IHG recently opened its first Atwell Suites in Miami Brickell: Here's what it's like
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IHG Hotels & Resorts announced its new Atwell Suites brand in May 2019 and positioned it as a home away from home for remote-working travelers.
As a digital nomad myself, I was eager to check out the brand's first property in Miami, Atwell Suites Miami Brickell, once it opened on March 30. So I recently headed there for a two-night stay. Here's what I found and what it might tell us about Atwell Suites' future locations.
What is the Atwell Suites brand?
Before diving too much into the Atwell Suites Miami Brickell property specifically, let's discuss IHG's new Atwell Suites brand in general.
IHG has 23 Atwell Suites properties in its pipeline for the next few years, totaling 2,275 rooms, all in the Americas. The Atwell Suites Miami Brickell is the first property to open for business, although a second location near Denver International Airport will premiere soon.
IHG says that Atwell Suites is an "upper midscale, all-suites brand" that offers a lobby space with private and shared areas to allow for easy transitions from work to leisure. And indeed, a highlight of the Miami Brickell hotel is its 24th-floor lobby, where I saw other guests working and unwinding.
As for guest accommodations, Atwell Suites properties feature rooms with dedicated working and living spaces -- sort of like a hybrid hotel room and office. The properties use bulk amenities and energy-efficient lighting and appliances. And each Atwell Suites offers a hot complimentary breakfast in the morning and a paid bar with small plates in the evening.
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Atwell Suites Miami Brickell
When you arrive at Atwell Suites Miami Brickell, you'll notice signage for Atwell Suites and Hotel Indigo. That's because the two brands share a building. The Hotel Indigo occupies most of the ground floor and floors six through 15. Meanwhile, the Atwell Suites occupies floors 16 through 24. From 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., the two hotels even share a reception desk.
The pool and gym on the sixth floor are available to Atwell Suites and Hotel Indigo guests. And valet parking is available to guests of both hotels at $30 per day.
Guests of both hotels (and the public) can dine at the Hotel Indigo restaurant, Mosaico, on the ground floor. However, only Hotel Indigo guests can charge meals to their room.
I ate breakfast at the restaurant during a previous stay at the Hotel Indigo. I enjoyed the outdoor patio and the variety of items available on the menu.
During my stay at Atwell Suites, I tried dinner at Mosaico and enjoyed the grilled salmon with plantains, but my meal took about 40 minutes to come out and the entree and beer cost $58 after taxes, an 18% service charge (which my server said wouldn't go to her) and tip.
On my second night, I went to a nearby restaurant (107 Taste Brickell) that provided excellent ramen and faster service for about half the price.
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Suites with a view
I love that every suite at the Atwell Suites Miami Brickell is on the 16th floor or higher and has a balcony. That means you'll have a good city view pretty much no matter which suite you're assigned. However, it felt strange to walk out of my room onto an unfurnished balcony, so I hope the hotel adds chairs and tables out there.
The hotel didn't upgrade me to an elevated room type as a Platinum Elite member for this stay, but my base-level studio suite with one king bed was surprisingly spacious. The sleeper sofa was comfortable to sit on (I didn't try sleeping on it) and the king bed was supportive without being too firm.
I appreciated the rainfall shower and plentiful towels in the bathroom. I also liked that there was enough space for two guests to hang and reuse towels. Counter space was limited, but adequate if you don't have too many items.
There are easy-to-access power outlets placed around the room, including power and USB charging outlets embedded into each side of the bed's headboard.
Although I didn't use them during my short stay, travelers here for an extended period should appreciate the wet bar with a minifridge, sink and microwave.
Needing to work full days during my stay, I especially appreciated the counter-height desk. I found the desk chair comfortable enough, but the configuration also made it easy to work while standing up, which I like to do from time to time.
Even though the hotel is designed for longer stays, you'll still get housekeeping on a daily basis. Housekeeping will come by automatically, but you can request a specific time if you wish.
While I found my suite pleasant enough, there were a few features I think could have used work.
- The air conditioning was loud and would change from my preset temperature while I was in the room. I woke up sweating both nights, only to discover the system had reset my room temperature to 78 degrees.
- I heard a lot of city noises in my 20th-floor room, even with the sliding door to the balcony closed and locked. A little more soundproofing might have been a good idea.
- The square window above the desk didn't have a shade or curtain, so light streamed into my room each morning. Bring your eye mask if you're a late sleeper!
Luckily, the hotel should be able to fix these issues if it chooses to do so.
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24th-floor lobby with excellent views
The highlight of the Atwell Suites Miami Brickell is its 24th-floor lobby. There are plenty of different seating options, including tables, couches, desks and chairs on outdoor balconies.
Atwell Suites markets its lobby space as a coworking space for guests and a place to socialize and relax. Upbeat music plays in the background but not loud enough to interrupt conversations or distract from work.
There's a self-service drink area with coffee, tea, espresso drinks, still water and sparkling water. This area is always available to Atwell Suites guests, and I noticed many guests coming into the lobby solely to get drinks to take back to their room.
A paid bar with a bartender is available from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday (and to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday). I tried a canned strawberry margarita drink from the menu for $10.90, including tax, since I was curious about the quality of the canned options. I found the drink was surprisingly strong and tasty, but the bartender noted she could also make margaritas from scratch. Getting a drink to sip while watching the sunset from the 24th-floor balcony is a great way to end the day.
Light bites are also supposed to be available for purchase when the bar is open. But during my stay, no food was available in the evenings on the 24th floor. When I asked about purchasing food, the bartender said the staff member who prepared the food hadn't come in for a few days and recommended that I eat in the Hotel Indigo restaurant.
Finally, there's a conference room named "The Study" that you can book for meetings or small events.
Complimentary hot breakfast
Atwell Suites offers complimentary breakfast with hot and cold items in the lobby each morning. A juice machine supplements the always-available drinks area and cabinets next to the drink area open to reveal a hot food area with two warming trays and a cold area. Bread, fruit and cereal are available from a table in front of the bar.
At the Atwell Suites Miami Brickell, breakfast is offered from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The buffet included premade omelets, Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches, yogurt, oatmeal, overnight oats, toast, doughnuts, bagels, oranges and cereal. Ceramic plates, coffee cups and metal utensils are available instead of single-use items.
However, when I went to breakfast on Monday morning around 10 a.m., the buffet was depleted. And I didn't see any Atwell Suites staff for the 30 or so minutes I spent in the breakfast area, so I was left with just the scraps that remained. I overheard a nearby family say they were going out for a "real breakfast."
Breakfast was much better on Tuesday morning, when I went around 9 a.m. Everything was in stock and an Atwell Suites employee was stationed in the area to refresh items and clean as needed.
Sitting on the balcony while eating breakfast or drinking a coffee is a great way to start the day and a unique amenity for an upper mid-tier hotel.
Earn and redeem IHG points
Guests can earn IHG points and redeem IHG points for stays at the Atwell Suites Miami Brickell. IHG uses dynamic award pricing, so the award cost will vary based on the dates of your stay and when you book.
I booked a paid rate for this stay, so I earned IHG One Rewards points rather than redeeming any. Specifically, I earned 9,248 points on my $371.34 bill plus 500 welcome points as a Platinum Elite member.
I also paid with my IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card to earn an additional 3,713 IHG points on my purchase.
Related: IHG Hotels & Resorts introduces its new IHG One Rewards program
Well suited for remote work
Between the 24th-floor coworking space with unlimited free coffee, water and tea and the comfortable desk space in rooms, the Atwell Suites Miami Brickell makes me excited to work from other Atwell Suites locations as the brand grows.
The overhead light at my room's desk was good for working and allowed for easy photo-taking of receipts and other documents. And the seating, both in my room and in the 24th-floor lobby, was comfortable.
But it's also the little things that matter. For example, the 24-hour marketplace and the in-suite minifridge and microwave can be useful when working during off-hours. And the on-site guest laundry on the 19th floor — which is currently free — is also a great attribute. However, as there's just one washer and one dryer, I expect you may face a wait as hotel occupancy increases.
The complimentary Wi-Fi was fast enough for most types of remote work, although perhaps not as speedy as some folks might expect.
The laundry on the 19th floor and the lobby on the 24th floor are only available to Atwell Suites guests. And, as I think these are two key perks of the property, I'd be willing to pay more per night to stay at the Atwell Suites instead of the colocated Hotel Indigo just to take advantage of these amenities.
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Bottom line
The new Atwell Suites Miami Brickell is an attractive option in Miami's Brickell neighborhood. There's plenty of shopping, dining and bars just a short walk away. I also love that the Brickell Metrorail station is just a few minutes' walk from the Atwell Suites, making it easy to get around Miami and to and from the airport.
The Atwell Suites Miami Brickell space was originally slated for a different use, so this build doesn't have some of the prototypical Atwell Suites features. For example, Atwell Suites rooms will usually include a two-sided closet accessible from the room and the bathroom.
And normally the lobby will be on the ground floor and the first floor. So, you won't get the same excellent views that the Atwell Suites Miami Brickell offers at most subsequent Atwell Suites properties.