I booked two rooms here for a one-night pre-cruise stay at the end of August. Upon arriving at the airport, it was a bit difficult to find the area where you pick up the shuttle, as there is a sign that points you outside and then nothing--however that's because of how the Miami airport handles hotel shuttles--total chaos!
You basically hail/wave-down a shuttle that belongs to your hotel, so until it gets right up on you, you really can't tell if it's the Hampton Inn Blue Lagoon, or another Hampton Inn. The shuttle driver asked us several times if we had the correct hotel shuttle and we confirmed before he would load us up. He wasn't very chatty, but it turns out that's because he doesn't speak much English, but he was nice enough to confirm that there was a Publix shopping center right across the street from the hotel.
When we arrived, check in was a breeze and the young lady at the front desk was very friendly and efficient. She told us about the breakfast and signed us up for the $10 shuttle to the cruise port.
The hotel is clean and secure--you have to swipe your room key before the elevator will work. One of the rooms we had was recently redone as it had a flat screen tv and the like. The other room had a regular tv, but the linens were the same as the other room. The bathroom was a typical hotel bathroom--it could use a refresh (maybe updated wallpaper), but it was clean and had all the amenties needed for a comfortable stay.
On either side of the hotel are drug stores, fast food restaurants and the like. If you're cruising and want to buy plastic bottles of soda/beer/water, do go to the Publix as the nearby Walgreens and CVS do not carry plastic bottles of these items (they have cans, large bottles or sell them individually).
We had breakfast at the hotel in their free breakfast bar area and it was very nice considering it was free. The coffee was good and you could take it with you in to go cups, they had sausage, egg patties (yes, you read that right) and biscuits, in addition to bagels, toast, danishes, juices, milks, cereals, etc. The manager of that area was very good at keeping things re-stocked and had a good morning for you when you walked in and a thank you for you when you left.
Check out was easy and the shuttle bus driver to the cruise port was on-time and ready to help with bags.
All in all, I would definately recommend this hotel, particularly for a pre- or post-cruise stay. You're very near the airport, you have a free shuttle there and back and access to food/beverage/tolietries and the like for any last minutes items you may need (like flip flops or sunscreen).
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers
I do not recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Shopping