Loews Miami Beach Hotel

Rooms and decor

Picture a large beachfront resort standing on Collins Avenue in the heart of South Beach, a few steps from the sand of Miami Beach — that is Loews Miami Beach Hotel. Part of its charm is that it kept the historic Art Deco St. Moritz tower, built back in 1939, and joined it smoothly to a newer building. Walk into the high, airy lobby in light, easy tones and you immediately feel a family resort designed to hold a lot of people comfortably. There are nearly 790 rooms and suites, decorated in soft seaside-resort colors; many open onto views of blue water and the pool below. Beds are soft, rooms are wide enough for a family to spread out, and connecting rooms let bigger families stay close. The overall feel is lively, busy, and kid-friendly from the first step.

Food and amenities

If one thing makes families pick this place, it is the SoBe Kids Club for ages 4 to 12 — the only kids club in South Beach. It runs activities all day, and the moment kids check in they get to pick a toy from a treasure chest, which starts the trip with a smile. Plenty of parents say this is the main reason they come back, because they get their own downtime while the kids are looked after. Then there is the pool: a big zero-entry design where the floor slopes in gradually, like walking into real sand, so small kids can wade in without climbing over an edge. Next to it is a separate children's pool with poolside activities all day. After dark the resort runs dive-in movies, screening films outdoors by the pool for the whole family to stretch out and watch under the Miami sky — a favorite that reviews mention often. There is also a resort stretch of beach with loungers and umbrellas, a spa and fitness center for the grown-ups, and several on-site restaurants, so you never have to go far.

Location and getting there

Location is another real strength here. The hotel sits on Collins Avenue in the Mid-Collins stretch of South Beach, right on Miami Beach with the sand a few steps away, so a family can switch between the ocean and the resort pool in one day without going anywhere. Around the hotel is the liveliest part of Miami Beach: a short walk turns up the pastel Art Deco buildings everyone photographs and the Lincoln Road pedestrian street, full of restaurants, ice-cream shops, and stores for an easy evening stroll with the kids. There is no subway in the area, so most people get around by car, taxi, ride-hailing, or the city's free Trolley that loops around South Beach. If you drive, the resort has valet parking. In short, if you want a family trip where you wake up and walk straight down to the beach while staying within walking distance of South Beach's shops and landmarks, this location delivers.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, this is a large resort of nearly 800 rooms in the busiest part of Miami Beach, so in high season, on holidays, and on weekends both the lobby and the pool area can get crowded and noisy. If you are after the private quiet of a small boutique, this may not be the answer. Second, the point reviews raise most is add-on costs: like most big Miami Beach resorts, there is a daily resort fee plus valet parking, beach-lounger charges, and fairly pricey on-site food and drinks, which together can push the final bill higher than you expect. Check the resort fee details when you book and budget for it from the start. Third, the rooms: because it is a big resort, some in the original building or on lower floors do not face the ocean, and a few reviewers feel the decor reads more chain-standard than special for peak-season prices. For a better, quieter view, ask for a higher floor on the oceanfront side and avoid the side facing the busy traffic on Collins Avenue.

Our take

Having read through plenty of real family reviews, our take is that Loews Miami Beach Hotel owns its pitch — kid-friendly and right on the beach in the heart of South Beach. If the trip in your head is bringing the kids to a zero-entry pool they can walk into like a beach, dropping them at the SoBe Kids Club for a while so the parents get a break, then stretching out for a poolside movie together at night before walking over to Lincoln Road for dinner, this is about as good a fit as it gets for a family trip in Miami. But if you are after a small, quiet, private stay, or want to skip the nickel-and-dime add-ons, the size and buzz here may not suit you. Overall we give it 8.6/10 — the best pick for families bringing kids who want a beachfront resort loaded with things for the children to do, in a spot where everything is an easy walk away.