Catalina Hotel & Beach Club

Disappointed and Frustrated — Not Worth the Hassle

We really wanted to love this place and stayed optimistic despite some of the negative reviews on Google. Unfortunately, our experience was a rude awakening from the moment we arrived.

1. Undisclosed Construction: We weren’t informed that one of the buildings was under construction — unfortunately, that's the one we were placed in. The hallways were filthy, covered in paper, construction debris, food, bugs, and an unbearable odor. Workers started early in the morning, adding to the disruption.

2. Unclean Rooms: Our first room was shockingly dirty — stained sheets, dirty floors, and residue in the toilet. We were moved to another room on the same floor with similar issues. After a third move (to a junior suite), we still found stained bedding and had to wait most of the day for fresh sheets. **Walls are paper thin, every night we heard inebriated guests running through the halls and screaming at 3 am.

3. Maintenance Issues: In the upgraded room, the bathroom sink leaked, knobs were falling off, and we consistently lacked enough clean towels and washcloths for two people.

4. Unhelpful Staff: The front desk staff seemed inconvenienced by any questions or requests. No one could do anything without a manager — and managers were nowhere to be found throughout our stay.

5. Hidden Fees: Be aware of a hidden resort fee they don’t disclose until check-in — and no, it’s not refundable.

6. Misleading Food Vouchers: As an apology for the repeated inconveniences, we were given food vouchers that simply said “free breakfast or lunch.” No staff member explained any restrictions. However, when we tried to use them at The Maxine, we were told they only applied to certain menu items — a detail not printed on the voucher or communicated to us at any point by staff who issued them. It felt like just another bait-and-switch tactic. ** Service at each restaurant was terrible. We were never served water unless we asked for it. They had many employees standing around, however service was still very slow. Staff had no urgency and often did not have complete knowledge of the menu. Not to mention, they charge a 20% gratuity no matter the order.

As this was my first trip to Miami, I was really disappointed that our hotel experience cast a shadow over it. I truly wish we had followed our instincts and left the first night.

The only reason I’m giving this hotel two stars is for its proximity to the beach. Otherwise, I would recommend spending a little more for better accommodations and peace of mind.

Not recommended
I do not recommend this hotel. It’s like they don’t know how to run a hotel. They do not treat you as a valuable customer but more like a nuisance. There’s 3 buildings in this property. We were put in the first one and given poor directions to get there and offered no assistance with luggage or to show us the way. We wondered around with our luggage for awhile. Room was cleanish at first but later we realized that it was not. Eyelash extensions in the bathroom and water glasses that had full wet lipstick marks on them.
Our room wasn’t cleaned in 3 days, but here’s the horrifying part. We left a tip on the bed after the first night. The tip was removed but our room was not cleaned. I thought maybe I didn’t leave a tip but me and my friend came in and out of the room several times that day and we both remember seeing it on the bed. I went to the front desk. They did little for me. Offered me my tip back… never did get that. After 3 days of no cleaning (no fresh towels, garbage overflowing), my friend finally got some help and our room was cleaned. We never did get new wine glasses. Front desk just would say contact housekeeping. Housekeeping would say talk to front desk. What?! Just clean the room and don’t have your guests beg.
Also the music at the pool would go all night even though the pool was closed and no one was there.
Positives: bed was comfortable and pillows were nice. Jazmin and Joanna at front desk were great though and were horrified by our experience.