How much comfort are you willing to forgo for a cheap vacation?
A British tourist spent less than $200 for one night at a one-star hotel in Miami, Florida — and he took viewers along to see what he got for the very low price.
Simon Wilson, who regularly shares his travel adventures on social media, posted an Instagram Reel with over 2 million views documenting his stay at the unidentified establishment in the high-end area of South Beach, where rooms regularly rent for upwards of $500 per night.
Wilson walked into the establishment without a reservation and asked the receptionist for a room with one bed.
He revealed that he had looked at reviews online, finding that they were all negative. When he asked why the hotel had such poor reviews, the worker replied only with a sly shrug.
The cost of the room with one bed for one night was $149 plus tax, which came out to $184.86. On top of that, the hotel charged a $50 deposit that would be refundable at checkout.
In total, Wilson had to dish out $234.86 upon arrival at the one-star hotel.
The budget lodgings were revealed to have 80 rooms — and only nine of them were occupied the night Wilson showed up.
When Wilson asked the receptionist about amenities, he discovered that there were none — no swimming pool, sauna, breakfast or coffee. All he was getting was the room.
“I have no idea what to expect here,” he said as he opened the door to his room on the first floor.
“This isn’t too bad,” he said.
He showed viewers around the room, which included a “lovely” and small dining table with one chair, bedside cabinets and a remote for the TV on the wall.
Moving on to the bathroom, he said the shower/bath looked “fairly clean” and pointed out that there was a decent amount of soap provided.
“The main thing and the most important thing though is the bed,” he said. “What’s this gonna look like?”
After inspecting the pillows and sheets, he deemed it suitable for sleeping.
“I think we might have just had a bargain in South Beach, Miami,” Wilson declared.
But people in the comments begged to differ.
“Our man was getting rinsed,” one wrote with a laughing emoji.
“Even half that price would be a rip-off,” someone else said.
“That is a hell of an expensive room considering it is very basic and not even a breakfast or a cup of coffee with it !!!!,” a commenter said.
However, many people in the comments also reasoned that the hotel seemed pricey because of its location in South Beach.
“Y’all complaining about the price, but it’s expensive in Miami. If you’re in South Beach, that’s about what it’s going to cost,” someone said.
“The price is very normal at last minute in Miami, Florida.. You can’t find cheaper than that, either one star or 3 stars,” another wrote.
South Beach is notoriously expensive and one of the priciest areas in Miami.
According to Radical Storage, premium oceanfront hotels could cost anywhere from $400 to $1,000+ per night during high season. However, booking earlier can result in better prices for visitors.
Hotel star rankings are widely used to determine a hotel’s quality.
In the U.S., a one-star hotel typically means there are only basic room options available with basic accommodations and minimal amenities. These hotels are more about functionality and affordability.
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