I always thought Hilton is a very high end hotel. I was totally disappointed upon arriving at this property. It looks very outdated and rundown.
Toilet is way too low in the washroom.
I didn't know gratuity of 15% is automatically included when I made a purchase at the lobby Herb N' Kitchen. That caught me by surprise.
Free shuttle between hotel and airport is the biggest factor for me to book this hotel.
訪訪客We love this location right in the middle of downtown Fort Myers, Florida. We've stayed here a few times, including before the recent renovation. There is a an interesting variety of rooms with different layouts which we enjoyed. This time we chose a King room with balcony and city view. The balcony is small but big enough for 2 people and while it does have an ok ”city view,” it also looks down upon another roof below with all the air conditioners (something we do not like when paying extra for a ”view”). However, you can also see the river along with a bit of Patio DeLeon, in the middle of downtown Fort Myers. At night, is where the view shines with all the colorful lighting and usual music can be heard from live musicians. This room is fairly large for a boutique hotel with a larger than usual TV. However, the TV and dresser on which it sits are oddly placed in a corner at an angle, and pretty far from the bed detracting from the size of the screen. Programming is not in HD and also not set to the correct proportions (everything was vertically compressed) and the remote does not allow adjustments for this. It has a nice kitchenette area with a mini fridge but no microwave which we thought it should have given the price for the room and how inexpensive small microwaves cost (It may have been an option but it should already be there). Shower is very nice but every 30 seconds the water pressure dropped, then climbed back up - no biggie, just odd. Toilet paper seemed cheap for this type of hotel but all other items seemed to match this type of hotel. You have to pay $3 per bottle for the 2 bottles that are already in the room. It's like ”nickel and diming” for something as inexpensive as bottled water - like having no microwave, it takes away from the experience given the price of the room. Some light fixtures were not fully seated into the ceiling and like most hotels, the air vent in the bathroom had visible dust (I realize most people don't even look at these things, but I tend to notice it). The bed, although newer, was very firm, and not what we typically find in an upscale hotel. The walls are ”thin” allowing sounds from outside and adjacent rooms to be heard which is just an observation, not necessarily a negative. Front desk personnel were friendly, professional and helpful. Parking options are basically valet or one of 2 nearby parking garages. One parking garage is literally across the street which worked great for us at a lot less than using valet - pros and cons to each. The ice machine on our floor was not working which requires you to acquire ice on another floor (we were on the 7th floor - the top floor). There is a nice little rooftop bar which has a similar view of the city as our room but a little higher. The bar area has decent seating with a good mix of small couches, chairs and high top tables. We did not eat or have room service during this stay but it's available. Overall, it's a very nice, small hotel in an ideal, convenient location and we will definitely go back.
MMama CheetahWe ended up at the Daytona Grande after the Hilton Oceanfront overbooked and we were on our way with no place to stay! Admittedly not the safest, but I had to book this place while driving from the Orlando airport and just looking for something that wasn’t a total dive but still decently priced without a ton of extra fees. No free breakfast here which is something I especially appreciate as a family of 6, but in this case it was just me and my teenage son in town for an archery championship. After the highly stressful day of travel we had, the Grande was like a little slice of Heaven! It was clean, quiet, and beautiful. We decided after having to skip lunch with flight delays and all that, we just wanted a good meal and a good bed and we got exactly that. My son and I split truffle fries to start, the crusted crab filet, and beignets for dessert. All were wonderful (and we’re from Dallas where there is no shortage of excellent food) and enjoyed Oceanside on the dimly lit quiet patio. My only criticism is that the tables should be turned perpendicularly to the ocean and hotel so that everyone at the table gets a view of both rather than one facing a wall while the other faces the ocean.
Rooms were nicely decorated, had comfortable, intuitive lighting, handy USB plugs, and most importantly REALLY COMFORTABLE BEDS! We have a Tempurpedic at home so my sleep is usually pretty abysmal at hotels. Now, this wasn’t as comfy as home, but I slept hard and woke without being sore since the bed was genuinely comfortable.
My only complaints about the room were that the window sheers, while stylish, really gave no privacy at all, so if you wanted privacy you had to sacrifice light. Water pressure wasn’t great and the bathroom needed more towel bars and hooks. This would’ve been way more of a nuisance with the whole family, but they also came midday and restocked towels and made up the beds, which we see less and less of these days, even at nice hotels in the name of being “green”. But it was spacious and clean and otherwise nicely equipped.
Elevators were fast and never held us up. Beach access from the elevator was nice as we didn’t have to walk through the lobby in swimsuits. Parking was slightly inconvenient being caddy corner across the street, but not bad at all. We considered but didn’t try room service mainly due to price and unknown wait (when we had tournament times to consider) but the little shop/cafe in the lobby was great and convenient and priced about as you’d expect (pricey, but not too ridiculous). We got coffee and breakfast sandwiches both days.
I think the biggest issue with this place is the visibility. It’s tall to be sure so you’re not going to miss it, but the entrance and signage is on the far side and behind a little aqua building (I think called Sand Dunes) which had to be apartments or a teeny hotel that I can only assume refused to sell to the Grande in development so the Grande built around it. It keeps it from having the opulent entrance that the Hilton does
CChalsey LBoulan South Beach – Honest Review
I recently stayed at Boulan South Beach and overall had a great experience, with a few minor drawbacks.
Positives:
The location is fantastic—just one block from the beach and in a very walkable area surrounded by great restaurants and bars. The hotel itself offers solid amenities, including a small but relaxing rooftop pool with a bar. One of the highlights of my stay was dining at Orange Blossom, the on-site restaurant. The food was excellent, and I’d highly recommend checking it out even if you’re not staying at the hotel.
The rooms are well-appointed, apartment-style suites that feel spacious and thoughtfully designed. I also appreciated how quiet the rooms were—perfect for getting a good night’s sleep after a day out.
Negatives:
That said, I was disappointed by the bed. The listing advertised a pillow-top mattress, but the bed was far from comfortable and fell short of our expectations. Also, for a room that otherwise felt luxurious, the lack of bathrobes was a small detail that would’ve really rounded out a luxurious experience.
Additionally, while the room was clean, some of the design choices were lovely but weren’t the most practical for a hotel setting. The cloth-upholstered bed frame, while stylish, showed some staining—fabric furniture can be hard to keep looking fresh in a high-turnover “fun” environment. Similarly, the jute rug added visual texture but proves to be difficult to clean and showed signs of wear.
Final Thoughts:
Boulan South Beach is a solid choice if you’re looking for a stylish, well-located hotel in South Beach with great amenities and a quieter, more refined atmosphere. Just be aware of a few comfort and design trade-offs. It really is too bad, because Boulan is excellent on so many things and I would 100% go back and definitely recommend this hotel to others… However, the bed quality really brought down the overall appeal. If they can improve that one aspect, this would easily be a top-tier stay in South Beach.