately, I did not get any photos of the guestroom before our belongings were strewed about.

Dirty rooftop directly outside our balcony
DoubleTree Biscayne Bay guestroom 657.

The small balcony contained two sitting chairs and a small table (partially visible in photo above). Since there was not much room on the balcony, we did not really sit out there, although it was nice to be able to step outside. The blue rooftop outside our room was dirty with more debris than what is visible in the photo above. I am sure the view from the guestroom I had chosen during check-in would have been better than the view from this guestroom. I was quite disappointed with the location of the guestroom we received. There were no visible bugs inside or out, so we had planned to sleep with our glass slider partially open, even though there were no screens on the doors. This did not work out for us though, since some guests were smoking on their balcony.

Food & Beverage

This hotel is located in a shopping and dining complex called The Grand, and there are many dining options. We had dinner at Tony Chans, which was very good. The portion size was generous, and the flavors were excellent.

Lorraine quiche at 8½  Cafee & Bottega.

We had our choice of four different restaurants (Los Gauchos, 8½ Caffè & Bottega, Primo's Italian Kitchen, or Le Faubourg Deli) with the diamond breakfast coupon. Continental breakfast was included at Los Gauchos, or we could each have $8 off any menu item. We chose to eat at 8½ Caffè &  Bottega, which is similar to Panera Bread. This was an excellent choice! The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the cost was fully covered with the coupon.

Pool and outside areas

The swimming pool and whirlpools are located on floor 10, and the online pictures are accurate. This area is spacious and comfortable. There is plenty of seating, and there is a lot of room in the whirlpools. There is an outside bar and grill located between the swimming pool and the whirlpools; however, this was not open during our stay. In addition to the loungers, there were tables with chairs available by both pools, in front of the grill, and overlooking the bay.

Blanc de Blue Brut from Publix.

Misc. and overall

One of the reasons we chose this hotel is because it is near the cruise port, and there is a Publix within walking distance. Publix is across Biscayne Blvd., less than two blocks away. I got a fabulous deal on two bottles of Blanc de Bleu Brut to take on our cruise--$19.99 for both bottles! I had never had this type of sparkling wine before, and decided I did not have much to lose at $10 a bottle. I was pleasantly surprised when we opened it a few days later. I liked it better than Korbel, which is one of my go-to brands. We liked having a bay view guestroom at the DoubleTree, and we liked the marble bathroom in the guestroom. Breakfast and the pool area were fabulous, as well.

Guestroom diagram.
Click on photo to enlarge.

As a diamond guest, I was disappointed with the guestroom we received. Especially, since it was after 3:00 PM when we got our room. We waited an hour and a half for our guestroom, and then we did not even receive the guestroom I had chosen. I think a guestroom on a higher floor, and not directly over the dirty blue roof, would have been much nicer. I would have appreciated it if someone had asked if we wanted the guestroom we received, or if we wanted to continue to wait. Additionally, when an elite member is arriving, staff usually makes an effort to have the room ready as soon as possible. I have received a text from Marriott properties as early as 7AM on the day of my arrival letting me know my room is ready! I do not think our guestroom at DoubleTree Biscayne Bay was specifically cleaned for us, nor do I think anyone was specifically preparing our room; I think the guestroom we received was merely assigned because it was available. We will be in Miami again for two nights this fall, and I have not fully decided yet, if we will try this property again, or go with one of the Marriott properties.

Let me know if you have any questions!