The Westin Colonnade, Coral Gables

I was here for an event and WOW. This place is mad impressive. The service is FANTASTIC, the drinks are strong, and the employees seem happy to be there. The location is very central for Coral Gables so you’re only a hop, jump and a skip away from Miami and/​or the beach.

Didn’t say anything about the loud construction. It’s wonderful to go on vacation and try to ride the elevator up and your packed in the corner like a sardine because you have workers carrying insulation in huge ass boxes everywhere.
Housekeepers? Really. A joke. I specifically told them on the phone when I called and requested for fresh towels, «leave them at the door.» AT the door. AT THE DOOR. NOT OH CALL THE ROOM PHONE 5 times THEN TRY TO JUST WALK IN. Never did I ever say open the door to our f**king room and place them anywhere. It’s a thing called privacy so luckily I put the attached door stopper to keep anyone from coming in. Your house maids don’t speak any English, they have no clue for common curtesy such as you don’t knock once then just barge in. If they can’t do their jobs respectfully and actually know what their position is. Which is follow simple instructions but hey you can’t understand my simple instructions because I didn’t have my personal translator with me.
PS– instead of having an obstacle course to get to the rooms such as 3 sets of different elevators how about take the construction and make it simpler.
PSS– the only thing you got going for you is the valet service guys. Some are a little slow other ones are on it. 4 ½ stars to the guys downstairs. Good job. ¹⁄₂

Worst hotel I have ever experienced in my entire life. Spent 40,000 for a reception here and the time to check in, there was an apparent «over sight in the system» and lost ALL 6 rooms that were booked 6 months ahead and didn’t even bother to call and let us know. It’s 5 o’clock and the room is still not ready. I would never recommend this hotel to anyone. Worst experience EVERRRR. This hotel shouldn’t be in your options. ZERO stars.

Horrible terrible hotel! Alarms going off, worn out mattresses– needed chiropractor in the morning! Maid walked in without knocking, later Housman did the same. Went to breakfast and was met in the hall by the maid eating food out of our room right in front of us!
We wrote our concerns to management and were thanked for our comments.
They have a total disregard for guest and zero respect for people.
I would never never never stay in this place! I’m sure there is a much better Super 8 near by!

Loved this hotel. I had an event at the La Jolla Ballroom in Coral Gables and wanted to stay somewhere close. This hotel was very convenient and BEAUTIFU! The lobby is the first thing you see and is one of the most beautiful spaces I’ve seem — Would be perfect for a wedding if you’re in the market for a space!
Staff was very friendly, room was gorgeous, and the bed was super comfortable. I stayed on the 2^nd floor, and my room was connected to a back door that opened up onto the large patio with lounge chairs and a water fountain. I couldn’t have been happier with the aesthetics.
I was there during a loud festival during the weekend which did have an effect on the noise level in the room. The staff let me know that it would be over around midnight and was very kind when I asked about it. …Ended up not mattering because i was working and out past that time anyway.
Definitely a great spot to stay if you’re looking for a hotel in the Coral Gables area!

If you are about to be married i really recommend you the westin colonnade, the 2 wedding planner Isabel and Patricia are amazing, they know how to make you feel comfortable and help you with everything you need .
Catering, flowers, photographer, beauty, music band .
The room la rotunda is beautiful, with the fountain in the center .
Ideal for your wedding party .
I highly recommend the hotel, moderate price compare to the full package that you can get

My most recent stay at the Westin Colonnade brand was abysmal, and does not speak well for both Westin and the Starwood Hotel Group of Companies. I have stayed at this property in the past, and was delighted by the professionalism of the staff and the quality of service and care received. However, on my most recent trip to Miami, during Christmas 2015, my previous experience was poor. The room assigned, although recently renovated, had the strong stench of paint. The new renovations are a big plus — sleek and modern, and the bathroom spacious and well appointed. Esthetics aside, the air conditioner was non operational. I was informed by the front desk that the hotel was fully booked. We thought that at least having the FAN setting to HIGH would have alleviated some of the stuffinessess, but we had to open the windows to the nice, warm, humid Miami air to have somewhat of a decent night’s rest. The next day, the front desk was notified, and informed us that the problem would be a quick fix. Upon our return later in the evening, we were informed that the A/​C could not be fixed, so we were given the option to move to another room. This was very late in the evening, and we were already exhausted, so we decided to stay, and leave early the next day. The most disappointing fact, was that upon checkout, no apologies were made or questions asked about our stay. I fail to understand how such a decent hotel can place guests in a room without doing simple maintenance checks. This feedback is not a request for a free stay, but some sort of apology could have been made, especially for the first evening. I have contacted the Westin guest service and management team, to no response.

Okay so I won tickets (Thanks Cassie) to the Prohibition Ball event. Although I forgot to check into the event I checked into the hotel, so at least I did that. Anyhow, this event was phenomenal. Everyone was in 1920’s attire, it was lovely. Gentlemen looked like gentlemen and all the women were beautiful and just so dainty. You walk in the double doors and there’s a gentleman playing the saxophone and a beautiful grand piano. Then there’s a red carpet you get to walk on with a woman in a red dress looking down on you from like 15 feet in the air (okay so I’m exaggerating a little) but it was amaze. There were also props of things like champagne to have fun and take pictures with. After checking in we noticed the abundance of different hors d’ oeuvres and all the champagne, wine and rums you can wish for. We (fellow Unilocaler Beatriz L.) decided to head for the bar and we’d eat later. Although I must admit the food looked devouring. There was a beautiful staircase to the left and a huge ballroom in front of us where there was a woman who was actually a table, of course we all swarmed around her like busy bees trying to get a picture of her, I did =) The performance’s were beautiful as well. There was a young woman who performed a teasing burlesque show and another who performed in a glitter filled champagne glass. There were dancers performing all in the proper attire and my glass was never empty the whole time as I enjoyed each surprising show. There were cigar girls dressed to the T and everyone stayed in character the whole night. As the night went by more performances popped up and the crowd grew. I could talk about this event for days but there’s simply not enough time in the world. This event was by far the best event I’ve been to all year. It was classy and a bit sassy and the red wine made everything even more fantastic, man what a night. I could definitely do a do over for sure!!!

I am so lucky to have an elite friend that invited me to the 1920 prohibition ball. I had such an amazing time. When you arrived they had a mini red carpet with live music and a lovely lady dressed all in the 1920 attire as you entered they have separate bars for liquors and another for just wines they also had champagne what a treat. They had many different tables with cuisine foods. They had amazing dancers that had some burlesque dances that all fit the times. I really felt like I was at an upscale event definitely five stars. I will post some of my pictures forgot to post cause I was having such a good time. They have also valet as you enter the hotel so you don’t have to look for parking in the busy coral gables area. I would love to go to this event next year. FINGERS CROSSED 2 BECOME #ELITE…

Stayed at the Westin for my best friend’s wedding and the hotel was very pretty. I rated it a 3 because for starters, finding the lobby is impossible. You actually have to go the second floor, but first make sure it’s the right elevators. No one is there to guide you and there are no clear signs. When we checked in is when we found out that the pool and jacuzzi were closed due to construction. Since we had so many people staying at the hotel, we rented multiple rooms. Every room looked completely different from the other, which was awesome. The rooms were beautiful, spacious, and literally the best beds and bed sheets I’ve ever slept on! The biggest downside to this entire hotel was the air conditioning. All the rooms were on different floors and ALL the rooms were hot. I couldn’t enjoy the bed because I was hot all night. Then, in the shower the water would not get hot, and the shower head was amazing, but I couldn’t enjoy it because he water would not warm up. If you stay here, make sure you’re ok with paying $ 24 for self parking ($ 24 charge every time you use your car) or $ 30 valet not including tip. Overall the hotel was pretty, but it wasn’t a good experience.

Review is based on wedding reception: August 2015.
I worked in the hotel industry for many years, so I am a bit hard to please when it comes to social events: Reception at The Westin Colonnade: good experience, with room for improvement.
Valet parking: hassle free.
Ceremony: Drapped background, with grand entrance from stair case. The ceremony was very pretty. Grand entrance, I felt was beautiful, very much like my favorite fairy tale: Beauty and the Beast, ballroom entrance. I will say, it is not an easy entrance to pull off in wedding dress/​heels, about 60 steps, so keep that in mind, when looking at this venue for ceremony/​wedding.
Cocktail hour: Guests had to go upstairs for cocktail hour (a bit of a hike due to staircase, specially for older folks). The room had nice background music, a few hightop tables, passed hors-d’oeuvre, and tables displaying fruit and cheese platters. Pleasant experience.
Reception area: Beautifully decorated. I know that this could go either way, depending on wedding budget, but the wedding we attended was beautiful: varying centerpieces from high to low, comfortable seating, decorated fountain, beautiful cake table, etc.
Menu: Again, I understand food options varies with budget, detailing my experience: We were seated for about 30 mins or so before any food items were passed (a bit delayed). Bread was warm and butter was delicious. Salad was beautifully decorated, though a bit hard to consume once taken apart. Main dish included Churrasco, chicken with mushrooms, and vegetables. Now, I am not huge on meats, I only consume them if there are no other options, so bit the bullet. I took a few bites of the churrasco and it was ok — though I don’t have much of a pallet for it anymore. Everyone in my table REALLY enjoyed the food. My favorite were the vegetables, they were very good. Cake (unsure if from outside vendor or not) was also very good.
Music: As we all know, food and music can either make or break the event. Luckily food was good, because the music was less than desirable. No issues with the selection, thing was poor mixing, echoing throughout building (possibly due to layout of room). Not sure if Dj was outside vendor or not.
Overall, good experience. From the outside looking in, all went very well, music aside.

After the 10 of us (including a 5 month and 7 month old) got stuck in Miami due to a cancelled flight —
We were able to quickly get 3 rooms here and a shuttle at 1am. I had no idea the hotel was so nice being as it was only 149 a night so we were all happy to get there. The front desk sent cribs up for the babies complete with sheets. Immaculate and in the heart of Miracle Mile so while we were stranded we could easily walk thru town and it turned into a nice 2 day deal.

My brother just had a wedding at the Colonnade and it was a pretty wonderful experience. Their wedding in the rotunda was absolutely gorgeous and very well organized. For the price, the Colonnade truly offers much more than the comparable venue options in the area. Regarding the wedding food, it was pretty good except for the salad (dressing tasted like syrup). My only other complaint is that the room we stayed in (512) was incredibly hot! We simply could not get the room to cool down that night so we woke up sweating. However, the rooms are very spacious and nicely decorated. Most importantly, it was clean! Overall, I would recommend the Westin Colonnade.

Was here for a wedding and yes it was very beautiful. The ceremony room was nice as the bride entered from the staircase. Before the reception there was a cocktail hour where a premium bar was great!!! Coconut shrimp and other treats. This is a nice place to have a wedding and reception.

I’m forced to give a one because there is no lower rating. This hotel does not deliver on menu items in the room and does not allow guests to order from their own menu regardless of time or availability.
Upon returning to my room after many meetings I called down to the front desk in seek of a meal and was greated with the fact that the kitchen was closed and that I was not allowed any item from the menu. The man on the phone was rude and inappropriate and should be banned from any hospitality job anywhere from now on. If you want great service I recommend you stay far away from the Westin Collonade in Coral Gables. Stay far away from here. The service is horrible.

I’m reviewing the Westin Colonnade on the basis of having my wedding here in October.
In 2013, before getting engaged, I did a search on wedding venues in Miami. When I saw photos of the Rotunda Room I immediately knew it was the one. Fast forward to after the engagement, we planned a long weekend in Miami to check out venues in the area including places in Homestead, Coconut Grove, South Beach, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Coral Gables.
I didn’t tell my then fiancé I had already made my mind up just from seeing photos online but after visiting NINE venues he was in love with the Rotunda Room too.
The planning was underway and I was in contact with Patricia, our Catering Manager, and Roxana, who handled our room block, on a weekly basis. From the beginning, they were very attentive and easy to work with. I plan a lot of events so having that experience made working with them even easier.
Wedding cost per person fee included:
* cocktail hour (hors d’ouevres and cocktails)
* reception (3 course meal, open bar, champagne toast, wedding cake (able to select from a few vendors and customize the design and flavors), linens (able to select from various colors and materials)
* Stay in honeymoon suite for the couple the night of the wedding
Additional fees to host the ceremony there and for draping of the Rotunda Room (well worth the expense).
We also had a wedding planner (Liz & Lex Events), Photographer (Studio Andy), Cinematographer (DelightMedia), florist (Flowers by Carol), DJ (Universal Music Entertainment), Cigar Roller (On-​Site Cigars Entertainment), Furniture rental (Elements & Accents). All highly recommended and had the liability coverage needed for this hotel, as all vendors must be approved.
Had to give it four stars instead of five because we had difficulty getting the Executive Chef to be flexible when it came to doing the tasting. They typically host two Grand Tastings per year, both days were inconvenient for us. We live in Washington, DC and had to fly down on several occasions to handle wedding preparations so we asked to do a tasting that would coincide with one of our trips. It took several attempts and a call to the General Manager in order to get this done.
Also, when cleaning up after the reception, the catering staff put the top tier of our wedding cake into a box that was too small. It was then placed at the bottom of a large box that contained other miscellaneous items from the reception, namely heavy picture frames and cigar boxes. We did not find it until the next afternoon when we were unpacking the box. When we informed them of this, they put it in their freezer then cold shipped it back to DC so we’d have it after our honeymoon.
Other than that, everything went off without a hitch.

This is my review of two rooms at Westin. My friends room (the two floor suite) presented as clean but well worn. Wallpaper repairs, furniture fatigue, lack of logical positioning of basic items, refrigerator/​no microwave were all very noticeable upon entrance. My friend was dismissive of the Westin’s lack of detail because she felt that being away from beach may reduce the Westin’s bottom line. I disagree. My room was significantly better with less furniture fatigue, comfortable bed, spacious and clean.
The main factors that appeals to me was the genuine positive and pleasant attitude of the front of the building staff and the front desk staff and the location (from MIA, to Merrick Park, to the beaches, and just strolling and enjoying Coral Gables!)
We will return soon!

Awesome hotel in the middle of Coral Gables right on Miracle Mile.
The beds were comfy, the a/​c was super cold, and the room were quiet. I love the grand marble staircase.

LOCATION, location location. I love this hotel despite it’s flaws. Normally, 4 stars, but.
Pool and whirlpool not working… a big no-​no in sunny Forida
One elevator working since November I see
Time does move slower in Florida and I hear the pool repair is a bigger deal than they thought, otherwise this location, beautiful interior & rooms. The rooms are well thought out andTHE BEDS are insanely luxurious. Also love the pretty, comfy, cushioney white lounges and, couches around pool area give a posh feel to the terrace pool locale. The staff is friendly and professional. Again this location is unrivaled if you want to be in the center of «The Gables.»

Never, never, never have I met a more dedicated staff, then the staff at the Westin Colonnade. They were responsive polite and professional.
The Westin Colonnade is a beautiful property, I really enjoyed the service and the location. My room was not a deluxe room; however, the three days that I was there, the room was just fine. It had all the amenities and was actually an ample size. There gym although small had all the right equipment.
My only bitch was the elevator, only one was working and I arrived when they were having a wedding, so there was an extensive weight, and I never saw anyone trying to fix that precious second elevator!
The Weston will be a definite next time I have to stay in the Gables!