Every cruise out of Miami starts with the same question: where do you sleep the night before? This Hilton Cabana Miami Beach Resort review answers that for anyone who’d rather not spend their last calm evening listening to somebody’s bass line at 1am.
My husband and I stayed here in Mid-Beach the night before our Caribbean cruise. It turned out to be the right call for our preference of oceanfront quiet with South Beach still within reach.
I was hosted for a complimentary one-night stay at the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach Resort. All opinions are my own, and I only write about places I’d genuinely recommend.
Some links in this article are affiliate links that may earn me a commission if you purchase through them.
Why Mid-Beach Beats South Beach Before a Cruise
The hotel is oceanfront in Mid-Beach, with two residential condo buildings on either side. Your neighbors are people who live here, not a rotating cast of bachelorette parties.
It’s a quiet stretch, and it stays quiet at night. If you’ve ever tried to sleep in South Beach before a morning port arrival, you know why that matters.
The tradeoff is that you’re not walking to Ocean Drive. But rates typically run about $140 to $210 per night before taxes and the resort fee, which saves you real money against comparable oceanfront South Beach rooms.
Mid-Beach has enough around it that you’re not stranded. Within walking distance, you’ll find a CVS, a Publix, a Starbucks, and a gas station plus restaurants and other ways to occupy yourself.
That Publix matters more than you initially think. If your cruise line lets you bring wine or soda aboard, you can grab it there without paying a resort markup or an Uber fare. Always check your cruise line’s current policy first since allowances change.
How Parking Works
The hotel offers no self-parking. Valet runs $54 per night, or $62 for oversized vehicles.
The $54-a-night valet is not out of line in Miami. That’s well within range, so you may need to stay further out if you want to avoid parking fees.
If you’re flying in and taking rideshare like we did, that doesn’t affect you. If you planned to drive down and leave the car while you cruise, run the math again, because a week of valet adds up fast, and they don’t offer a park-and-sail option.
Getting Around on the Free Trolley
A free trolley stops directly in front of the hotel. Not down the block, not across Collins.
It connects to both the Mid-Beach Loop and the Collins Express, so you can reach North Beach or South Beach for dinner, drinks, or the nightlife you were worried about missing. It’s hop-on, hop-off, and it costs nothing.
Trolleys come every 15 to 20 minutes from 8am to 11pm, seven days a week. That window covers dinner and a drink comfortably, though you’ll need an Uber if you’re out until 3am.
Ask the concierge to map your route before you walk out the door. They’ll tell you which loop to take and where to switch, which beats standing at the stop squinting at a route map on your phone.
The Beach Walk, Bikes, and Paddleboards
The Miami Beach Walk runs between the hotel and the sand, a paved path covering about nine miles from South Beach up past the hotel to the north end. It’s flat and wide, with enough room for bikes, scooters, runners, and roller skaters to coexist without anyone getting clipped.
The hotel loans bikes to guests for two hours at no charge. That’s plenty of time to explore the area, though not enough to ride somewhere for a long dinner.
The path stays quiet up by the hotel and gets busier the closer you ride to South Beach. If you want a peaceful morning, head north instead.
They also offer paddleboarding, with your first 20 minutes complimentary and a charge after that. Twenty minutes on a paddleboard satisfies most people, so that’s a fair setup. They weren’t putting boards out during our stay because of ocean conditions, so ask at the desk rather than assuming.
Check the rates to see what’s available on your dates.
Getting to the Cruise Port or the Airport
The hotel doesn’t run an airport shuttle, which is normal for Miami Beach. It also doesn’t have the demand for those $15-per-person port shuttle vans that the big South Beach and downtown hotels run.
That said, it does have an arrangement with a private car service that charges $80 to the airport or the port. We took a Lyft instead and paid $31.
For two people with normal luggage, rideshare wins. Book the car service if you have a bigger group, a pile of bags, or you want the certainty of a confirmed pickup on cruise morning.
Getting into PortMiami is a mess no matter what, because thousands of people arrive while thousands more leave. We always book an early boarding time and go early, and our ride took about 25 minutes. Head over around 10am or during the midday crush and expect to sit in traffic for a good long while.
The Rooms
Rooms come with either two queen beds or a single king. These are real queens, not the doubles some hotels quietly call queens.
I filmed walkthroughs of two room types if you want to see them before you book: the two-queen oceanview room and a standard king with intracoastal view.
Intracoastal rooms run roughly 15 to 20 percent cheaper than oceanfront, and they’re still a reasonable size and just as well appointed. If you’ll spend your time at the pool, the beach, and dinner rather than in your room, book intracoastal and put the difference toward a shore excursion.
The closet is a reasonable size with enough hangers for the two of us, and the front desk will send more if you need them. Inside the closet, you’ll find the iron and ironing board, plus the safe, which is large for a hotel. It fits a 17-inch laptop with room to spare.
They provide one luggage rack in the room, which handles a single suitcase. If you’re two people who both like to live out of an open bag, one of you is using the floor or the bed, or you can see if they have an extra available.
The outlet situation impressed me, because enough outlets can be a concern with all the devices we bring with us now. You’ll find traditional outlets, USB, and USB-C, and plenty of all three throughout the room.
The bathroom has a walk-in shower with Crabtree & Evelyn shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel, so you can leave your own behind. It’s a single standard showerhead with no handheld sprayer, if that matters to you.
There’s a mini-fridge for leftovers or whatever you’re chilling for the morning, plus a coffeemaker with a tea option. It makes for a pretty comfy setup.
The curtains have both a sheer layer and a blackout layer, and they slide together to meet in the center, which leaves a light gap right down the middle. I could never use a sleep mask because I hate the feeling of one pressing against my eyes and touching my eyelashes when I blink, but my Manta sleep mask has little cups that sit gently around each eye instead, so bring yours if light wakes you up.
The Oceanfront Balcony
We stayed in an oceanfront room, and the balcony is the reason I’d book that room type again.
Most hotel balconies give you two small chairs and a railing. This one had a table with two chairs plus two loungers, and it still didn’t feel crowded.
A low glass wall separates you from the balconies on either side, so you’ll know if your neighbors are out there. They can see you, and you can see them. But given how full the hotel was during our stay, I was surprised how few people used their balconies at all.
After the beach service closed and we’d had dinner, we sat out there reading and watching the ocean until the light went. That was my favorite part of the stay, and it cost nothing extra.
Beach Access at the Hilton Cabana
You cross the beach walk, and you’re on the sand. The hotel sets out two chairs per guest, and the beach staff spotted us walking over and had our chairs ready before we got there.
Grab your towels from the pool area on your way over, because the beach has none. We didn’t, and we had to walk back for them.
You can rent an umbrella or a daybed clamshell for shade, and that costs extra on top of the resort fee. Food and beverage service runs to the beach, though nobody came by during our stay.
Bring your own water regardless, because Miami heat is no joke. No one wants to get dehydrated or heat stroke on vacation.
The hotel sets out cornhole and a giant Connect Four on the sand during chair service hours. It gives you something to do besides sit, and it keeps kids occupied when they’ve had enough of the water.
Chair service ends at 6pm. The beach is still there after that, just without the chairs, and it’s a nice place to sit and listen to the waves.
We had heavy sargassum during our visit, so we didn’t swim or really wade. That’s been true almost everywhere I’ve been this summer, and it isn’t specific to this hotel or area.
Be aware that this is the Atlantic, and the waves get big. In Florida, I’d rather swim on the Gulf side, but I’ll usually at least wade in the Atlantic. Be careful if you go in.
Enjoy Two Pools at This Resort
The ground-floor pool sits near the restaurant and bar. The second is up on the third floor overlooking the ocean.
Take the third-floor pool. It has the view, and it had better seat availability during our stay. The only downside is that it isn’t by the restaurant, but they do offer food and beverage service from 12pm to 5pm.
The pools offer a reasonable number of chairs and have cabanas you can rent for the day. Both were also heavily chlorinated when we visited, which isn’t a dealbreaker but you’ll notice it if you’re sensitive.
Eating at Allison Restaurant & Bar
The hotel’s on-property restaurant is Allison Restaurant & Bar, a nod to the building’s history. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the menu changes meaningfully between lunch and dinner rather than just adding a couple of entrees.
The drinks are creative, and the food is good, with generous portions at prices in line with what you’d expect from an oceanfront hotel restaurant. There’s indoor seating and covered outdoor seating that remained comfortable even in the summer heat.
Our servers at both the restaurant and the bar were attentive and had actual recommendations, not just “everything’s good.” My hands-down favorite was the Burrata & Prosciutto appetizer that I had for my main course at dinner and still ended up with leftovers.
Your resort fee includes a 10 percent discount on dinner here, so mention it when you order. Happy hour runs 5pm to 6pm on weekdays with light bites and drink specials, which lines up nicely with getting off the beach.
Watch your bill, because a 20 percent service fee is added automatically. The menu notes that anything beyond that counts as an additional tip, so you won’t accidentally double-tip.
Coffee House opens 6:30am to noon for grab-and-go breakfast and better-than-average coffee and tea. This is perfect for something quick on cruise morning.
A Recent Renovation and Check-In
The hotel renovated the entire property in 2024, rooms and public spaces both, and it shows.
The lobby is gorgeous and, more usefully, it’s open and full of places to actually sit. Our flight landed early, and we had hours before check-in. We chose to eat lunch, and then I set up in the lobby to work.
The wifi handled it without complaint, and it held up in the room and at the restaurants too. It doesn’t reach the beach, but that’s not an issue.
The front desk woman walked over to find me the moment our room was ready. She didn’t wait for me to check back, and that kind of attention isn’t something I see often.
The property has just 231 rooms, which gives it the boutique feel, and the building dates to 1951. It operated as the Allison Hotel before Hilton bought it in 2014, which is where the restaurant name comes from.
Is There a Gym?
Yes, on the third floor next to the upper pool. It isn’t big, but it has enough for a real workout, including a Peloton.
If you’re the kind of traveler who needs a full weight room, this isn’t it. For a night or two before a cruise, it does the job.
Storing Your Luggage Before and After Your Stay
The hotel holds bags if you arrive early, which is what we did. They’ll also hold them after checkout if you have a late departure.
That flexibility is worth more than it sounds on a cruise trip, when your flight times rarely match your hotel times.
Shipping Packages to the Hotel
Guests can have packages delivered to the resort, which many hotels won’t allow. The first package is free, and each additional one carries a $5 handling fee.
They won’t accept anything more than three days before your arrival date, and the shipping label must include your name and arrival date. It helps ensure your package gets to you when you arrive.
For a pre-cruise stay, that’s worth planning around. Order the sunscreen or the motion sickness bands and have them waiting instead of packing them, or ship your luggage ahead instead of dragging it through the airport and have it meet you at the hotel.
Is the Hotel Kid-Friendly?
We were there as a couple, but plenty of families were around, and the kids were clearly having a good time, mostly at the pool.
The restaurant has a kids’ menu with multiple options. Between the two pools, the beach, and the lawn games (on the beach), kids have enough to keep them busy.
Can You Bring Pets?
Dogs and cats are welcome, with a maximum of two pets per room. You have to register them when you book so the hotel can assign you a pet-friendly room.
A non-refundable pet fee applies that varies by room type and length of stay, but budget somewhere around $100.
Accessibility
An elevator reaches the third-floor pool, so both the upper pool and the gym are easy to get to. The pool also has a pool lift to help guests get in and out of the water if needed.
You can get from the hotel down to the sand without stairs. Once you’re on the sand, though, no accessible path crosses it.
If crossing sand doesn’t work for someone in your group, plan on the pools and the beach walk instead. The ocean itself may not be reachable.
What the Resort Fee Covers
The mandatory resort fee runs $35 per night. Build it into your math before you compare rates, though the rates the Hilton website shows when booking already include the fee.
It covers the bikes, the towels, the beach chair service, the wifi, the 10 percent dinner discount, and two refillable aluminum water bottles in your room. The daybed clamshells and beach umbrellas cost extra, as do the pool cabanas and anything past your first 20 minutes of paddleboarding.
Who Should Book the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach Resort
Book it if you’re sailing out of PortMiami and you want your last night before the cruise to feel like the vacation already started. This is a great option if you want oceanfront without South Beach prices or South Beach noise.
Oceanfront rooms with the big balcony book up first, so check your dates here.
We loved it for the big balcony and a quiet stretch of sand that sounds better to us than stumbling home from a club. Skip it if walking to Ocean Drive nightlife is the point of your trip, if you need a hotel that runs its own port shuttle, or if you’re driving down and can’t stomach $54 a night for valet.
For us, one night here beat the alternative by a mile. We got an easy afternoon, a good dinner, a sunset on a balcony with room to stretch out, and a 25-minute ride to the ship in the morning.
Hilton Cabana Miami Beach Resort FAQ
How far is the Hilton Cabana from PortMiami? Our ride took about 25 minutes going early in the morning. Traffic into the port gets much worse midmorning, so build in extra time if you have a later boarding window.
Does the hotel have a shuttle to the cruise port? No. There’s a private car service arrangement at $80, but using rideshare is the better deal for two people.
Is the resort fee mandatory? Yes, $35 per night. It covers bikes, towels, beach chair service, wifi, a 10 percent dinner discount, and two refillable water bottles.
Does booking with Hilton Honors points cover the resort fee? Yes. Award stays include the resort fee, and you still earn points and keep your status perks on paid stays. On a pre-cruise night where you’re mostly just sleeping there, this is a good place to spend points rather than save them.
Can I buy a day pass after my cruise? Yes, and it’s worth doing if you fly home the evening your cruise ends. Buy the pass, drop off your luggage, and spend the day at the pool and beach instead of the airport. Book it in advance, because availability is limited.
What hours does the free trolley run? Every 15 to 20 minutes from 8am to 11pm, seven days a week, with a stop directly in front of the hotel.
Is there free parking? No. The hotel offers no self-parking, and valet costs $54 per night or $62 for oversized vehicles.
Can I leave my luggage after checkout? Yes. The hotel stores bags on either end of your stay, and it offers a day pass if you want to use the resort while you wait for a late flight.
Is the Hilton Cabana good for families? Yes. Plenty of kids were at the pools during our stay, and the restaurant has a proper kids’ menu.
Can I swim in the ocean there? You can, but be careful, because the Atlantic waves get big here. We had heavy sargassum during our visit, which comes and goes seasonally.
Planning the Rest of Your Cruise
If you’re sailing out of Fort Lauderdale instead, I’ve stayed at the Hyatt Centric Las Olas, and it plays a similar role for Port Everglades.
Once your hotel is sorted, work through my cruise packing list for the things people forget to bring.
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.