8 Best Cheap Hotels in Miami

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You don’t have to splurge on luxurious digs in order to get the full Miami experience. Even those on a backpacker’s budget can enjoy the glitz of South Beach by staying in one of the following cheap hotels in Miami.

The Best Cheap Hotels in Miami

To enjoy good value without sacrificing style or quality, book yourself a room at one of these eight cheap hotels in Miami.

Gale South Beach

While the Gale South Beach sits in a practically perfect locale near Lincoln Road and South Beach’s nightlife, it’s lacking one key feature of its ritzier neighbors: direct beach access. Luckily, you can still catch picture-perfect sunrise views from the luxury of your private suite balcony overlooking the beach. The hotel’s 87 rooms play on its 1940s past with vintage-style furniture and framed photos showing off Miami Beach during its heyday. Those days may have passed, but the Gale is still seen as something of a nightlife staple in South Beach thanks to its speakeasy-inspired Regent Cocktail Club. When you’re ready to hit the water, head across the street and post up at sister spot Shelborne Beach Club.

Amenities: Tech-savvy rooms with internet-enabled flat-screen TVs and iPod docking stations, rooftop infinity pool and bar, beach club access with complimentary lounge chairs and waiter service, daily happy hour at on-site restaurant Dolce Italian, and a 1970s-inspired basement lounge Rec Room.

Freehand Miami Beach

It would be unfair to write off the Freehand as solely a hostel, but that’s how one of the best budget hotels in Miami got its start. Set in a 1930s Art Deco building two blocks from the beach, the combo hotel/hostel features 63 rooms. Most are communal-style with four or eight bunks, each with built-in privacy screens, reading lights, and lockers to ensure all of your belongings are kept safe and sound. Don’t feel like sharing? Check into a king suite that’s like having your own private Miami Beach apartment—living room included.

Amenities: Artwork by local Miami Beach artists in the rooms, a guest kitchen where you can store groceries, complimentary Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast with Cuban pastries and locally roasted Panther Coffee, happy hour for shared-room guests, a pool with towels available (for a small deposit), and events like beach yoga.

Vagabond Hotel Miami

Call the Vagabond your home base on Biscayne, where you’ll be within a quick drive of buzzy Miami neighborhoods like the Design District, Wynwood, and Midtown. This retro chic hotel was once a Rat Pack hangout, but now its 44 rooms cater to a quieter crowd. Geometric wall art forms makeshift headboards behind the hypo-allergenic, Italian-made mattresses framed by 1950s-style furniture. For a true step back in time, sprawl out in a lounge chair by the pool, admiring the restored iconic mermaid and dolphin mosaics in the water.

Amenities: Rooms with original terrazzo and wood floors, eco-themed toiletries, flat-screen smart TVs, free morning pastries and coffee, and pool bar.

Circa 39 Hotel, Miami Beach

Travelers looking for a spot near the hustle and bustle of South Beach but just far enough away that they can rest after the partying wraps up will find the right balance at Circa 39. Considered one of the stand-out cheap hotels in Miami, this 97-room hotel is tropical in theme (think plantation-style shutters and wood floors) with simple teak furnishings and glass shower cabins. The hotel isn’t directly on the beach, but the resort fee includes beach access at the sandy strip across Collins.

Amenities: A dedicated concierge who can arrange outdoor activities like snorkeling and jet skiing, complimentary poolside cabanas, a garden bar with over 80 different rum brands, and an all-day cafe serving global comfort food.

YVE Hotel Miami

Downtown Miami’s reputation has slowly shifted from gritty to a global art and entertainment hub, with one of the best cheap hotels in Miami, YVE, sitting smack-dab in the center of it all. A short walk from Bayfront Park, the hotel has 243 rooms decorated in a clean, modern style, placing all the attention on views of Miami’s soaring skyline. The hotel not only caters to pets but also is located near a number of dog-friendly restaurants and parks.

Amenities: Gastropub with local brews, valet parking, fitness center, daily coffee service, and dry cleaning service.

National Hotel

When it comes to budget hotels in Miami, the National Hotel on Miami Beach is one of your best bets in terms of both style and location. The historic tower’s 116 rooms look out across the city and the Atlantic, while the 36 stylish cabanas and artist-inspired suites line Miami’s longest infinity-edge pool. The pool also doubles as a prime spot to kick off your night in South Beach with specialty cocktails at the beach shack-style Aqua Club. Note that nightly rates vary widely at the National Hotel depending on when you’re traveling; come at the right time of year, and you can get a steal.

Amenities: Mediterranean bistro, live music with tapas at the Blues Bar, two pools with light bites and drinks, massage cabana, direct beach access, and yoga classes.

El Paseo Hotel, Miami Beach

For a stay that more resembles Barcelona’s iconic Las Ramblas strip than South Beach, call the pedestrian-only promenade of Espanola Way home for the night, holing up at El Paseo Hotel. This is one of the cheap hotels in Miami that’s considered a South Beach secret, since it’s just a quick stroll away from the water and showy nightclubs, yet boasts a fun bohemian feel. Spanning five three-story villas, the rooms at El Paseo Hotel are a beautiful blend of Moroccan, Italian, and French architecture, with rounded archways and cathedral ceilings. If this isn’t enough to make you fall head-over-heels, wait until you step out onto the dual balcony overlooking the Spanish “village” of Espanola Way.

Amenities: Multi-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens and imported granite countertops, complimentary cocktail hour, table games, beach club access with towels and chairs, and street and valet parking.

Kimpton Angler’s South Beach

This tucked-away retreat gives off Mediterranean vibes thanks to its intimate courtyard surrounded by cabanas and bougainvillea-lined buildings. Accommodations are divided into 48 1930s-era suites, lofts, two-story villas, and three-story poolside bungalows. A recent renovation tacked on a new wing with 85 guestrooms—each boasting a balcony or terrace—plus a swoon-worthy rooftop pool and sundeck that’s adults-only.

Amenities: New rooms with soaking tubs or outdoor Jacuzzis, two heated pools, outdoor yoga and bootcamp classes, public bikes, and evening social hour.

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—Original reporting by Lane Nieset

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