Sleep Inn at Miami International Airport

The Sleep Inn at Miami International Airport is a compact and bright chain hotel. A bland cement building on the outside, the hotel's interior have modern decor, including marble tile floors, sleek wood counters, and bright green walls with white leaf silhouettes, a fun and energetic design choice. Free coffee is available in the lobby throughout the day and, tucked in a corner by the lobby stairs, there is a computer for guest use; the lobby is more a spot for guests just passing through on their way in or out. Off the lobby is the small, nondescript breakfast area, a square room with several four-person tables and a TV in one corner. There are usually crowds during the breakfast hours. Outside, the hotel has a pool set in a concrete deck, surrounded by a few plastic loungers that look rather worse for wear and tropical palm trees. The view is of other chain hotels, with the occasional plane flying overhead. 

The hotel is located on Fairway Drive, one block away from 36th avenue, the street that borders Miami's international airport. The Sleep Inn draws a lot of guests looking for a place to catch a night's sleep before or after passing through the Miami Airport (MIA). The hotel provides a free shuttle to and from MIA, roughly on the half hour, in partnership with the neighboring Holiday Inn Express. The area is semi-industrial and primarily occupied by other hotels, but there are some inexpensive dining options within a short drive, including Ping House Chinese restaurant and Tom's NFL sports bar. While it is generally necessary to have a car to get around the area, the hotel also provides shuttles to the cruise docks (cruise-goers also make up a large part of the Sleep Inn's clientele), as well as to some local shopping destinations, both for a fee.  

The rooms at at the Sleep Inn are simple, modern, and in keeping with the style of the affordable chain. In a similar style to the lobby, rooms have green accent walls, black-and-white photography of nature scenes, and black-and-white flowery bed runners. The furniture -- which includes a desk, drawers, and an armoire -- is made of dark wood, with thin metal handles adding a sleeker touch. Double Rooms want for more floor space but are large enough to walk around; Queen Rooms, with only one bed, feel more spacious. The bathrooms, on the other hand, regardless of room choice, are small, with the shower door almost knocking the toilet and the sink beyond sliding doors; all bathrooms have granite countertops and shower stalls. All rooms have a flat-screen TV and free (generally poor) Wi-Fi, but microwaves and refrigerators need to be rented.

The Sleep Inn meets all the basic expectations of a chain hotel of its caliber, with free Wi-Fi, free breakfast, and an outdoor pool. That said, the Wi-Fi connectivity is generally poor, and breakfast, while including hot items like waffles, is often overrun during peak times. Breakfast is also shut up promptly by midmorning, crowd or no crowd. Serving mostly guests passing through on their way to the airport or cruise, the hotel's shuttles are likely its most useful feature. Roughly every half hour, the hotel has a free shuttle to the airport, operated in partnership with Holiday Inn Express next door. For a fee, other shuttles will take passengers to the cruise harbor and to some local shops.