Name: Penguin Hotel
Address: 1418 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, United States of America, Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, US
Price range: US$87–US$207 per night
Rating: 7.75

What guests think

Penguin Hotel is a small Art Deco property on Ocean Drive steps from South Beach, praised for its unbeatable location and generally friendly staff, but with many amenities (pool, bar, some dining) handled at nearby sister properties.

Rooms are basic and often small, though some ocean-view options are larger; recurring comments mention very loud AC, small bathrooms, and occasional street or construction noise. Cleanliness is frequently praised, but housekeeping may be on request and occasional maintenance issues arise, like weak hot water, low water pressure, and sporadic Wi-Fi or TV problems. The included breakfast at partner venues draws the most criticism for limited choice and slow service, although a few guests enjoyed it. Overall, expect a simple, well-located base with lively surroundings.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Rooftop pool, bar and breakfast are provided at sister properties a short walk away; the pool is small and was occasionally closed or crowded. Valet parking is off-site and can be expensive; beach towels are available.

Related guest reviews

8

Jodie L

20 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The bathroom door was frosted glass so privacy was not great. There was no bar even though it said there was. You have to go to another hotel for that. Also, you have to go to another hotel for a pool. No drinks or food allowed at the pool so that was not fun. The staff was friendly and the location was good.

8

PAVITER

14 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice boutique hotel but everything is centred around its sister hotel - The President. Parking, drinks, breakfast and pool are all at The President so that would probably be a beater option of the two. Overall still a nice hotel with a nice view of the ocean and beach from our room.

6

Owen

29 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 7 nights

Overall decent property, beware the pool is on the rooftop of another hotel around the corner to which we have access. Pretty good budget option if your into that sort of thing.

6

Jon Espen

2 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel is ok. Be aware that swimming pool is in hotel in neighborhood. Totally crowded when we were there. Breakfast served at restaurant next door. Only low quality American breakfast as option. Great location by the beach. Towels at hotel. Room was large. A bit noisy. Aircon was good, but extremely noisy.

6

Nico

31 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

There is a service charge that is way too much and I am not sure what it covers. They offer no more services than any other hotels, if anything, there are less. Rooftop pool was closed when we tried to access.

8

Jose

24 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

They must say in advance that the free breakfast and pool is in another partner hotel and you need to walk in the back alley to reach them.

4

Nick

30 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Stayed before, came back but a little disappointed. Pool was not working. Told it would be but never was. Ice machine broken and water was not put in rooms daily as advised. Shame. Nice location though.

6

Lorrie

16 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Paid extra to have access to pool in sister hotel. Very few chairs. Towels for beach but no lounge chairs or umbrellas. Paid extra $60 at beach. Breakfast included had terrible slowwww service. Food always cold. Location is great. Staff try. Booked hop on hop off. Waited an hour didn’t stop. Expensive taxi fare from and to airport. $50 to $75.

8

Manoela

26 May 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel is well-maintained, the room was clean and comfortable. It is very close to the beach with easy access to restaurants, shops, and grocery stores. Even being on a busy area, we didn’t hear noises from the street, as our room was facing the side of the hotel. The AC, however, was noisy and made it difficult to sleep at night. The parking on the nearby area is also a challenge and the valet parking service provided by the hotel is very expensive. Other than that, it was a pleasant stay.

10

Andrea

19 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

This is the cutest little hotel I’ve ever seen! Everything was clean and classy. Breakfast is at the president hotel right behind the penguin…it was great! Nothing fancy but it was nicely prepped and tasted great. We didn’t get to visit the rooftop pool because it was under maintenance but we didn’t mind. There’s plenty of places to eat and shop around and the beach is easily accessible. 10/10 would recommend and stay here again.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Many guests found rooms very clean, but housekeeping isn’t automatic and sometimes requires a request. There are scattered maintenance or hygiene issues noted, such as low water pressure, hot-water inconsistency, or occasional unclean bathrooms.

Related guest reviews

8

Patrick

15 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Everything was clean, room, hallways and elevator

6

shahram

28 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

We found bedbugs in room. NOT GOOD.

4

laura

5 May 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very dirty.. never received room cleaned or new towels

10

Derrick

15 May 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

The hotel is situated in an ideal location, surrounded by similar accommodations on Ocean Drive and directly across the street from the beach. There are numerous stores and dining options in the vicinity. The Lincoln Rd Mall is just an 8-minute walk from the hotel. The hotel is clean and well-maintained, although somewhat small. A large mirror on the wall gives the illusion of added space. However, the bathroom is quite cramped, with the toilet positioned directly next to the door. I also wish the room included a microwave and a dresser.

2

Derk Jan

3 May 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room is not serviced, you will only receive this warning in the 5th email notification whatsoever.

8

Sara Ann

20 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

It was a great stay! The hotel was overall very clean. The one thing I didn’t like, is that there wasn’t cleaning service everyday in the rooms. We had to ask for our room to be cleaned, trash taken out etc.

6

Stefani

7 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The location is great and right across from the beach. It is an older building but could use some attention. Room was not real clean, could use some new bedding as well. Front desk was friendly and accommodating.

6

Mojtaba

13 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Some equipment needs to be replaced or fixed such as hot water valve, iron, and also needs to be more cleaned

10

R

21 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We loved the Penguin; the staff were really helpful and kind. The location on beach front with nothing but the park and the palms in front, 2mins walk to the sea, in the middle of the lively Art Deco area and a block from a Walgreens for water and other forgotten bits is absolutely perfect. Breakfast is really good with hot and cold options and again, lovely staff doing all they can to help. There were always loungers at the pool, which could do with a better filter as it wasn’t that clean sadly. Our room was spotless and had two queens which were extremely comfortable, the wardrobe area kept out stuff out of the way which was perfect and the shower was a great pressure. I would say a few hooks around the place to hang stuff would be brilliant as no room to hang 3 towels when wet. I think it would be nicer to have frosted glass in the main room window as having the blind down all the time was a bit miserable, but saying that, we were only in the room for changing and sleeping and packing. If you are staying for more than a few nights, with 3 or 4, I would say to get a bigger room. All in all, we loved everything about the Penguin and no reason to go anywhere else if we return to Miami. Thank you x

4

Sisay

15 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 6 nights

Bathroom in bad condition. Not clean.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are generally small and basic with tiny bathrooms, while some ocean-view or terrace rooms are more spacious. Common drawbacks include very noisy AC and occasionally weak Wi‑Fi.

Related guest reviews

8

Carole

2 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location, staff was really nice and helpful. Room was clean and beds were comfortable. Could be a bit more room around the beds . Will return and stay here .

6

Christofer

23 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great clean hotel and convenient location but very noisy and AC location blowing directly on bed ….

8

Laura

10 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Fantastic location at the end of Ocean Drive. We stayed in Room 401 which had a huge terrace overlooking the beach. The room however is only accessible via a flight of stairs. It was unfortunate that upon arrival at The Penguin we were informed that there was no bar or restaurant and that we would have to walk to a sister property for breakfast.

6

Richard

19 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Had a great visit! But a few things knocked it to three stars: - Email the day of arrival directed us the the valet at the sister property, The President, on Collins Ave.Upon arrival, there was no valet attendant, we waited :30 minutes to check our vehicle, only to be told Ocean Ave was open and should have gone direct to The Penguin. Then had to lug our bags thru the back alley to the Penguin. Update your emails!! - WiFi was terrible throught the property. - The breakfast was mediocre at best, cold eggs every morning. The service was indifferent! Review should have been four star.

8

Nardos

10 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Its worth the prices. Great location. Lots of dinning options. The room is small. Enough just for two person with small bags.

6

Miguel Angel

16 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

The staff was always pretty attentive and helpful, a 10 for them. The room is old and small. But, the worst is a really really really noisy AC that it is waking up all of us during the whole night stopping and starting all the time.

10

Jesse

1 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room feels a bit austere, but the corner room ocean view was amazing, and the bed was very comfortable. And importantly, the room was clean. The receptionist who checked us in and out was extremely friendly and helpful.

8

Helge

23 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice small hotel. Great staff! Great location. The room was a bit small, so for more than one night i could not reccomend it.

6

Stefan

19 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Location,Location,Location!!! Directly at the Ocean Drive, close to the beach ! The staff behind the desk was not very friendly.No WiFi inside the room.

6

Mercedita

12 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Perfect access to the beach AC unit too noisy Staff are friendly

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Service

Staff are widely described as friendly, helpful, and accommodating, often assisting with early check-ins and luggage storage. A few guests reported miscommunication or brusque front-desk interactions.

Related guest reviews

10

Frank

7 May 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

We enjoyed everything about our recent stay and this hotel. Special thanks to Carmen at the front desk.

10

Eddy

24 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The check in was quick and easy and Sandra in the front desk was amazing and very helpful.

10

Erik

19 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The penguin hotel was a great place to stay on our stop over before our cruise. Lots of little perks such as a welcome drink and a nice breakfast at the restaurant next door. Amazing location and friendly staff. Would definitely recommend.

10

Gail

30 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Our plane arrive early and even though we could not check in that early Carmen greeted us with a smile, tagged all our bags and stormed them for us. She saw I needed water to take some medication and offered me a bottle of water. She took my phone number so she could contact us when the first available room was ready. I missed her text so she called about 15 minutes later to let us know the room was ready. The room was a refreshing 66 degrees which felt so good coming in from the heat. I was a bit concerned about being on the ground floor but it ended up being not only convenient but surprisingly quiet. The black out curtains let you sleep like a baby until what ever time you were ready to wake up. The breakfast was very good offering scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, waffles, fresh fruit and danishes along with choices of bread/bagels,4 different juices and coffee and tea. Overall we had a very good stay.

6

Jimena

28 May 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Front desk some of them were not nice or helpful. I say some of them because other at the front desk had good costumer service and good manners.

10

Mercedez

28 May 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Mike and the front desk staff were awesome. Very helpful, thorough and accommodating. It was my first time traveling with my 10 month old, so I had requested a side crib through the booking. When I checked in, Mike acknowledged it was already set up in the room without having to reconfirm myself. Suggesting to stay hydrated with their water bottle service. Everyone was very professional and likeable :)

10

Nia

29 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

So perfect .. the front desk were awesome .. the free welcome drink was needed… right on the beach .. lovely smell when you walk in .. they also defended me when a “ Karen” tried to complain about myself and my sister for using the outside deck.. they held our bags after we checked our cuz our departure wasn’t yet time.. very family oriented spot

2

JORGE

30 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Front desk clerk offered us a complimentary checkout at 12:00 p.m., he was trying to be nice because our flight was delayed and we were exhausted. The morning clerk was an ogre and simply said no, you must get out at 11:00. We missed the breakfast window for which we already paid thanks to this woman

10

huma

12 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We always stay here. Excellent location and great staff

10

Tracy

13 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was extremely helpful and professional. . They were able to get us in our room a little early. They held our luggage in a safe place prior to the room being ready. Brought us extra bedding in a timely manner. Thank you.

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Location

Beachfront on Ocean Drive with easy walking access to restaurants, bars, and shops. The street is sometimes closed to cars, so arrivals may be routed via the sister hotel or alley.

Related guest reviews

10

James

30 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Location is perfect!

10

Harold

21 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

I had a very nice stay at this hotel as part of a Miami Vice 40th Anniversary reunion on South Beach. This was one of the hotels captured in scenes in the iconic TV show in the 1980s. My room was comfortable, with a nice bed, desk, and very nice bathroom in what is now really a historic hotel probably build in the 1930s. The breakfast was quite good, and it was served in the hotel just behind it called the President, which also had a rooftop pool area which was nice too. The beach and palm tree park are just across the street. Overall great stay. The only difficulty was the street is closed to traffic, so one cannot just pull up and offload bags. This I found out then I arrived, and I had to pull into the back alley for this. Keep that in mind if you have a car. Otherwise, it was a very nice stay.

8

moudy

26 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Amazing location.

8

Holly

12 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The location of the hotel is phenomenal. It’s right on the beach and near attractions and restaurants. It’s a beautiful area at night too. However, the road that the hotel is on is closed to vehicles. We had to be dropped off at their other property and walk with our luggage. The hotel is very vintage and we enjoyed the decor. That being said, we could hear everything going on outside while trying to sleep. I would also caution anyone who is in a wheelchair or uses mobility devices that there are stairs leading into the hotel lobby. The elevator is also very small. The price, location, and customer service outweighs those issues and we would definitely stay here again. It was clean and the young man working the check in desk was very friendly and professional.

10

Jonas

1 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Perfectly situated on Ocean Drive! Close to restaurants, bars and the sea!

10

Wayne

25 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location

10

Syeeda

18 May 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Hotel was right across the street from the beach and the center of restaurants and shops. Very nice location.

10

Gracjana

25 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The location was great. We didn't rent a car, so it was very important to be close to the beach and restaurants. We were with kids and they loved the location as well. Right across the street there is a large grass area so we could seat in the restaurant outside and watch our kids play ball. The rooms were a little tight for a family of 4 but we only stayed 2 nights and we spent our time outside. We went to the pool once which is on a roof of another hotel. It was a short walk and it was clean. The staff was very nice and greeted us with extra bottles of water which was great after a long flight. We also received voucher for a welcome drink in a restaurant next door. The Uber ride from the Miami airport was about 30 minutes.

10

TIMOTHY

5 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The location for the hotel cannot be beat. It’s right on Ocean Avenue and a two minute walk to South Beach. The staff are very friendly and they can arrange tours of Miami and even help set up rentals for scooters and bicycles. Two free bottles of water in the room and they gave us a beautiful breakfast. Nothing not to like about this hotel.

10

Andrew

16 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Dining

Breakfast is served at partner restaurants and is frequently described as limited, cold, or slow, though a minority found it acceptable. Off-site food and drink arrangements lead to an inconsistent experience.

Related guest reviews

8

Rajapillai K

20 May 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

No frills and things are working in a room one would expect. The way out of the room is musty and needs odor control The breakfast at the patio is bad. They just pushed in some fruits, 2slices of bread and coffee and would not even greet me. Presidents hotel is good with breakfast

4

Aaron

2 May 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Don't bother with the breakfast --better off going to Denny's around the corner which is fresh as opposed to nasty staff at the property next door or a 'served' buffet of wet eggs, soggy toast, uncooked potatoes. You can't brag about two bottles of water a day when you have to ask for them because your room gets "freshened up" 2 times in 6 days.

8

Arman

26 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great hotel and staff. Only improvement would be next door free breakfast had poor service.

8

Robyn

5 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Staff were very friendly and helpful. All my needs were met and questions answered. Place was clean and comfortable with a great location. Breakfast buffet was not worth the additional charge of 30$ pp daily. Choices limited and of lesser quality than I would hope. Same every day. Next time I would opt out.

8

Mr Paul

5 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Comfortable room; lift only to 3rd floor therefore had 16 steps to negotiate to reach room 401! Spacious, well furnished outside area with the expected sea vista. Included breakfast at adjacent Front Porch was limited: Coffee or tea; only bacon, chunky potatoes, bacon, scrambled egg & slice of toast offered - zero option to vary such as poached egg - take it or leave it! A small saucer of fresh fruit to share freshened the palate. Good service.

6

Joseph

12 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Our stay included a free breakfast each morning at the restaurant beside the Penguin Hotel. The service was horrible. waiting 20 minutes before someone greeted us. Waited another 20 minutes for menus. Waited another 20 minutes before taking our order. waited another 30 minutes for the food to arrive. Spoke to the manager he told us hes new here and was hired to clean this mess up. Tired the restaurant again the following morning. after 45 minutes of waiting at the table we left. Worst restaurant I have ever been to. Even the paying customers were complaining about the service

8

Tori

5 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Stay was overall uneventful, our AC did not work but they fixed it fast. Great location if you plan on exploring Miami Beach, breakfast was included but okay. Enjoyed the welcome drink however it wasn't available until hours after check in which doesn't make a whole lot of sense. With the price of the hotel I think the resort fee is excessive.

6

Gurvinder

6 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Staff was very helpful and polite. During booking it said buffet breakfast , but was not true. You have to go to restaurant next door with coupon and had preset breakfast. I got cold eggs all 3 days. First day fruit bowl was fresh but next 2 days fruits were not fresh. Had to ask butter and all with toast. First day no juice was available and we don’t drink coffee or tea. Also why would you not clean the room every day? Price was too high for the type and size of the room. Pics on website looks different than the room

6

Sara

28 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Hotel is on a beautiful location on the Ocean Drive and room with ocean view is amazing. Check in and check out fast and with all necessary information provided The breakfast is affiliated to the Front Desk restaurant and shall be revisited, in the voucher is written continental but we were served beacon, eggs, potatos and few pieces of fruits without being asked if we would like it or if there is any food allergy or vegetarian. The second day we asked if it will be possible to get something else and we were told no that is not possible with the voucher. We then order only coffee and 35 min late the dish with eggs, beacon and potato came, when we clearly said we just wanted to have coffee and no food. Will be better to not offer this breakfast possibility and let people choose if they want to book the breakfast or not

6

LORRAINE

24 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The pool was not open. I booked months in advance and they could have advised this and I would have booked else where. The breakfast is awful - from the food to the servers. I would not stay here again.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	US$175
February	US$210
March	US$225
April	US$189
May	US$144
June	US$130
July	US$135
August	US$106
September	US$69
October	US$92
November	US$122
December	US$181

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15 $128	16	17 $87	18 $151	19 $148
20 $87	21 $87	22 $87	23 $88	24 $109	25 $142	26 $195
27 $120	28 $88	29 $88	30 $88

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $113	2 $147	3 $151
4 $118	5 $93	6 $101	7 $110	8 $118	9 $190	10 $171
11 $164	12 $101	13 $113	14 $113	15 $140	16 $198	17 $199
18 $152	19 $98	20 $93	21 $123	22 $136	23 $183	24 $207
25 $127	26 $115	27 $105	28 $94	29 $105	30 $192	31 $193

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Ocean Corner Suite 1 King Bed

Ocean Front Room 1 King Bed

Traditional Room, 2 Queen Beds

Ocean Corner Suite 2 Queen Beds

Ocean Corner Room 1 King Bed

Traditional Room

Ocean Front 1 King Bed, Private Terrace

Traditional Room 1 King Bed Or 1 King Bed with Rollaway Bed

Guest reviews

Good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property policies

Check-in instructions

Security deposit

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Penguin Hotel

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Prices for upcoming dates