Magnificent Memorial Day

Guest: Calencia (Birmingham,Alabama)
Date of Stay: 05/26/11 Review Submitted: 06/03/11

I had the pleasure of staying in Avi's suite from May 26th through May 31st. I enjoyed every minute of my stay. Upon reading the previous review I must admit I was a little apprehensive. However upon arrival our check-in went very smoothly and found that the pictures displayed depictured our room perfectly. I would definitely recommend this suite and I plan on staying again.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

Worst experience Ever!

Guest: Shields (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 03/31/11 Review Submitted: 05/19/11

Just so you dont find yourself in a similar situation, I wanted to let you in on a very horrible experience using VRBO for this unit at the Fontainebleau! We found this suite at the Fontainebleau Miami on VRBO. When we arrived on the 31st we noticed that there were open food containers in the kitchen as well as food in the refrigerator. At first we thought that they had just forgotten to clean the kitchen but it soon became apparent that they had also not changed/cleaned the sheets we were supposed to sleep on. It also became apparent that the unit he was advertising in the listing (thru photos) was different than the one we ultimately had been put in – different views, furniture and layout!! He has since changed the images. We found cockroaches on the dining room furniture and we emailed Avi to tell him about the condition of his unit. He told us “that is awful” and we arranged with him to have housekeeping go back to clean our unit. We proceeded to go out to dinner and upon re-entering the unit noticed a stack of towels and some shampoo bottles on the coffee table, but the bedding (on both the master bed and the pullout bed) was still unchanged and dirty. We called Avi but he didn’t answer his phone. We were stuck in a dirty hotel room with a dirty kitchen, cockroaches and nowhere to sleep. Ultimately the Resort sent housekeeping up with clean sheets at 2:30 AM and she was done making our beds closer to 3:30 AM. We proceeded to write Avi an email telling him how terrible our experience was – that while we had new sheets on the beds the rest of the unit was still dirty - and requested a full refund for our horrific situation. We then tried to get our belonging out of the safe deposit box in order to leave. His safe, however, was defective and it wasn’t until 4:30 that we had security finally open it for us to get our valuables. By that point, while we didn’t want to stay there it became highly unreasonable for us to go anywhere else. We awoke just a few hours later to an email from Avi saying that he was very disappointed with his housekeeping staff and that “I don’t want someones money in this situation”. We of course agreed with him and proceeded to tell him we wouldn't be staying any longer. He became irate and told us that we wouldn't be receiving a full refund from him. Needless to say it was an awful start to our vacation! Please don't let it happen to you.

Owner response:I am writing this to respond to the unfortunate poor review on this website against me with regard to my suite at the Fontainebleau Resort. I have tried to do the right thing. I have had hundreds of very satisfied guests in my suite, a number of which that are now good friends. My site is not a "scam" and anyone is more than welcome on contacting me over the phone to discuss. I paid to clean the guests suite the night before they arrived and ordered it through the hotel's housekeeping. Unfortunately, the guests arrived at around 11pm and said it was still dirty. I was called by the guest, felt terrible about the situation and re-ordered housekeeping immediately to come to the room and notified the guest, apologized, offered discounted cabanas, spa treatments, etc. It was just unfortunate that I was out of town and could not re-check the room after housekeeping as I usually do when I order outside cleaning through the hotel. I wished they checked in earlier in the day but that was not their fault. The next morning I was called by the guest and was told housekeeping came back and did not finish until 2:30 am and they do not want to stay another night in the suite. I offered them a full refund for their next night and was willing to give them a partial refund on the night they stayed; however, the guest was threatening and hostile in wanting a full refund or "every dollar." I said if they did not stay the night and left to another hotel, I would give a full refund but by making me get housekeeping again and staying the evening in my suite is implicit in that you are agreeing to stay and pay me something. If the guestelds had every intention of not paying anything, why make me order housekeeping again, make me pay for it, and do this to me. This is wrong. I was willing to work with them but without the threats. My listing has a selection of pictures from three different suites I own at the resort and if anyone knows the resort, the 1BR / 2BA suites have the same finishes and size, with slightly different layouts. In fact, I gave them 1104, which was my most expensive suite and the FB as it’s Ocean view. To the people from this site: I challenge you to read both sides of the story and make a meaningful decision on how you feel. I just want a fair opportunity to respond and hope you will not put too much value in this review. Please feel free to calll me with any questions about my suite. -the owner-

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/22/10 Review Submitted: 03/22/10

Our stay in Tresor one bedroom condo at the Fontainebleau was absolutely amazing. The room was very new, clean and comfortable, and met all our needs. The resort amenities after renovation are fabulous. The pools are gorgeous and very clean; the pool service was very good. The restaurants are excellent, but a bit pricey. The owner of the condo was very nice and friendly, and I was very happy dealing with him rather than the hotel staff that is not always very professional. Our rates included parking and breakfast for the whole family, beach chairs for two and the use of the small gym, and that is the best value. Thanks to the owner we have had the best vacation ever!

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Guest: Herman and Karin Swarts (The Netherlands)
Date of Stay: 03/18/10 Review Submitted: 03/18/10

We, a family of four, had a GREAT time in the condo. Everything was just perfect, very clean and very well appointed. Highly recommended for a great vacation at the pools, the beach, the restaurants, the bars and the nightclub. We would love to come again!! Thanks!

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Guest: Yaron1 (New York)
Date of Stay: 03/25/09 Review Submitted: 03/25/09

I have been spending time in South Beach Miami for over 10 years at various hotels, and my last stay at Fontainbleau was amazing. The updates and remodel they recently completed is absolutely stunning. They were able to enhance the overall atmosphere of the hotel, while keeping much of the classic flavor of it's historical past. The restaurants, bars, and shopping are all top notch, as well as the service that accompanies them. Our room was not only gorgeous, but very well thought out for todays travelling needs. Having a personal IMac computer in the room to literally take care of anything I could need, was so helpful when I just wanted to browse the hotel features, or anything outside of the hotel I might have interest in. I strongly recommend staying at The Bleau to anyone looking for a truly resort style experience when they are relaxing between South Beach outtings!

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Guest: Sheyla (Peru)
Date of Stay: 03/24/09 Review Submitted: 03/24/09

The owner's of this perfect condo gave us the best value for our vacation. The new hotel following the renovation is the new place to be in Miami. The scene is a lot better than sobe. The new club LIV is so much fun. Celebrities are all over the hotel. Next time I will eat at one of the hotel's 11 restaurants. The pool and lobby is the perfect place for people watching. I will be back soon.

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Guest: David51 (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 03/23/09 Review Submitted: 03/23/09

Our stay at the fontainebleau resort was incredible. The pools and restaurants are excellent, especially the spa. It felt like I was in Las Vegas without all of the negatives. Room was huge and beautifully furnished. Loved the breakfast and decor of hotel. Going to come back again soon.

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