The Confidante Miami Beach [In-depth Review]

Recently, I took my talents to South Beach — well, Mid-Beach — to stay at The Confidante Miami Beach. As travelers know, hotels throughout Miami Beach can be quite expensive, which is why The Confidante Miami Beach, part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, is a fan favorite amongst award travelers thanks to its beachfront location and reasonable award prices.

Here is an in-depth look at how my stay went, both the good and the bad, to help you decide whether The Confidante Miami Beach might be a good choice for your next Miami Beach vacation.

Hotel Location

The Confidante Miami Beach is located right in the heart of Mid-Beach, right off of Collins Avenue, keeping you a short distance away from South Beach. The property also offers direct beach access with its own section of colorful chairs and umbrellas that give you big “Miami Vice” vibes.

Some travelers will prefer the relatively slower pace of Mid-Beach as it tends to be a bit less chaotic than South Beach can be during peak times. Of course, if you’re interested in taking in all that Miami has to offer, popular areas like South Beach, Brickell, and Wynwood are just a short drive away.

Additionally, the property is quite large, spanning 354 rooms across 2 conjoined buildings, including just 14 suites with views of the Atlantic Ocean or Miami skyline.

Booking

Cash Rates

I booked a mid-week stay from Tuesday through Thursday during the second week of December 2021, and cash rates were going for $209 per night for a standard King Bed room. However, once you add in taxes and the hotel’s $45 per night destination fee (waived for World of Hyatt Globalists), this rate quickly jumps to $278 per night.

That said, during weekends in high season, it is not uncommon for nights at The Confidante Miami Beach to range anywhere from $350 to $500 per night. If you’re willing to visit between July and September when Miami Beach is at its hottest, and rainiest, then you can definitely score some great cash deals.

World of Hyatt Points

Fortunately, The Confidante Miami Beach was a Category 4 hotel in the World of Hyatt program (at the time of booking), meaning it costs just 12,000 points per night on off-peak nights, 15,000 points per night on standard nights, and 18,000 points on peak nights, making it the most affordable Hyatt hotel in Miami Beach when redeeming points.

Due to the often very high cash prices, this property also makes for great use of your Hyatt Category 1-4 Free Night Certificates that you can receive by holding The World of Hyatt Credit Card or other qualifying activities.

During my stay, I opted to redeem 2 Free Night Certificates that were set to expire at the end of the year, which saved me the roughly $556 that a cash stay would have cost.

Hot Tip: The Confidante Miami Beach moved up to a category 5 hotel in March 2022. It now requires 17,000 (off-peak), 20,000 (standard), or 23,000 (peak) points to book per night. Unfortunately, category 1-4 certificates no longer work at this location anymore.

Checking-In

When you walk into The Confidante Miami Beach, you’re greeted by a large chandelier hanging in the center of the lobby, and the check-in desk is immediately to your right as soon as you enter.

I did have to wait rather long in line to check-in due to some issues that guests in front of me were having. That wasn’t a big deal, but it is worth noting that The Confidante Miami Beach doesn’t offer an expedited check-in lane for World of Hyatt elite members.

After checking in with the front desk staff, I was thanked for being a Globalist member and told that my room would be ready shortly. I sat down to catch up on some emails, and after about 20 minutes I was notified that my room was ready.

Globalist Elite Benefits

As a Hyatt Globalist member, I received the following benefits during my stay:

Free Breakfast

One of the most popular perks of Hyatt Globalist status is the free breakfast you receive during stays for up to 2 guests.

In previous stays at The Confidante Miami Beach, Globalists had the option of ordering à la carte items off the breakfast menu or could opt for the breakfast buffet, both offered at Ambersweet, the hotel’s on-site restaurant.

Now, the buffet is your only option. I personally prefer having items cooked to order, but others might certainly appreciate an all-you-can-eat approach to get their money’s worth.

Strangely, I was still charged for breakfast each day, despite giving staff my room number and letting them know I was a Globalist member, so I had to have the front desk remove these charges during checkout. I recommend you always review your hotel bills closely, even on award stays.

Waived Resort Fee

The Confidante Miami Beach charges all guests a $45 resort fee, plus tax, for each night of your stay. This fee is waived for all elite members on award stays, and for Globalist members on award stays and eligible cash stays.

The resort fee covers the following benefits:

• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Local calls
• Indoor and outdoor fitness center access
• 2 daily bottles of water
• 2 beach and pool chairs with personalized attendants (note that you’ll still need to pay the $22 fee for a beach umbrella if your resort fee is waived)
• Bicycle and helmet use (2 hours daily) to explore Miami Beach
• 10% savings on online ticket purchase for the Museum of Graffiti
• 10% savings on website orders from Cielito Artisan Pops
• Complimentary in-room coffee and tea
• Daily fitness and wellness classes offered

You’ll notice a few of these “benefits” are a bit ridiculous, such as in-room coffee (which nearly every hotel offers complimentary), whereas others like the beach umbrella and chairs give you the opportunity to recoup some of that $45 value.

Late Checkout

Since The Confidante Miami Beach is categorized as a resort property, it does not honor the 2 p.m. late checkout for Discoverists and Explorists, or 4 p.m. late checkout for Globalists. However, upon asking, I was able to receive a 1 p.m. checkout instead of the standard 11 a.m. time.

For those who have a late flight and want to enjoy the pool at The Confidante Miami Beach for a while longer, you’re welcome to do so even after you’ve checked out of your room, and the hotel offers a courtesy space where you can freshen up before heading to the airport.

Premium Internet

I’d argue that the “premium” internet was hardly premium based on the Speedtest I ran.

I didn’t have too many issues with it during my stay, but I primarily only used it for web surfing.

Room Upgrade

Thanks to my status, I’d been upgraded to a King Bed Deluxe room, which ironically was the exact same room I’d stayed in on my last visit to The Confidante Miami Beach. While the Deluxe rooms don’t offer balconies or any sort of views, they are quite a bit more spacious than the standard rooms.

Unfortunately, when I went up to the room I’d been assigned and opened the door, I was met by a gentleman ironing his clothes who naturally was a combination of confused and alarmed, as was I, making for a rather awkward encounter for both of us. I quickly apologized to him, explained the situation, and headed back to the front desk.

When I arrived back at the lobby, I had a rather lengthy wait again to be serviced. Though it is perhaps the cardinal sin of hotel management to give one guest a key to another guest’s room, to their credit, the staff were very apologetic about the mix-up.

I then inquired if there were any rooms with balconies available, as opposed to the Deluxe room that I’d been assigned. The gentleman working the desk informed me that, not only was the Deluxe room that I’d been assigned (the one that was occupied) the last of that room type available, but also that there were no rooms with balconies available.

I pushed back on this a bit as it seemed highly unlikely, for a Tuesday check-in no less, that not a single balcony room was available in the entire hotel… at which point he mentioned that he did have 1 available, but that the room featured 2 queen beds instead of 1 king.

That wasn’t an issue for me, so I accepted, thanked him for making that accommodation for me, and off I went to my new room.

Amenities

Pool

The real hit of The Confidante Miami Beach is its 2 pools that are surrounded by bright pink, blue, and yellow chairs and umbrellas, giving off a very Miami Beach vibe while you’re relaxing poolside.

Pictured below is the adults-only pool.

The Confidante Miami Beach offers private cabanas that you can rent at a cost of $250 for the day. Your cabana can be shared with up to 6 guests and includes a designated server, still and sparkling water, and a complimentary fruit platter.

Hotel guests can also rent a fully-enclosed bungalow, which also comes with an HDTV, for $400 for the day, though these were closed during my stay.

Of course, there is a family-friendly pool as well. While it is nice that The Confidante Miami Beach makes this distinction, the 2 pools are only separated by around 20 feet, so if one pool or the other is particularly noisy, you’re likely to still hear it from the other side. Fortunately, that wasn’t an issue during my stay!

Beach

One of the best perks of The Confidante Miami Beach is its beachfront access, and from the pool area, you can head out of this door, which can only be accessed with your room key, right out to The Confidante Miami Beach’s section of the beach.

Keeping with the “Miami Vice” theme, The Confidante Miami Beach’s section of the beach is loaded up with the same colorful chairs and umbrella that you’ll find surrounding the pool area.

Usually, all guests receive 2 chairs free of charge, with a $22 charge for an umbrella, but this is all included for those who have paid the resort fee. However, if you’re an elite member with a waived resort fee, then you’re still required to pay for the umbrella.

Confidante staff will come around to offer you food and beverage service while you’re relaxing at the beach, and similar to the pool, there are cabanas for rent for $250 for the day.

Fitness Center

The fitness center at The Confidante Miami Beach was quite spacious, with a free weights area towards the back end of the gym.

Towards the front of the gym, there were also plenty of treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and other cardio equipment.

The Spa at The Confidante Miami Beach

Due to COVID-19, The Spa at The Confidante was closed during my stay and will remain closed until further notice.

Pet Friendly

The Confidante Miami Beach is a pet-friendly hotel, and guests can receive Confidante-branded pet gear, local popsicles for pups, plus pets enjoy the use of a luxurious pet bed from Paw.com throughout their stay.

There is a 2-pet maximum per room, with a 50-pound individual weight limit, or 75 pounds for both pets combined. The pet fee is $100 for up to a 6-night stay, except for guests with service animals.

Hot Tip: Interested in other pooch-perfect properties? Check out our list of pet-friendly Hyatt brands (including policies, deposits, and size allowances).

Valet Parking

There is valet parking available at the hotel for a fee of $45 per night, though this fee is waived for Globalists during award stays.

The Room

Standard 2 Queen Bed rooms are quoted to be anywhere from 300 to 400 square feet in size, which is plenty spacious for a solo traveler or those traveling in pairs.

Unfortunately, this room was rather dirty. Here you’ll see that there was leftover food from the previous guest on the side table that had not been cleaned.

The walls were also absurdly dusty, almost as if they hadn’t been wiped down in weeks.

In any case, I didn’t make a fuss about the cleanliness of the room. Admittedly, my patience was worn a bit thin at this point as I didn’t feel like going back down to the front desk again, I didn’t want to be moved to another room without a balcony, and I certainly didn’t want to have to wait in the lobby again for this new room to be cleaned… so I just tidied the place up myself and went about my day.

With that, here is a look at the rest of the room.

The left side of the room featured the first bed, a closet, and a side table that housed the coffee setup and the minifridge.

The closet featured a luggage rack, an ironing board, drawers, a safe, and hangers.

The coffee setup was a basic Keurig with 6 pods and a couple of waters, all of which were complimentary, of course.

Below that was the minifridge, which, instead of being a fully-stocked minibar, was empty. I quite like this, though, as it frees up the space to chill your own food or beverages.

As for the rest of the room, it offered a full-length mirror, a 42-inch TV, a small desk to work at, a side chair and table, and of course, the second bed.

Lastly, there was the balcony that featured 2 chairs and a small table to sit at.

Out on the balcony, to the left, there was a partial beach and ocean view. Although, as you can see, the balconies are quite tight together, so it was not very private.

To the right, you’ve got views of the Miami skyline, which looked a bit better at night.

Bathroom

Immediately to your left as you walk into the room was the bathroom, which featured a standing shower and all of the basic necessities.

The toiletries came from the Jonathan Adler line and had a great, citrusy scent.

Food and Beverage

The Backyard

The first amenity you’ll notice when you head outside of The Confidante Miami Beach is The Backyard — a collection of bright-colored seating where guests can enjoy a drink and relax in the Miami Beach sun.

The adjacent bar is where guests can order drinks and food.

The Backyard offers a varied selection of handcrafted cocktails, frozen drinks, beers, seltzers, and wines by the glass.

Pictured below, I’m enjoying a frojito (a frozen mojito), as one does while in Miami Beach!

The Backyard is open on Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m to 11 p.m.

Ambersweet

Ambersweet is the hotel’s main on-site restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant aims to combine traditional flavors with modern indulgences, with every dish being served using fresh, local ingredients to create flavors that celebrate Miami Beach.

Guests can choose to dine in a smaller indoor area, or outside on the patio pictured below. Given that this is Miami Beach, nearly all guests choose to dine outside.

This is also where Hyatt Globalist members will enjoy their complimentary breakfast each morning.

The $34 breakfast buffet included a section of cheeses and meats, fruits, and smoked salmon, as well as hot items like eggs, potatoes, sausage, and bacon.

You also had your choice of breads, including bagels and pastries.

Overall, for a free breakfast, the food was pretty solid, though I’d hardly say it is worth the $34 cash price for those without Globalist status.

As for the hours, Ambersweet is open for breakfast daily from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner from Tuesday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Lounge

The Lounge is The Confidante Miami Beach’s bar and lounge area where guests can enjoy evening cocktails and order food from Ambersweet.

I popped down one evening and ordered the Bab’s Burger. The burger was really delicious but the fries were pretty stale.

In truth, Miami and Miami Beach are really fantastic food cities, so if I were you, I’d recommend that you skip dinner at the hotel and go try one of the area’s phenomenal restaurants.

The Lounge is open Mondays through Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 12 a.m., and Friday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., but keep in mind that all food orders stop at 10 p.m. daily.

In-Room Delivery

You can order room service between the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., including breakfast, lunch, and dinner from a scaled-down menu of the full offerings at Ambersweet.

Service

It is no secret that staffing shortages are hitting the hotel industry hard right now, which no doubt contributed to the less-than-ideal cleanliness of my room, but virtually all of the other staff I interacted with were very nice and provided quick service.

One strange thing, however, was that an empty housekeeping cart was set directly outside of my door for the entirety of my stay. Housekeeping is offered daily to guests, but I never asked for it during my stay. However, despite seeing staff service other rooms on my floor, the empty cart never moved.

COVID-19 Protocols

There were signs throughout The Confidante Miami Beach indicating that face coverings were optional for fully vaccinated guests and mandatory for unvaccinated guests, though there wasn’t exactly any enforcement of this. Some hotel staff opted to wear masks, but they were few and far between.

Final Thoughts

While this was the least impressive of all my stays at The Confidante Miami Beach, I maintain that it is a great value option for those looking to redeem points or free night certificates in Miami Beach where hotel prices can be absurdly expensive.

At the end of the day, it is all about managing your expectations. If you’re looking for high-end luxury property, then you’d be better off choosing one of the premium hotel options in South Beach. If you’re looking for a beachfront property with cool Miami Beach vibes that makes for a great points redemption and can live with no-frills when it comes to the rooms and service, then The Confidante Miami Beach would be a great option.