Hotel The Miami Beach EDITION (Miami Beach, USA)

The decor is white and members of staff are dressed in virginal white. It's really impressive but surely, not very practical?

Once you set foot inside the room, you can see where the money has been spent. If, like many, you refuse to use the word ‘awesome', you'll need to think of an alternative PDQ!

You can't fail to be impressed by this setting; close to shops and restaurants but somewhat detached from South Beach. Here you can enjoy the beach and two pools, with the added bonus of comfortable loungers and refreshment services.

There's no alternative to parking here so they can charge what they want. There's also a hierarchy of vehicles so, unless yours is at the very top of the range, you certainly won't get a front hotel position. Instead you'll be shunted off round the side of the building.

The check in process takes forever and is very impersonal ... a bit like a cheap ‘package' holiday ... and this is not cheap! You can't help feeling sorry for the immigrant staff who don't understand you and who are obviously paid peanuts.  You, though, are not paying peanuts and expect something quite a bit better than this.

The service is particularly poor in the Market Restaurant. At these prices, ‘everything' should be perfect. General standards are crystallised in a picture of disorganised chaos when the fire alarm goes off, the place is evacuated ... and the staff have no idea what to do.