Recently, I stayed at a Red Roof PLUS+ hotel and cannot believe the experience I had with my dog. Yes, I admit I am a bit jaded when it comes to hotels. When I was younger, I stayed in ratty roadside motels that were a little suspect. As I grew in my career and travel blogging, I have since stayed in a range of accommodations that can be described as simple to stately and plain to posh.
I Wouldn’t Say I’m a Hotel Snob
I have stayed in chains that rhyme with “plate,” ones that promise to be bright, and ones fit for presidents. I have never stayed in a Red Roof Inn prior to this visit because, well, I did not think it was a nice place to stay.
I have no idea why I thought that. Maybe I saw a faded, tattered billboard about the hotel brand and it stuck with me that it represented the inside of all Red Roof Inns across the country.
A pitch from a Red Roof Inn representative telling me more about the brand’s Red Roof PLUS+ line piqued my curiosity. Rather than waking up at the crack of down to shop the Black Friday sales, I packed the car, loaded up Radcliff, and off we were to explore the Everglades and spend the night at the Red Roof PLUS+ Miami Airport.
I Cannot Believe the Red Roof PLUS+ Miami Airport Experience I Had with My Dog
I pulled up to the Red Roof PLUS+ Miami Airport hotel around 7 p.m. and the place was hopping! It is located with a small collection of other hotels and while each seemed to be busy, the Red Roof seemed to be the busiest because the parking lot was full while the other hotels had parking spaces available. Granted, it was a holiday weekend which could have meant it was a stopover for air travelers. But I suspect because it is an airport hotel, it is usually busy.
The lobby was bright and clean and was bustling with travelers. Check in was a breeze. Since the hotel’s parking lot was full, I was instructed to place the parking pass on my dashboard and park anywhere on the grass in front of the hotel along the road.
I did as instructed and in the grass near where I parked was a food truck serving meals to hungry travelers. What a terrific option for the weary traveler who does not want to leave the hotel property after a long day of travel!
Although Red Roof PLUS+ Miami Airport is a limited service hotel, meaning although it serves a satisfying continental breakfast it does not a restaurant, they do work with a local eatery to offer “room service.”
“If you want room service, order from here, not from the brochures under your door,” the front desk clerk told me while handing me a brochure about the delivery service.
My fourth-floor room was more than I expected and I appreciate being placed at the end of the hall which made it easy to use the stairs to take Radcliff out. My accommodations were in a Premium room which had a wood-like floor (YES! carpeting is so, well, it can be gross!), desk, flat-screen television, coffee maker, microwave, mini-refrigerator, safe, a very comfortable king-sized bed and speedy WiFi. It’s pretty standard these days, but the shower had the curve bar so the shower curtain doesn’t touch you while showering.
In addition to the lobby, the Red Roof PLUS+ Miami Airport has a wonderful outdoor swimming pool and for those heading to/from the Miami International Airport or Port of Miami, the hotel has a complimentary shuttle.
Upon checkout, Philip, one of the front desk clerks, asked where I was headed next and when I told him I was heading to the Everglades, he handed me a box of snacks, water and bottle of juice, something that’s standard with the type of room I stayed. He wanted to make sure I had provisions for my trip to the great outdoors, which I thought was very sweet.
Red Roof PLUS+ Miami Airport is Dog-Approved
When my dog is happy, I’m happy. And, Radcliff was happy with our stay at the Red Roof PLUS+ Miami Airport. He immediately jumped on the king-sized bed and made himself at home (see the above video). The wood-like floors are perfect for traveling with pets in case they have an accident. In this case, Radcliff knocked his water over so it was easy for me to clean up.
Another concern/issue I have when traveling with him is noise. He’s not necessarily a light sleeper but noisy hotel rooms and noisy guests sometimes wake him up in the middle of the night causing him to bark. Although it was a full house at this Miami Airport hotel and I could hear the occasional plane flying over, it was pretty much quiet in my room which meant a good night’s sleep.
When I needed to walk him (and I swear, he’s a like a kid wanting to check out a new rest room, he had to go out more than usual), there was an easy path to follow and a short distance down I found a dog waste station which included bags and a trash can.
Final Verdict on the Red Roof PLUS+ Miami Airport?
Traveling with a dog has not been as glamorous as I thought so when I want to bring Radcliff with me on a trip, I need pet-friendly accommodations which sometimes takes a little more time (and money). During trips with Radcliff, I have primarily stayed with a particular chain that is also pet-friendly and pets stay free, but after having the Red Roof PLUS+ experience, I may change my loyalty, especially when it comes down to value.
Staying in a big city like Miami sometimes frightens me and the scariest thing about my visit was driving Miami’s interstates! As soon as I hit Florida’s East Coast I’m white-knuckling it while cars and trucks zip by. But, I’m sure y’all are not chickens like me!
I really cannot believe the experience I had. I sincerely enjoyed my stay and wish it could have been longer. The Red Roof PLUS+ Miami Airport is clean, modern, well-kept, friendly hotel and a great value.
Nuts & Bolts of Red Roof PLUS+
When I’m on the road, I’m booking my lodging on my iPhone and using www.redroof.com is so easy, especially when traveling to parts unknown. It has geolocation so it knows where the nearest hotel is in miles so I don’t need to figure out where I am.
It’s simply #TapTapGo. It’s not an app (thank goodness, because there are TOO many apps in this world) but a smart, mobile-friendly website that I’ll be bookmarking for future trips and you may want to consider doing so, too. #RR #RedRoof
Red Roof PLUS+ Miami Airport
3401 Northwest Lejeune Road (42nd Avenue)
Miami, Fla. 33142
Tel: (305) 871-4221
www.redroof.com/property/fl/miami/RRI255
Remember to check for discounts, such as AAA/CAA, Government/Military, and Senior discounts. This hotel even has a Florida Resident Rate!
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links; I was invited by representatives of Red Roof Inn, however I paid a media rate for the room.
I love Red Roof Inns in general because they’re dog friendly as well as clean and convenient. I plan my stays at them where I can because of this.
I’m so glad I was introduced to them. It was a really nice visit and obviously, I love that they are dog-friendly 🙂