The Crest hotel suites or the Century on Ocean

I got good rates on both, which has the best location?

The Crest hotel suites or the Century on Ocean

Kim%26gt;

As a local, I can give you some perspective about the location of both options, but I leave it to the visitors who write for this site to tell you about the guest experience... read the reviews posted recently too.

My question is - what are you looking for in terms of location and general experience?

The Century has a decidedly Euro vibe. The rooms are spare and the rehab of this vintage deco building included pulling out the ancient bathtubs and putting in partition showers - which is essentially just a dividing wall and a shower head. So the reviews on this site generally mention the ';wet floor in the bathroom issue'; as a SMALL concern. There was an article in the local paper about how US corporate hotel chains are considering no longer installing tubs in newly developed American hotels as women generally feel there is an ';ick'; factor to utilizing a hotel tub and men just want to shower an GO! No tub equals more bathroom floor space but some folks have a distinct point of view about soaking while on vacation...

The Century location - your main concern - is at the southern end of the Beach. If you are coming to South Beach to hit the clubs, the southern end is a good option as the Century is on a quieter part of Ocean Drive south of hustle and bustle starting north of 5th. The folks at the Century are able to direct you to the southernmost Beach hotspots and one reviewer mentioned the desk even gave them some club passes. There is a Starbucks across the street and Big Pink cafe around the corner. Also the romantic spot Nemo, Shoji Sushi, Joe%26#39;s Stone Crabs, Smith %26amp; Wollensky and a local dive - Ted%26#39;s Hideaway (just a sports bar w/pool table)... If you are driving, the Century is close to the causeway on and off South Beach @ 5th Street.

On the other end - up near 17th Street is the Crest. If you are coming to South Beach for a more family-oriented trip, if you are not doing the club crawl, or if you are perhaps more interested in proximity to the spendy hotels like the Delano, the Ritz, the Shoreclub, the Setai... the Crest is closer to the more family friendly Lincoln Mall (on 17th) and the upscale hotels along Collins Avenue.

To be clear - you can access ANYTHING from both locations easily and safely. The central area of a South Beach vacation is 1st to 21st Streets, so the Crest is at the northern end of the District and the Century is at the southern end. Both seem to get favorable reviews on this site. Neither is on the water but the Crest has a pool. Both are conversions of older buildings so the rooms will be smaller, perhaps dowdier... not necessarily the generic resort hotel experience.

I hope this helps a little. I also hope folks who have stayed at either property will weigh in so you get a more inside perspective to help you with your choice...

AG