After an unfortunate one night stint at another hotel, we were given the option to switch to the Catalina…we took it, and the rest is history.

From the moment we got there, til the last crazy night spent there, my friends and I couldn’t stop saying “we looooove the Catalina.”

The front desk–and one staffer in particular, was just stellar and so personable… We stayed in the adjacent building where the Restaurant is, and I can honestly say that we’ve all made great friends after meeting much of the staff of the Restaurant.

On our last night, we planned to go out and paint the town every color of the rainbow… but then a sudden and huge thunderstorm ruined our plans, and so we stayed in and had drinks at the Restaurant…. needless to say… we ended up “partying” at the Restaurant from about 7PM til 2AM…with the staff! Three words sum up that experience: BEST. NIGHT. EVER.

Thanks Catalina and the beautiful, wonderful people over at the Maxine building… we miss you guys and will be back sooner than you think =)

Oh yeah… and the pool is awesome too….

west43rd

New York City

May 8, 2007

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If your looking to party, have a great time and get excellent treatment, stay at this hotel. From the time I walked in till the time I walked out, I had a blast. The people at this hotel treat you with royalty and the beds in the rooms are amazing and the room is extra clean. They have a free happy hour that starts at 7 and its top shelf liquor. If your looking for a quiet hotel this isn’t the one but if your looking to party, know where the hot spots are and be in a great location then this is the one. I had friends staying at the Ritz down the street and they came to my hotel every night for the food and the atmosphere. You can’t go wrong with this place.

damill23

DC

Sep 27, 2007

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We only stayed at the hotel for one night and half a day, but the one night was great. We went there and they told us we could either park with the hotel or gave us the option to walk a couple of blocks and pay a lot cheaper. It was very nice that we gave us the option. Walking in the the lobby was amazing, vibrant colors and a lot of foliage. We were given 2 beach towels and chairs to use at the beach which was nice. After the beach, we got to come by and sit by the pool. The pool was fantastic with the cabanas.
The room was a good size, and great colors, all white except for the bright red lamp shade which was neat.
Not to mention the free cocktail hour from 7-8. was fantastic. I would recommend this hotel!!! I just wish i was there for longer…

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All I can say is that we have stayed at the Catalina Hotel TWICE in six months and each time was so much more than a good time- I just can’t put it in words! The location is amazing (can you say centralized?) and the staff was extremely professional and they do make a request a reality. FYI - upgrade to the Dorchester Hotel section- it is the new building with the Superior rooms. Definitely worth it if you prefer 2 KING SIZE beds and hard wood floors. Also, an excellent new sushi restaurant is on the first floor and word has it a rooftop pool is in the plans for 2008!!

Overall, we had as much fun staying at the hotel as we did going out; so much so, that our friends congregated in our room before and after hitting the scene each night. To sum it up, don’t pass up an opportunity to stay at the Catalina when you go to Miami- it is definitely worth it!

Houston, TX

Nov 13, 2007

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I stayed here on business the weekend before Thanksgiving in 2007. I had never been to South Beach previosuly, so I do not know how to rank it compared to the others (I can say that it wasn’t as nice as the Loews though!). It is located across the street from the beach and near Ocean Ave, etc. We could walk from it to the main areas of SoBe. The first thing we noticed when we pulled up to the hotel was the driveway is pretty much nonexistant, so it was hard to pull in to get your bags out and give your keys to the valet. It is definitely a very hip hotel with lots of young people coming in and out. The lobby was also a bar, which we were told upon check-in that at 7 p.m. is an hour of “open bar” where the drinks are free and the guests have drinking competitions with the staff. Would have been fun if i was there for a fun weekend, but as I said, we were there on business. Check-in was very slow, and we had a room at the building next door. This building also had a bar/club in the lobby, and you could DEFINITELY hear it at night, so make sure to turn up the fan in your room if you want to sleep. After i did that, I couldn’t hear anything. The room was very neat with a cool chandelier and a big comfy bed and an IHome to play your Ipod. It had hardwood floors and the bathroom was huge (I think i had the handicap room as my boss’ toilet was in a separate area from her shower in her room). The room wand bathroom were clean. I didn’t see the pool, and I am pretty sure they charged you extra for the gym (didn’t see or use this either).

JagsGirl

Feb 15, 2008

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I stayed here on a vacation with a group of friends (all mid 20’s) last April. I was surprised when I read the other reviews because I have nothing but nice things to say about the hotel… so here we go…

The hotel is definitely aimed towards the young, party-going crowd. They provide a shuttle to and from the airport (we used it for our departure) and a free happy hour every night. The rooms were very nice - clean and spacious. One of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept on. The bathroom was a bit small, but how much time do you spend in there on vacation anyway? We stayed in the rooms on the left side of the building - I cannot remember the name for the wing, but they seemed to be newer than the right side. The staff was always friendly and helpful and we received everything we requested with our reservations. The pool area was a bit small, (get down early to claim your chairs) but very fun and lively, especially in the late afternoon. You receive 2 free beach chairs per room for every day of your stay - and they are nice beach chairs too! The hotel is located directly across from the beach, very close distance to the Delano and the Shore Club… two of my favorite nightspots.

If you are going on a family vacation - definitely do not stay here. But if you are going with friends or significant other looking for a lot of fun and nightlife, I would 100% recommend this hotel. I can’t wait to go back this year!

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We were actually staying at the Dorchester down the street and we passed the Catalina a few times and decided to switch hotels after 2 days. This hotel is in a great location, perfect for the young crowd. The decor is modern and chic. The staff were great, we even forgot toothpaste and even though they didn’t provide it, one of the guys at the front desk went out and purchased some for us. He was really cool. The lobby is very comfortable, the pool is nice and private. The bar is lovely…everything about the hotel is perfect. Its close to everything South Beach has to offer. It has a restaurant on site and the food/service was great. Very classy hotel for such an affordable price.

Phatshortee

Norfolk, Virginia

Mar 27, 2008

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We had a good stay at the Catalina Overall. However, as it was during springbreak, the hotel was full of young party people and was very noisy at night. I could hear the music from the surrounding rooms.
Otherwise, very nice property and outstanding lobby decoration.

luciemaurice

Indiana

Mar 26, 2008

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This hotel has some of the most undeserved bad reviews I have ever seen online…. FREE COCKTAIL HAPPY HOUR every day from 7 till 8, the biggest pool I have seen in SB, only 1 block from the beach, complimentary beach loungers, pool bar, pool and beach towels, 1 block from Lincoln road, no smelly old carpets (floors are wooden), a sushi restaurant , a roadside terasse bar and an outdoor breakfast restaurant and very importantly especially good quality bed linens and mine was a really good new king size bed.

I laugh when I hear pathetic people whinging that the concierge didn’t help me…the staff didn’t jump through hoops for me, my towels weren’t changed..etc etc get a life people!! All you need to do is ask (nicely) !! I had two guys carry my suitcase and my golf clubs to my room and another valet took my car for me, no problemo. It was as easy an arrival as I have ever had as you can pull up in your car right in front of the main door. (valet is $32 a day by the way) I also hung my towels so they DIDN’T get changed daily….why would you need a new towel every day?? The reception personnel were fine with me; young and slightly uncaring perhaps, but easily good enough for signing me in and checking me out!!

Agreed, this is perhaps a slightly noisier place than many hotels, but the lobby bar is well away from most rooms and the lively atmosphere fueled by their infamous happy hour, results in a really great place to stay with lots of other guests happy to chat and hang out.

I have stayed in about 10 different hotels in SB from Marriott to Best Western to the Clay and this is the one I will now be using whenever I go to SB. I would not hesitate to recommend it. See you at Happy Hour !!

Luzern, Switzerland

Apr 18, 2008

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