The Palms Hotel Miami Fl

When I started planning a kid friendly escape to Miami Beach, I pictured MTV spring break and “The Catalina” reality show. A slight bit worried, I started ferociously googling hotels in Miami. I came across the Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach and was intrigued. The photos showed it right on the beach with a tropical feel in a boutique setting. Turns out it’s one of the best kid friendly hotels in Miami.

The Palms Hotel Miami Fl

Originally built in 1939, The Palms Hotel Miami FL, is a gem from old Miami Beach. Unimpressive as you approach, the entry driveway looks small and not too luxurious. Don’t be fooled. The kids and I walked in to the lobby and were transported to good memories from places like the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.

Check-in was efficient and incredibly friendly. The kids were handed Godiva chocolates on the way in and so I had to try one, for research purposes only. The luxury treatment didn’t stop there.

The Rooms at The Palms Hotel Miami Fl

When we stepped into the room we were swept into a luxurious beachy setting with updated decor. Some of the rooms can be on the small side so make sure to call ahead if you are staying with kids. Both times we visited, our rooms were perfectly sized for up to four and we were comfortable in our settings.

A perfect feature of this hotel is that there are two bathrooms in the room. One with a toilet and one with a shower. I love being able to take a long shower without hearing tiny voices yelling “I have to pee”.

One not so perfect feature, no bathtubs.

The Pool and Courtyard at The Palms Hotel Miami Fl

What the Palms Hotel Miami Fl lacks in the front it more than makes up for in the back. Upon looking out our window, I fell in love. The view of the ocean is unobstructed and exactly what you would expect of Miami Beach. I so loved the view I almost forgot to actual head outside. Luckily, two tiny travellers forced me away from the window and down to the pool and courtyard.

The pool is large and slightly deep. Great for swimming but if your kids aren’t stellar swimmers you will need floaties or life jackets. Neither are available at the hotel for rent or sale but I did see water wings in the onsite shop. Will at 6 is becoming a strong swimmer but has had a hard time not being able to touch the bottom of the pool and swimming for long periods of time. Charlie with her puddle jumper loved the pool.

Ready for this? The pool is heated. Ah Miami. The kids swam for over 4 hours total one day and never once complained of being cold. Its also perfect for a before bed dip. The pool also has full food and beverage service. There is no lifeguard on site.

The courtyard is magnificent. There are fountains, quiet areas to sit and family cabanas. There are also two adorable parrots Sunshine and Chance who wait to welcome you with a kind “hello”. Just be careful, the parrots can be a little naughty and repeat things guests have accidentally said around them.

The Beach at The Palms Hotel Miami Fl

I’ll be honest. I dread going to the beach. It’s sandy and dirty and there’s no way to quickly get a good glass of wine. That is not the story here. The Palms Hotel Miami Fl has thought of everything on their beach. Lounge chairs are free and set up for guests and there is a bartender and food service on site. You even get a nifty orange flag to plant in the sand for whenever you need anything.

Essensia

Probably the most surprising element of the Palms was the quality of the onsite restaurant Essensia. There are hotel restaurants and then there are great restaurants that happen to be in hotels. Essenssia is the latter.

We sat down for our first meal at the restaurant and I was blown away. The kids menu served real food and good quality vegetables and my kale chicken caesar salad was probably the best salad I had ever tried. Later, I learnt that the kale was grown onsite as I toured the Chef’s organic garden.

Led by Executive Chef Julie Frans, Essensia reflects the hotel’s philosophy that all should be “inspired by nature”. The menu reflects the Chef’s passion for healthy whole food living combined with flavours from around the world.

Pair that with impeccable service and a tropical garden setting and you will fall for Essenssia as quickly as I did.

A Few Notes About The Palms Hotel Miami Fl

Although we loved the hotel, there were a few minor things that drove me nuts. I’ve said this before. It is my honest and true belief that luxury hotels or really any hotel should not have towel cards. It’s annoying. More than once, the kids and I were by the pool and I couldn’t get extra towels to warm them up in the slightly colder temperatures. At night, you need to go the front desk and retrieve towels. I find it hard to believe that so many towels are going missing that this is an actual necessity in hotels.

Other than that, my only other warning is the size of the rooms. I have seen numerous rooms in the hotel and some are definitely better laid out than others. The suites are spectacular and the family suites are sizeable. A regular size room will usually fit a family four but a few of the rooms onsite are particularly smaller. Make sure to contact the hotel and request to be in a larger sized room if possible.

South Beach

The kids and I loved exploring South Beach from the Palms. What we particularly loved was coming home. It was fun to see the sights, explore the boardwalk and shop on Collins Avenue and Lincoln Road. It was also equally nice to return home where the sounds and lights were far away and we could just relax and enjoy ourselves. The Palms is well secured and protected and I never felt worried about who was around and where we were. The hotel was in fact instead a stress-free escape where my biggest first-world problem was locating the towel cards before we hit the pool.