Penguin Hotel

Hotel

First off, I never leave negative reviews, even when I've had unpleasant experiences because the issues get talked over and resolved. Avoid Penguin Hotel, President Hotel and President Villas at all cost. They reach out and leave you messages before you arrive and once you have, the payment is taken it's done from there! My husband and I visit Miami often, and this is the worst stay we've ever had here or anywhere else! Our room wasn't cleaned how it should've been, our bedskirt was dirty, the shower had the previous visitors pubic hair inside it like they had just shaved and it wasn't cleaned out, the air conditioner unit made noise all night long and bed was very uncomfortable, it had a full size bottom under the king mattress. We had to clean our own room, they didn't send housekeeping or maintenance to fix the issues in our room, or offer a new clean room to stay. We asked for new towels, and the ones given to us was dirty and had hair on them, we asked for a bag that goes in the oven machine, and they were all out and gave us a trash bag to use! Some of the front desk people aren't there when should be, we were needing assistance and the person who was supposed to be at the front desk was gone for about two hours.

After having to cancel our reservation due to COVID, the hotel managers refused to speak to us regarding the cancellation. Atrocious customer service.

Bed Bugs/Low Quality/Terrible Customer Service Woke up with bed bug bites all over my body. Asked to switch rooms. The Penguin, as well as partner hotels, were at 100% capacity… in mid November. Spoke to 3 different Front Desk attendants throughout the day/night who said managers were “in a meeting” (as you’ve seen on other reviews) and promised one would contact me… never did. They said they cleaned the room thoroughly, but we were in there all afternoon with no cleaning service in the time it supposedly happened. They basically did nothing but eventually switch the sheets. The next morning I finally spoke with someone (cause I kept bugging them), but they never ended up doing anything, no report of cleaning was ever emailed (as they said it would), no refund, no help… just a drink voucher. Upon returning home, I tried emailing and calling… to no avail. The room had cracked windows, mildew, rust, spider in my bed, and a hotel blanket between two sheets as a comforter. Overall, an uncomfortable and uncooperative experience with a hotel staff that was reactive/defensive and never proactive/understanding. Please, just use your money anywhere else.

Very unfortunate that during this time they don’t work with customers. No refunds, No rescheduling! Now is the time to show your customer service and make the people want to stay at your hotel due to flexibility! Shame on you. I will let as many people as I can not to use the Penguin Hotel!

Great location and staff.

Our trip to Miami Beach started with a missed flight but as soon as we got to the Penguin Hotel, David locked it down at the front desk — making sure our trip got better! With amazing customer service, he suggested places to eat, drink, and relax, and even helped cheer us up when our new friend stood us up for the second time. We will definitely be back and when we are, we will stay at the a Penguin Hotel — — If you're looking for a place to stay that's conveniently close to food, drinks, and the Beach, has loyal customer service, and great amenities, you MUST stay at the Penguin Hotel!

I don’t know where to begin. First off, when we arrived we were given the wrong room, we payed 1100 for 6 days in a room with a couch a king and was given a closet with a queen bed. Went down to the front desk and told the receptionist we were given the wrong room. She gave us a new room but this one still only had one bed and no couch. The bed had cum stains on the sheets and brown speckled stains on the wall. We did wanna complain a second time but also payed for a king with a couch, so we wanted to get what we payed for at the least. We went and asked again for a better room and if there was anything similar that was available to what we booked. We were given another room that was clean, thank god, had one queen bed and a little bit of elbow space, which was on the 1st floor. Shortly after we were relocated with our luggage 3 times a supervisor came to our room and told us “there was nothing wrong with our second room” (the one with the cum stains and the brown marks on the wall) “it was clean”. I don’t know what the point of telling us that was exactly but it was clear they must not have been happy to accommodate us. Especially when the room they tried to give us was not the room we booked for, and the second room was nasty. This was only the beginning of our experience. A few days go by and we had made peace with our room. We meet a new front door man, a receptionist at the desk.

The hotel is across from the beach and walking distance to nearly anything. Miami’s a beautiful place to experience. Lance and staff made our experience pleasant and pleasurable with amazing hospitality and customer service.

Very poor customer service — regarding rescheduling and refunds during Covid. Do not waste your money. They will not refund or reschedule $950 reservation. I can see that they are hurting and have done this to other customers. I understand everyone needs $$ but airlines, other hotels and even small AirBnB cabins have graciously refunded any changes or cancellations I needed to make. Plenty of hotels in Miami. Skip this one.

My son a seven time customer had to cancel his one day reservation at the Penguin before his cruise that was cancelled due to Covid-19. American Airlines graciously and easily refunded his airfare. It was a struggle with the Penguin — — at least seven calls to Hotel. Com, many many unreturned calls to the Penguin before the Penguin finally authorized the return of his one night stay that had been paid in full. He will consider staying again, but this was a terrible way to treat an unemployed customer due to Covid — 19 in the travel industry who has stayed at your place at least seven times before.

Great place. Good breakfast pool is amazing. Perfect location.

I have been trying for 4 days since I mistakenly made my booking — to get hold of a manger but no one answers my calls — the service is 0/10 — can someone please urgently call me +6421965966

Horrible horrible horrible.

Location. Staff. Breakfast. Rooms. This place is a must.

Great location and service. Continental breakfast included. Right on Ocean Drive, people watch from the front porch. Good value for the money.

Amazing hotel! We stayed for 7 nights and we were delighted! Location is excellent, right on Ocean Drive, it is 50m from the beach. Rooms were very clean. Staff is extremely friendly and helpful. Breakfast every morning was delicious… gotta love those pancakes :) We were greeted with a free cocktail which was a great start to our vacation. No doubt we will stay again in Penguin the next time we come to Miami.

Close to beach and restaurants. Simple, clean boutique hotel. Generally friendly, helpful staff. Valet parking available at a cost. Negative points … Serious issues with breakfast, lack of seating inside and many of the staff do not understand English. Air conditioners very noisy!

I had to drop off and pick up my wife from a stay at the Penguin Hotel. We arrived before the others in her party and before her room was ready, but the staff was very accommodating by allowing us to park in the valet in front to unload her luggage. This was good because she had a lot of heavy luggage. The staff kept the luggage in a locked room until my wife's room was ready. My wife tells me her stay was comfortable and the location was great, being just a short walk from the beech. Based on my experience with the staff I would certainly consider booking a room here in the future.

Small boutique style hotel. Friendly staff, simple but functional rooms. Breakfast buffet good. Ideal for beach, restaurants and shopping in designer stores.

With over 100 days to go for our trip, I am devastated that we won't make it to Miami. So it was a shock when we went to go and cancel our reservation that we lose the whole $200 amount. It's pretty poor especially because I am certain within the next 100 days you will get someone else booked in our place, meaning you get double. We understand you're trying to run a business and was happy even to get half back of our 1-night stay. We understand it's your policy but its a pretty poor one to say the least.

Actually a very nice hotel, but just very expensive. But that is what the situation is right. The bathroom was very small and all the holidays were full of sand, even after cleaning. It should be cleaner. But the staff was very nice, the breakfast great and you have the sea right in front of the house. Very stylish.

This hotel is on Ocean Drive. And the price was almost twice as cheap next standing. We didn't notice any differences from the more expensive ones. The saddest place in Miami. GTA fans will like this place. Not very large rooms, but for two is enough. Not bad breakfasts. Kind of chic. I recommend it.

I would not recommend this place to an animal. Staff is very rude. Called multiple times to get quotes and nothing was consistent. No one answered the phone after 20 min of being on hold. Staff is horrible, do not book. Spend your money with business that appreciate customers because this one clearly Doesn't.

They treated their guests like u never payed to stay there. Their customer service representative’s and managers manage both locations. The website clearly says if you book through the website you’ll receive 15% off but you won’t get it, They given us the run round and then one of the managers name Normace said she’ll try to see what they can do and call me back tomorrow. She never call me back I waited but no call and after the next day I called the Second number listed on their website that starting with area code 877, unprofessionally lady answers with no greeting, asked me who I was trying to reach then told me I had the wrong number with a voice that sounded a lot like Normas, I might be misspelling her name wrong but she hung up on me I tried to calling back the main number again and again and now all I get is a Greeting message saying my call can’t be answered right now. They treated us like we went through a third-party for reservations even though we paid in full! And lastly their tub is dirty and their was a blonde or red-ish strand of hair on the pillow maybe was left by the person that slept in the bed before me? And now I know how the three bears felt in Goldilocks! Who the F*** been sleeping in my bed? Just maybe it’s because it’s memorial weekend and we paid in full they can treat us how they want because they won’t see you see again?

Don't ever stay at this hotel. Their policy is not flexible in a time of emergency and unexpected events. There is no negotiation for their unreasonable deposit — so that is $722 down the tubes for not even stepping foot in their hotel, or let alone boarding a plane from Baltimore after the recent weather situation that occurred. I would have considered staying here again if the policy was different. But I will most certainly not consider that again.

My husband and I had a wonderful stay at Penguin hotel. The staff were friendly and accommodating. The rooms were very clean, bed and pillows were comfortable and continental breakfast was more than I expected. Location was perfect especially as we didn’t have a car. Right across from the ocean and central spot for restaurants and shops all within walking distance. Penguin hotel is definitely on my list for my next stay in my Miami. It’s super cute and has left a great memory for both my husband and I of Miami!

I'm extremely upset with this hotel, I wanted to make a change with my reservation. First time I called someone answered the phone then sent me to voicemail. After that, I called multiple times and no one would answer. Finally, I got someone on the phone then they put me on hold for over 25 minutes. I eventually hung up. I cancelled my reservation because no one seems to want to speak business with me. Now, no one seems to want to help me. I'm now out of $400 without even staying a single night at this hotel. This is terrible service… I have never experienced such a rude hotel that's not willing to help their customers. Worst customer service, I have ever experienced in my life. Penguin hotel please make this right and give me my money back.

Hotel located in the South Beach, the funniest area of Miami, the beach at 100 meters divine. The staff were friendly and helpful. I love it.

Very good hotel! Excellent attention. Very good location just meters from the beach. Excellent breakfast!

Upon returning from a cruise in the Caribbean, we spent 2 nights in this hotel in a sea-facing room on ocean Drive. A spacious room, clean and very well soundproof. The breakfast The staff welcoming and Nice. We enjoyed the welcome glass offered. Too bad there was no restaurant on site while it had been advertised in the pub. We will return with pleasure.

Very expensive for what it is. Old and retreaded Hitel. Good location Small room. Good breakfast. Public beach opposite Beautiful.

Decent hotel for the price. Mediocre buffet breakfast that is nice and hot if you get there early. Otherwise there is not much to choose from. There was a heavy vinegar smell in our room when we entered but it strangely was only around the entrance not the rest of the room. The bathroom and room were clean and the staff were attentive when it came to any service. There was however a set of lights right outside our room which faced an alleyway. My problem isn’t with the lights but the fact our curtains were a light mesh that blocked none of the light. All in all a decent hotel for the price if you don’t mind small annoyances. If you are on a budget and get this hotel on the cheap you should be fine.

Hotel old, but clean with nice employees and willing to serve you with a smile. Nice breakfast.

My wife loves penguins! We stopped in about 8:30 to grab some desert. Unfortunately the restaurant portion of the business was closed… no biggie. I asked the waiter if they sold any memorabilia, like t-shirts, because he was wearing a cool penguin t-shirt himself. Unfortunately, they did not. We sat on the veranda and made our plans for our next stop on Ocean Drive as the staff cleaned up. Once the staff had completed their work, the waiter came back over and gave my wife the shirt he was wearing. If literally giving someone the shirt off your back doesn't warrant a five star review, I'm not sure what does. Thanks for making a fun memory for our first visit to Ocean Drive. Wishing you and the staff all the best!

We had excellent dinner! Very good value for money.

Very good service, with the stay we included two waters, two welcome drinks and breakfast, we touched the room on the 4th floor that has an amazing terrace with very good view to the beach and Ocean Drive, lounge chairs and a shower.

I have stayed at Penguin Hotel for a night, and I was fully satisfied with the services for such a small budget. Receptionist Melis was very kind and helpful, and thanks to her suggestions, we were able to see many amazing places we would not otherwise see. The breakfast and the welcome cocktail were above our expectations. I definitely recommend this hotel to anyone who is not looking for ultra luxury stay, but looking for a clean room, welcoming service, spending a week perhaps with a tight budget. Parking valet was available for 37dollars, but there is a public overnight parking option just in a minutes walk distance. Thanks for making our holiday in Miami delightful.

Excellent staff, very friendly and well-prepared. Good hygiene and state of the facilities. Lain just in front of the beach over Ocean Dr. Very good delectable and satisfying menus. Very good service in general. Very good Hotel
I would choose it again for my next stay in South Beach.

Had a good time here. Stumbled across this picture from a previous stay. Rooms were clean and the decor was very nice. Staff was helpful and gave good advice about where to go for dinners and evenings out. I would come here again if looking for a cheaper place to stay across from the beach.

Loved this hotel. Food was really good. Don't let the menu prices startle you, if you are a guest there it's all half-off listed prices. Drinks are amazing. Tell your waiter what you are looking for by flavor, ingredients, and he'll fix you right up. When you check-in you get comp coupons for 1 free drink per adult as well as morning breakfast. It is just across the road from the beach and one block away from the art district. I would definitely stay there again.

Prices for dinner were higher than the other restaurants on Beach St. The food was good but definitely not worth the extra money. Service was sluggish and gratuity was a mandatory 20% (the bill said it was 18% but after calculating it on my own it was 20%. There is an aditional 2% resort tax, but all businesses in South Beach have that. When it came time to pay our bill the waitress handed us a single check despite there being clearly more than one party at our table. When we asked to have our check split the waitress claimed that she could not split the check and would instead have to calculate how much we wanted to put on three different cards. Overall I give the experience a 5/10, I really expected more.

Welcome drinks, free breakfast, great service and a prime location. It would be 4.5 stars because the bottom corner floor is next to the alley way and we were woken by the garbage truck, but I bumped it up to 5 stars due to the staff; friendly and professional.

This place has really gone down hill. The beds are horrible springy. They need to be replaced owners! Spend that Swiss and buy some new beds. This place used to be a dump then they really fixed it up nice. Now it's a dump again. They never really kept up with it. The only great thing is the very sweet kind professional front desk supervisor she's a hard worker dedicated and committed, but even she seems helpless to fix any thing in this run down Motel. I wouldn't spend more than 50 maybe 60 bucks a night to stay here. Even the towels are old and dated… You can only wash them use them for so long cheapskates… Cheap and Cheesey Motel. The poor …

Great staff. Walk down the strip and be prepared to be charmed into a good breakfast or lunch right outside or in the quaint dining hall.

Excellent location, comfortable rooms, the staff of the hotel stands out for its gentuleza, kindness and joy.
Carlos was always attentive to nuedtros requirement but in general they were all very cordial.
Highly recommended, we go more than satisfied!

A wonderful boutique hotel. Lovely staff! Everyone was very kind and responsive (and attractive as a bonus lol). The prices were reasonable for the South Beach strip. Everything is expensive in Miami compared to where I live, but I travel enough to understand that. There are many things to do all around and there is a convenience store/pharmacy that also sells some basic groceries about a 5 minute stroll away. My room had a mini refrigerator, but I don't remember seeing a microwave. I rated it 4 stars, though I would give 4.5 if I could, because the rooms are tiny (but clean and cute) and the hallways are awkward and poorly lit. But these are minor things compared to the overall experience; so don't let them discourage you. Plus the beach is right across the street.

Clean room. Dated building, but that is part of being in the cultural art deco area. The staff at the bar and restaurant are extremely friendly. The free breakfast was good and very filling. Each breakfast comes with scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage and some fruit, along with your choice of several different options such as bagel and cream cheese, pancakes, yougurt parfait, oatmeal, cold cereal, or pastry. If that doesn't please you you get a 50% discount on the regular breakfast menu. Additionally, at the bar and restaurant you get two free welcome drinks, and the staff offered us the happy hour price 2-for-1 the whole night for the rest of our drinks. The hotel is steps to the beautiful south beach. The resort fee gives you beach towel usage, breakfast, and 2 bottles of water per room per day.

Killer drinks! Bartenders do a great job. Desk clerks are very friendly! Clean hotel with some modern updates, but still has the Art Deco feel. Room 401 is the only room on 4th floor and it has a massive private deck!
Great location, amazing view of ocean, walking distance to awesome shops and best food!

Arrive here on Sunday will be leaving Sunday one of the best hotels we have ever stayed in in South Beach. Miami less traffic ocean view it is a place that I will love to come back to without a hesitation, I don't care what are the hotels are given discounts the staff here is great.

The Penguin Miami Beach is the picture of perfection! Everything about the hotel was exceptional, and I don't give praise lightly. Although we arrived yesterday but I'm expecting the same treatment and experience I had on my previous three visits within 2 years. And I'll continue for numerous reasons. Starting from the Awesome staff (SPECIALLY the girl with the great smile at the front desk "Melis Yaz", not to mention how clean stylish, roomy. Well equipped and comfortable our rooms were. And the excellent service in both bar where we had lunch and the restaurant where we had breakfast and dinner. Food was beyond good and great value for money and service in both places attentive and efficient. I could go on but suffice it to say I was very pleased with my stay, I hope to be back for a longer visit in the future. The exceptional staff know the true value of customer service. Thank you all for such a memorable vacation!

Good value for money but no parking.

This is a GREAT hotel! Pretty much everything was awesome about it. At check-in you get a complimentary drink for each guest, great breakfast included everyday, you get 6 different options all including bacon, ham or sausage and eggs. Room was awesome, spacious with a nice shower. It seems like it was always happy hour at the bar which was nice. You get beach towels at reception anytime you want. The ONLY negative I have is that there is no parking. Valet parking for $30 a day or public parking facility about a block and a half away for $20 a day IF its not full. But I know they cant do much about it since there simply is no room for parking in Ocean dr. I would DEFINITELY recommend Penguin!

Location is the perfection. The employees were very nice & welcoming. The environment was lovely. Complimentary drinks when we first walk in & free breakfast everyday served by a waiter! Amazing. The room was cuute. The only thing I was upset with that the pictures showed huge mirrors everywhere & we got there with no mirror at all. Only a bathroom mirror which was very high. Also no drawers (no big deal) only recommendation is to put wall mirrors in the rooms! Maid service was fantastic too!

My bestfriend & I loved it here! The ride to Miami from Tallahassee was long & when we arrived we got valet parking with the hotel & very happy to see how clean & comfortable it was! The staff were some of the nicest people I ever met, especially Leo, our waiter during free breakfast! Great location as well! Will definitely book here again & most certainly recommend!

Great location Hyper-endorsement Service. We had a great lunch there. Great location in front of a park overlooking Miami Beach.
We recommend.

Small room with precarious Wi-Fi coverage. View from the room on the inside to forget. Very good location.

New rooms but hallway and lobby still a bit crumbling. Cost OK great location. Breakfast from 7!

I liked their pancakes.

Good for breakfast or brunch.

The hotel is located in a place very good of Ocean Drive Miami Beach the rooms are small but well modern the service of restaurant is very good.

Quieter end of South Beach. Beautiful spot across from beach. Pent house with deck was awesome! Staff friendly and helpful especially Noremise & Carmen. Food delicious breakfast and dinner. Good value and so very Tres Chic.

It use to be a classic in South Beach, came here for breakfast, 1. We waited to be greeted and seated. 2. While seating no one offered us water or coffee. 3. I told the waiter that we where ready to Order he stared and walk away we waited. Lije 10. Mim finally I walked out and told the hostes Bad service. She said sorry its beacuse we are buzy.

This place closely located in the heart of Miami south beach and is a perfect place to stay and enjoy the beaches in morning and evening. Staff is vefy helpful and ready to help. Only con is price vs quality but that is fine if location is considered.

AVOID! If I could give them 0, I would! The worst hotel experience I have ever had. Turned up for a three day stay with them only to find out thay they have sold my room. After sending us to another hotel that they "paid" for for the length of our trip, it turns out they hadn't actually paid and expected us to return back to the hotel. After arguing and wasting holiday hours on disputing with these cowboys, I had to refer the matter to Expedia. Avoid at all costs! The manager is non-existant and they will not answer your calls. Terrible terrible hotel.

Good service and the location! Ask to be upgraded the the fourth floor room… Worth it.

Excellent choice in unbeatable location, and economic preferred, visit it in July.

Total bait and switch for tourists. Avoid this place. Drinks are overpriced but not terrible. They automatically add an obnoxious 'hospitality service charge' (30% of the bill) when you stop by for happy hour.

I was there in november 2014.

This hotel sucked. First of all, the elevator was broken during our entire stay (5 days). The cleaning ladies never cleaned the room and if they did it would be after 5pm, and we were told by the receptionist that they cleaned only up until 5pm. The room itself smelled like fungus and we were displeased to discover that there was dust all over the AC filter which was blowing into the room whenever we turned it on causing my boyfriend and I to have severe allergies and coughing fits. Therefore, we ended up sleeping with no air condition on and having the windows open to hear at 7am every morning the construction that was going on on the floor above us. Whenever we took a shower the smoke detector would go off from the steam of the shower. We paid for valet parking that took 15 minutes to get our car which was parked just 50 feet away. Overall, horrible.

Service and cleanliness not even worth the price, sad to say. I don't know if the people working during my 3 day stay were just having bad days or what but there's no excuse for the attitude I got from the concierge and housekeeping. Location is the ONLY thing going for this hotel. I'd rather pay a higher ticket to stay at a chain hotel and pay the gas price to drive for the businesses surrounding it.

We really enjoyed our experience at the Penguin Hotel. We booked online at the hotel website and received a complimetary room upgrade for a promotion. We had an awesome second floor ocean view suite which looked out onto Ocean Dr. Huge room! Mattress was so comfortable, better than ours at home! We had a red eye flight and arrived to South Beach around 7am. Check-in was at 3pm but Carmen let us into our room at 1030am at no extra charge, as soon as it was ready! The hotel desk provides beach towels for guests and breakfast is included with the hotel's resort fee. The Penguin is located at the north end of the Ocean Dr, still very central but away from the majority of the noisy bars. We would definitely stay again.

Me arquile in this hotel the day 12/13/12 after having had very bad experience at the hotel cavalier, and thank God I found this hotel for my vacation in miami and the truth I love is a tiny but clean, cozy, with an excellent customer service very good service, attention and I notice many guests were so satisfied as I felt I just an opinion should change the color of the Hall carpets a bit more clear and enlarge a little more elevator in my opinion by the others super satisfied.