InterContinental Miami Review
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BOTTOM LINE
The InterContinental Miami is a downtown landmark that has been reworked into a modern, bay-facing hotel with a rooftop pool and Turning Basin views. It suits business travelers and, more to my point, anyone sailing out of the Port of Miami who wants a polished night before boarding. The standout is the location just minutes from the cruise terminals, and it books on IHG One Rewards points.
If you have ever driven into downtown Miami, you have probably seen the InterContinental without knowing its name. It is the tall tower on Biscayne Bay with the giant mural facing the water, and it has been a fixture of the skyline for decades. What surprised me is how much fresher it feels inside after its recent renovations.
I have stayed near the Port of Miami plenty of times for cruises, and I am always hunting for the hotel that gets you close to the terminals without feeling like a generic airport-style crash pad. The InterContinental turned out to be one of the better answers to that, so here is my full breakdown of the rooms, the pool, the food, and how it works as a pre-cruise base.
Booking the InterContinental Miami
This is an IHG hotel, so it sits inside the IHG One Rewards program. That matters because you can book it on points, and for a downtown Miami property with bay views, a solid award redemption can undercut the cash rate meaningfully during busy stretches. I always compare the points cost against the nightly rate before deciding, since Miami pricing jumps around with the cruise and convention calendar.
IHG elite status brings the usual perks like potential upgrades and, at higher tiers, room-rate rebates and other benefits. If you hold the IHG One Rewards Premier card, the annual free-night certificate can be a good fit for a hotel like this, and the card also carries elite status that helps at check-in. Run the math on cash versus points and see which side wins for your dates.
Best cards for booking
To get the most from a stay here, the cards I would reach for are the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred, and Capital One Venture X.
Location
The location is the reason I would book this hotel over most of its neighbors. It sits in downtown Miami right on Biscayne Bay, with views over the water and the Turning Basin where the big ships come and go. For a cruise out of the Port of Miami, you are only minutes from the terminals, which takes a huge amount of stress out of embarkation morning. Watching my own ship sit at the port from the room the night before did something good for my cruise nerves. One budget note: parking runs 50 dollars a night, so if you are only driving in to sail the next morning, weigh that against dropping the car somewhere else.
Beyond the port angle, downtown puts you near Bayside Marketplace, the Brickell dining scene a short ride away, and easy access to the highways and the airport. It is a business-district setting rather than a beach one, so if your heart is set on sand, you will be driving over to Miami Beach. For a pre-cruise or a work trip, though, it is hard to beat the position.
Lobby and Check-In
The lobby carries the scale you expect from a tower of this size, with high ceilings and a steady flow of guests coming and going. After the renovations, the public spaces feel updated rather than dated, and there is a club lounge on the concierge level for eligible guests. Check-in was efficient, which I appreciate when I am arriving the night before a cruise and just want to drop my bags. The lobby still has that grand 1980s-era scale, in a good way: a massive sculpture ringed with seating, flowing water, natural light, and a steady hum of convention traffic. A tip on water: the rooms stock 9 dollar bottles, but there is a free refill station just off check-in, so bring your own. There is even a Sixt rental car desk right in the lobby, plus a Starbucks that gets slammed in the mornings.
There is a real energy to the arrival, since this is a large hotel that hosts a mix of business travelers, cruisers, and event guests. That can mean a short wait at busy times, but the front desk moved things along without much friction on my visit.
The Room
I had a standard king room, and it reflected the recent renovation nicely. The redesign brought a cleaner, more contemporary look, with comfortable bedding, good work space, and large windows. If you can get a room facing the water, the bay and Turning Basin views are the payoff, and watching ships move through the channel is oddly relaxing. The pool deck is a proper sun deck with a poolside restaurant and bar, TVs for catching a game, and water views out toward the ships. Off the main deck there is a turf lawn with games set up and space for pets, and the amount of manicured green space they have carved out above the lobby genuinely surprised me. No beach here, though; South Beach is about 15 minutes away.
The room did the job well for a downtown high-rise, with a comfortable bed and a bathroom that felt current. The hotel also has a set of redesigned suites for guests who want more room or the extra benefits that come with the upper categories. For a one-night pre-cruise stay, the standard king was plenty. Mine was up on the 21st floor, and the pink-coral color scheme from a recent renovation felt instantly Miami, cheerful the second I walked in. I drew an ADA room with a roll-in shower and a single vanity, and the bathroom shows a little age, but the king bed was comfortable, the Nespresso machine came with helpful little cards explaining each pod, and I had a straight view of the Port of Miami from the window.
Pools and Amenities
The rooftop pool is the amenity that sets this hotel apart from the standard downtown business tower. It gives you a resort-style deck with skyline and bay views, and the space has been reworked to add private cabanas and a pool bar. Spending an afternoon up there before a cruise is a nice way to ease into vacation mode.
The outdoor spaces also include a lawn area with wide-open views of the Miami skyline and Biscayne Bay, which is a great spot for photos or an evening drink. There is a fitness center on site as well, so you can keep a workout routine going if that is your thing.
Food and Drink
The hotel has on-site dining that covers you for a pre-cruise dinner without needing to leave, plus the rooftop pool bar for drinks with a view. For a night before boarding, having food and coffee right downstairs is a convenience I do not take for granted. It saves you from wrangling a rideshare when you are trying to keep embarkation morning simple. Breakfast is a buffet at Ole downstairs, and if you have an evening to burn, there is a speakeasy tucked up on the convention level, though it kept later hours than my pre-cruise bedtime allowed.
That said, downtown Miami and nearby Brickell have a deep restaurant scene, so if you have the evening free and want to explore, you are well positioned. I tend to keep pre-cruise nights low-key and eat close to the hotel, and the InterContinental made that easy.
Service
Service was solid and professional across the board. This is a large, busy hotel, so it runs more like a well-oiled operation than an intimate boutique, but the staff I dealt with were friendly and helpful. The front desk handled my questions about the port and timing without any fuss.
For a property that moves as many guests as this one does, especially with the cruise crowd cycling through, I found the service consistent. Do not expect a small-hotel level of personal attention, but for what this place is, it delivers.
Who Should Stay Here
Great fit if
Look elsewhere if
You are sailing out of the Port of Miami and want to be minutes away
You want to walk out your door onto a beach
You want a rooftop pool with skyline and bay views
You prefer a small, intimate boutique feel
You collect IHG points or hold the IHG Premier card
You have no loyalty to IHG and want the cheapest bed near the port
You are in town for business downtown or in Brickell
You want a quiet, low-traffic property
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Frequently Asked Questions
How close is the InterContinental Miami to the cruise port?
It sits in downtown Miami on Biscayne Bay, only minutes from the Port of Miami cruise terminals. That proximity is the main reason I recommend it for a pre-cruise night.
Can you book the InterContinental Miami with points?
Yes. It is an IHG hotel, so you can redeem IHG One Rewards points. Compare the points cost to the cash rate for your dates, since Miami pricing moves with the cruise and event calendar.
Does the hotel have a pool?
It has a rooftop pool with skyline and bay views, recently updated to add private cabanas and a pool bar. It is a real amenity, not just a token deck.
Has the hotel been renovated?
Yes. The guest rooms, suites, and club lounge were refreshed in a recent renovation, and additional public and meeting spaces are being updated toward a 2026 standard.
Is it a good spot for business travel?
Very much so. It sits in the downtown business district, close to Brickell, with meeting space and a professional service operation.
Is there a resort fee?
Downtown Miami hotels often carry a facility or destination fee, so confirm the current charge at booking. It can affect how the cash rate compares to a points redemption.
Bottom Line
The InterContinental Miami has aged into a smart choice thanks to its renovations, its rooftop pool, and above all its position on the bay just minutes from the cruise port. For a pre-cruise night, it hits the balance I look for between comfort, location, and the option to book on points. It is not a beach resort, and it never pretends to be, which is fine when the goal is an easy embarkation morning.
If you are sailing out of Miami or need a downtown base with good views and IHG loyalty perks, this one earns a spot on the short list. Book a bay-view room, use your points if the math works, and enjoy watching the ships roll through the Turning Basin.
