Le Meridien Sunny Isles in Miami, FL 33160

The hotel opened in March of 2005 and is in great shape. The kitchens (which are fully stocked) feature black marble, and stainless appliances. Each room has a pull-out couch, and there is a television with DVD player in every room, along with a washer/dryer. The glass dining table seats four, and some rooms have balconies that directly face the ocean, a truly spectacular view. Overall, the hotel is comparable to 4 Seasons Resort Club. (A common entry way separates two separate rooms; one is a one bedroom suite with aseparate entrance to a single (full) bedroom. You can easily lock yourself out of either room if you let the doors shut, since they are designed to be used separately. I did this within 15 minutes of arriving!) An Italian restaurant called Bice is located right off the lobby. The staff was very nice; my three year old ordered spaghetti and made a huge mess, yet the staff was totally cool. They even egged him on. We only ate there once, but the experience was very good. The restaurant also has a well-priced kids menu, as does room service. For a Five-Star hotel, there are inconsistencies that are puzzling: the Directory of Services was a stapled xerox sheet, and I had to ask for the kids menu. I paid $5 for detergent, but the dishwasher detergent was free. The concierge service was spotty, the hotel stocks no games for the kids, and the spa was only half open. For such a potentially great hotel, these little things become more noticeable and detracted from the experience. The beach staff was great, as was the beach. Sand toys were available. If there were 12 people in the pool it would have been a bit uncomfortable, but you could at least cool off. The area is sedate, compared to South Beach (which is a 25-minute drive), and more family friendly than South Beach. Side note: My 6 year old loved Wannado City, located about 25 minutes away. I would definitely recommend the hotel; we might come back. I hope the hotel and staff continue to "mature" and develop (i.e., pay attention to the details) into the Five-Star property it should be.