Not So Lordly - One Night at the Lord Balfour

$ | South Beach, Miami, Florida, United States

OVERALL RATING | ★★☆☆☆

Two stars because it's South Beach, but one night in this hotel was quite enough for me.

Highlights | Location, Customer Service

Lowlights | Design, Cleanliness

DESIGN

What is the word I'm looking for here...bizarre? OK, maybe too strong. Incohesive - that's it. The design of the Lord Balfour hotel completely lacks cohesion. Just take a look at the furniture in this sections first photo - each piece is from a completely different aesthetic. And it's no a fluke - we've got burlap roman shades on one window, and luxe silver curtains on the other. You've got classic, almost romantic, herringbone wood floors, and a modernist cement ceiling. Nothing...makes...sense. Let's move on...

LOCATION

The Lord Balfour is near the southern tip of South Beach right on Ocean Drive. Honestly, the location was ideal for me - action adjacent. By that I mean it was close enough that the most desirable elements of South Beach were mere minutes away, but not so close that I couldn't get a moment of peace. The beach is less than 5 minutes away. Plus there was a Starbucks a block south...call me basic but my days are better when they begin with a brown sugar latte.

ACCOMODATIONS

This property offers several standard room types - king bed or two queens, and a few suite layouts including a unique bunkbed option. I opted for a Superior Room with a king bed. The room was decently appointed - it had all the non-negotiables - bed, desk, seating. It also had some of the nice to haves - robes and a Lavazza coffee maker. But man - that room had absolutely no character. There was nothing that communicated you're staying at the Lord Balfour and this is what we're all about. It was all very, very vanilla.

AMENITIES

Onsite Restaurant Serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + Drinks Spa Room Service Outdoor Pool + Chairs + Towels Beach Chairs + Umbrellas + Towels Bicycles Laundry Service

Spacious Lobby Bath Robes Lavazza Coffee Gym Small Art Gallery on Property Daily Art Deco Tour Complimentary Water in Reusable Aluminum Bottles

CLEANLINESS

This hotel left a lot to be desired when it comes to cleanliness. While the big ticket items - bed, shower, toilet - appeared to be clean, there were signs that no one is checking these rooms with a white glove. There was a dried puddle of something near the entrance. I just avoided it. There were several sticky spots on the desk - literal drops of something that dried down and were not removed. Look at the coffee maker. I've never had Lavazza coffee and wanted to try, but I wasn't going near that thing.

STAFF & SERVICE

The Lord Balfour staff were a highlight of my stay. I arrived at 8am with the intent of leaving my luggage and finding a coffee shop so I could log in and get to work. I was pleasantly surprised when the clerk offered to check availability for early check in. There was a fee - I think it was $25 - but I thought it was awesome of them to offer me that option, and I took them up on it. The weather was a bit humid, and I couldn't figure out the fan/air conditioning situation. I stopped by the front desk and they sent someone up within minutes. I also popped down to the restaurant for a drink and the service was impeccable.