The Penguin Hotel

What a great find! This Art Deco hotel is just steps from the gorgeous beach, has had a great guest room makeover, and has done a great job of hiring friendly staff. Men and women alike here jump to open doors and smile at you, making you feel very welcome. Everyone was great but some standouts that we encountered were: Tomas at the front desk, David at the bar, Josefa and Felicita in housekeeping, and Travis. Also, the breakfast team including Angel who makes you smile and works hard and Christian who busses, open doors, refills coffee, gives directions and info, and smiles all the while.
The location is great because it is near the ‘south beach’ craziness of the lower street numbers (the Palace; the Clevelander) but enough away that you can escape when you want. It’s also right near the more expensive hotels like the Raleigh, Delano, etc. so you get the best of both worlds in South Beach.
The rooms are a good size made better by the design: minimal furniture, well placed mirrors, a very functional closet with lots of shelves and hangers, mini fridge, iron, safe. Nice bathroom and big artwork on the main wall. It was clean and had great floors — not icky hotel carpet that is never really clean. And the room was very quiet.
The elevator is quirky — in a European way.
The resort fee allows for welcome drinks, continental breakfast, wifi… would be great if it was less than $ 21/​day.
Nice 2 for 1 happy hour. Yummy café con leche.
A few rooms overlook the ocean and have an amazing view, one has a crazy big balcony. Would definitely stay here again and am surprised by the other bad reviews – especially since I am a picky New Yorker.
PS as far as slow service… its normal for Miami, I didn’t find it egregious in this hotel or restaurant, and anyway this isn’t a face paced city… try to relax and enjoy!

This place was by far the BIGGEST mistake I made during my vacation in South Beach. Thursday night around 7 and the strip was getting pretty busy– we wanted a more chill restaurant to start the night off, and they had 0 people there. It looked inviting and the tables looked nice so we were seated. We put in drink orders right away. 3 vodka cranberries – and were given our menus. It took almost 30 minutes for them to bring us our drinks (no one was at the bar) When we got our drinks we all agreed there were very little booze in them. Our waiter did not check in on us to ask is how the drinks were or even if we were ready to eat. We ended up ordering because we were starving and the food was garbage. Fries still frozen, burger wasn’t cooked fully– just overall pretty underwhelming! Again, our waiter was sooo bad. We were shocked that they added a 20% gratuity to our check. We did ask to speak with management, and ended up not getting anything but more annoyed. No wonder this place was featured on hotel makeover show, but SPOILER ALERT– it didn’t work! Horrible.

Clean, centrally located, and everyone on staff is friendly and hospitable.
Free breakfast was ample and the happy hour was a great deal. If you’re going to Miami Beach with friends its a great pick especially for saving some dough.
Room was thoroughly cleaned daily and check in/​out was a breeze.

After walking up & down Ocean Dr, my friends & I made the mistake for stopping at The Penguin Hotel for dinner. We chose this spot because it was not busy like all the other restaurants/​bars & we wanted a quiet spot to start our night. We ordered 3 vodka & cranberry which took too long to arrive. Or meals left something to be desired, mediocre. Service was a joke! Absolutely terrible-​and an undeserved 20% gratuity was included on our check. Very disappointed in our first meal in SoBe

Bait and switch! Offered buy one get one happy hour specials on «everything» and when we asked for the free drinks they then told us that the drinks we ordered weren’t included. Food was not good and service was poor.

This review is for only the restaurant, but one person in my group of four received moldy food with no apology after it was pointed out, and I received the wrong thing and the waiter argued with me that it was my fault. Ended up paying over $ 100 for four people to eat breakfast which was bad in more than one way.

Came here last minute with a large group for breakfast and they immediately accommodated. Prices for breakfast weren’t too bad which was surprising. I got the lumberjack breakfast with a side of french toast because I love food. My meal tasted really really good too. A pitcher of mimosa was just over 20 bucks, which you can’t beat (and they really fill it up). I would come back for breakfast again.

My review is solely based on the restaurant and not the hotel, as my group did not stay here. BUT after walking for what seemed like an eternity looking for a brunch spot after being up until 5am the night before, this was a pleasant surprise. We were initially walking to the Front Porch café, and on the way we were asked to come in by the waiters outside. Since we had somewhere else in mind, we kept walking. After being told by the Front Porch café that the wait would be 45 minutes, we walked back towards our condo. On the way back, we were again approached by the gentlemen at the Penguin, we asked if they served bunch and could they accommodate 13 girls, we were told yes to both questions. I was happy to see when we walked inside that we were the only party inside the restaurant, and multiple tables were pushed together so our group could sit together.
The servers were prompt, attentive and super friendly. The food was delicious and everything that brunch should be… filling, and makes you feel like a blob after. But, it was one of the few actual meals we had all weekend and did not disappoint! Prices were reasonable considering the amount of food you get. Overall, a really good experience.

The hotel is fine. The room was fine. You could tell they did some renovations. It’s on South Ocean and you walk across the street to the beach which is the best part. The resort fee is ridiculous. I’d rather not pay and skip the breakfast and beach towel service. (See my review about the horrible breakfast experience). The welcome drink options are watered down and taste like sugar mix so just get a beer. The reception people were nice and printed out our airline tickets. There are many hotels around so if you can find one for similar price then try that one instead.

I went to the resturant downstairs. The fish and chips here was mediocre just like the service. When I walked in the hostess was polite sat me down right away and got me water. My server Michael then approached me and asked me what I wanted with out giving me a menu. having already looked at the menu board I ended up ordering fish and chips. I asked for mayo and I didn’t get it. Michael passed by twice and I tried to get his attention I feel like he was ignoring me. I then asked David to tell Michael to plz bring my check because I have a plane to catch. Michael went and asked the table next to me if they need their check and they said yes. I said excuse me and he ignored me again so I raised my voice in Spanish and again asked for the check. He finally brought it. Oh yea and I got my mayo ten minutes later from a busser. They need to step it up on their customer service.

We booked a room for a Thursday night stay. Our only purpose was to party that night in South Beach, so we wanted a clean affordable room, walking distance to bars, to sleep in for a couple of hours & this hotel met all our needs. The resort fee included 2 drinks, 2 breakfasts, 1 specialty drink. Valet parking was $ 30 (cash only) & they were fast & professional. We got a standard room & it was a comfortable size for 2 adults. The room was clean & equipped with everything we needed. I would stay here again for 1 night. I paid $ 84 or $ 88 (including resort fee) & it was definitely worth it for me. I have paid a lot more for smaller crappier rooms further from Ocean Drive.

Stayed here this past weekend, and right off the bat things were not well. I got a great rate, or so I thought. There’s a lot of things that the hotel doesn’t tell you such as:
— Resort fee: $ 21.00
— Valet Parking fee: $ 36.00 AND you have to pay in cash.
So my great rate went up, close to $ 300! The shower didn’t work properly (no water pressure). The door didn’t close properly (no deadbolt). The customer service people, who work at another hotel called the President, were not helpful at all. It’s proximity to the beach is the only thing going for it. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend or would stay here again.

It was amazing! 50 bucks a night and on Ocean Dr?! The Décor was awesome! There was money on the ceiling! We were barely in our room because again the location was amazing! No need for cabs we walked everywhere and easily on the beach in minutes. Also parked on the street so really inexpensive.

Came here for breakfast, which we didn’t get to have. After fifteen minutes of waiting for someone to take our order and being completely ignored by passing wait staff we just walked out.

Horrible food, horrible service. Over priced. Eggs not cooked, french toast eggy. Do yourself a favor and walk up the block to another location.

The penguin hotel. Weirdest hotel I’ve stayed in and I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels.
Looks nice from the outside. Inside, I just kept thinking of the penguin from batman. This is due to the dark hallways, circus like lightening, and odd pixilated photos of random crap plastered on the walls. Hallway smelt of candy from a circus.
Linoleum floors in the room felt gross and dirty. Also, I didn’t know it was possible to make beds this hard? Doors to the bathroom are kinda see through, not sure why. Room smelt of dust and mold. Felt and looked like a run down party joint.
$ 250 for a room in batmans enemy’s lair. The décor is so bad, you really have to just laugh about the mistake you made in booking this hotel.

The walls are so thin, I could hear someone’s phone conversation from the person that was on speaker phone!
We were CONSTANTLY woken up by people outside dumping trash, talking, etc. AND the shower is a JOKE. There is only 1 shower door. YEP, only half of the shower is covered. So you are just in the open… Showering and cold. When I asked about this, the front desk said they only put 1 shower door in for the «guests safety» in case someone breaks it!!! WTF! The shower head is useless, gross, and no water pressure at all.
The room looks like a good size in the pics because of all the mirrors, but its TINY, especially if you get the 1 king bed option.
Location is awesome, and staff is friendly-​ish for the most part. Price is ok. That’s why I’m giving it 2 stars instead of 1. Spend a little more money and get a lot more elsewhere.

This hotel was great! I received an excellent rate and you can’t beat the location. Excellent hotel for the price!
The beds were very comfortable and my room had a fridge which is key for not over spending on booze and food.
The staff was just awesome. Christian and Dan the managers were super accommodating along with the ladies at the front desk (Carmen and flencia).
The restaurant staff was also great, really chill and not pushy and annoying like most of the other restaurants on ocean drive. Eva and Stewart were especially awesome, and Scott was very nice :)
Also the hotel itself was super cute with penguins everywhere and the blue and purple lights everywhere are really cool.
I’m staying here again in a few weeks and would definitely recommend!

Hallo
Das Hotel ist nicht schlecht, aber auch nicht mehr.
Positiv
— direkt am Strand
— Zimmer mit Meerblick möglich
— schön um Leute zu sehen /​beobachten (Ocean Drive)
— Badewanne mit Whirlpool Effekt
— direkt an der Art Déco Straße
Negativ
— durch den Ocean Drive ist es laut
— dünne Wände und Türen nervig
— Dusche ist schlecht zu regulieren, entweder heiß oder kalt (eis) Mitte nicht möglich
— Restaurant sehr teurer sollte man meiden
(Salat mit Tomate Mozzarella ist nur 3Scheiben Tomate mit 3Scheiben Mozzarella für 12 $ + Steuer und Tip)
— sehr Touri lastig, lieber ein paar Straßen weiter gehen.
— Preis Leistung stehen nicht zusammen

It’s our first time in Miami and I don’t think I ever want to come back. I wish I splurged and spent money at a different hotel.
My boyfriend and I are currently on our first (adult) vacation. Everything has been going great except this hotel. It’s kind of cute from the outside. The lobby has a sort of charm to it (and musty smell). We had to pay an extra $ 50 for valet parking and a «resort fee.»
The walk to the hotel room was through the kitchen and into a «money» hallway. It’s dark and creepy. I felt like I was walking in a brothel. The room has mirrors on the wall and overlooks a pile of shit next door. There is one outlet to plug your phone in and nothing to set it on.
I tried to take a shower after such a long drive and I look up and notice the shower head has a bunch of pubic hairs on it. (Picture posted).
The place does not feel clean and I wasted my money. I am so disappointed. Hotwire has let me down for the first time. I would never recommend this hotel to anyone. And from past reviews it looks like Id be wasting my time asking for my money back.

I’ll make my points for this review
PROS:
*Right at the beach
*Cheap
*Conceited? You’ll have all the mirrors you need in the room.
*Parking space for your car is gated, they give you a garage key to open. (Last day you get to park your car till 4pm.)
*Walking distance to everything (it’s on 14^th)
*Shower heads — LOVE!
*Had fridge to store food
*Huge closet/​shelf space with a light inside.
*Room included a blow dryer/​complimentary waters
*Good lighting inside the room. I guess it helps since the mirrors are reflected, too.
*Sign out beach chairs — Free!
*Free wifi
*Complimentary drinks
CONS:
*Continental breakfast was horrible. The food they had there was Cereal, Bread, and a pastry I didn’t care to eat. Not even bagels!
*Noise — Easily hear people in their rooms from the hallway.
*Whats up with the money designs on the ceiling? The money we wish we had, since we had to downgrade to a hotel like this.
*Smallest, un-​vented bathroom ever. I had to use two hands to open the door as well, it kept getting stuck.
*Nasty smelling bath supplies they provide. Bring your own!
*One plug in the whole room (I saw people complain about this, I should have listened). Seriously though, bring a power strip.
*Resort fee — Unnecessary

Von aussen macht das Hotel nicht viel her. Unauffällig und schlicht. Das Office kalt. Wenn man durch die düsteren Gänge zu den Zimmern läuft, fragt man sich, ob man nicht lieber irgendwo anders eingecheckt hätte. Und dann: Zimmertüre auf: Erleichterung!!!
Die Zimmer sind zwar recht klein. Doch eine Zimmerwand bestand komplett aus Spiegel, was das Zimmer grösser wirken liess. Auf der gegenüberliegenden Wand ein rieeeesiges Wandposter von einem Schmetterling.
Alles tip top sauber, der Preis stimmt auch für die Lage, würde ich sagen.
Frühstück ist inklusive, jedoch im Partnerhotel President einen Block dahinter. Doch der Weg lohnt nur schon wegen den Mini-​Croissants…
Schade hat es keine Parkplätze. Parken endweder auf der Strasse (max. 8h; 03:00 bis 09:00 gratis), Valet-​Parking direkt beim Hotel (32 $) oder Parkhaus, in der 13^th für max. 20 $/​24h.