Miami nice at the new Hampton Inn & Suites

Accent on color: the new Hampton Inn and Suites in Miami’s Brickell district

By Mark Chesnut

Travelers headed to downtown Miami for a Florida vacation or business trip will find an attractive new option in the mid-priced range, since the opening this fall of the Hampton Inn and Suites Miami Downtown Brickell.

From the moment you walk into the high-ceilinged, sixth-floor lobby, you’re likely to notice the attention-getting decor, which includes original artwork, stylish Barcelona chairs and fresh, cheery —  and decidedly Florida-inspired — colors. The 221-room hotel combines elements that appeal to both business and leisure travelers, including free WiFi and hot breakfast buffet, a fitness center,rooftop sixth-floor swimming pool, a well-equipped business center with computers and printers and — of special interest to corporate types and perhaps those planning special events — more than 3,800 square feet of flexible meeting space.

In some ways, this new Miami hotel is an interesting hybrid of Hampton concepts from the United States and abroad, where the brand is growing quickly. An attractive bar — which can be used for private business functions — opens onto the swimming pool deck, which offers sweeping views of Miami’s impressive skyline. The bar facility, which will also offer snacks after the hotel’s grand opening in November, is a more common feature at Hampton Inns in Europe and Latin America, where that type of amenity is expected at mid-range hotels.

The Miami hotel is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED certification, with high hopes pinned on its environmentally friendly qualities that include a 36,000-gallon rainwater cistern, dual-flush toilets, low-flowfaucets and even charging facilities for electric cars. Offices in the Brickell financial district are within a few blocks, as are a variety of upscale restaurants and shopping options.

Related resources

• Cheap Miami flights
• Fort Lauderdale hotels
• Tampa hotels

Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America.

Tagged: Florida, Hotels