InterContinental Miami is located close to the port and offers beautiful views.
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Whether you’re leaving from domestic ports like Miami or international ones like Rotterdam, anyone who’s almost missed their cruise because of flight delays or other unpredictable travel snafus can tell you how important it is to fly in the day before your ship is set to sail.
Having learned that lesson the hard way myself, I now arrive for every cruise at least one day early and have found some great hotels in cities like Vancouver and Southampton that are worth a stay, whether you’re sailing away or parking yourself there for a while.
My latest discovery was the InterContinental Miami, an IHG Hotel, which turned out to be the ideal place to spend the night before my Virgin Voyages cruise to Barcelona. Not only does this luxury waterfront hotel offer beautiful views of Biscayne Bay — and the cruise ships! — but it’s a quick ride to the port so you can stay a little longer and take advantage of all the hotel’s features and special programs, which include their infamous salsa nights, yoga classes and cooking demos along with the award-winning mySpa, three top-notch dining venues and a rooftop pool with brand new private, oceanview cabanas.
Oceanfront Terrace at InterContinental Miami
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Because I didn’t arrive until late at night, I wasn’t able to take advantage of any of those amenities. That was okay, though, because I chose the InterContinental Miami for very specific reasons: location, rooms and Club InterContinental, all of which exceeded my expectations.
InterContinental Miami location
Nighttime view of InterContinental Miami
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Hotels, like all real estate, are all about location, location, location — and InterContinental Miami’s is prime. It’s a short drive from the airport and an even shorter drive to the cruise port. Plus, because I’m partial to a room with a view, I was able to overlook the water, see my ship and fall asleep to the sounds of the sea and the anticipation of two weeks sailing across it.
Rooms at InterContinental Miami
An Executive Suite bedroom at InterContinental Miami
IHG Hotels & Resorts
I booked a classic room (with a view), which was roomy and comfortable and came with a cozy bathrobe, complimentary bottles of water and luxurious Byredo bath products.
The bed was so cozy, I could easily have slept the morning away but my desire to take advantage of all the perks the lounge had to offer won out.
Club InterContinental at Intercontinental Miami
The welcoming ClubInterContinental at InterContinental Miami
IHG Hotels & Resorts
I love a good hotel lounge and ClubInterContinental is a good example why. Recently redesigned, it’s warm and inviting and the breakfast buffet, which is curated by the hotel’s Executive Chef, had so many excellent choices.
The lounge offers afternoon tea time and happy hour, as well, and I’m always happy when I can help myself to bottles of water and Diet Coke any time of day.
Access to ClubInterContinental can be obtained in a variety of ways, from booking a suite to selecting a lounge membership through IHG Milestone Rewards or paying a Club rate for your room.
One of the best features of ClubInterContinental is that it provides guests with a dedicated concierge who can pretty much help with anything you need. Matheus made everything so easy for us, nabbing us a late checkout and printing out our Kenya visas for our post-cruise trip.
I will definitely be returning to InterContinental Miami before my next MSC cruise (MSC World America, here we come) and just may start planning a separate, extended stay because Miami suddenly seems to be calling me.
