JW Marriott Marquis Miami

If your Miami trip needs more than a beach address, this is a polished downtown base with plenty to do under the same roof. The hotel stands in the Metropolitan Miami development, close to the business district, cultural venues, the Port of Miami and the restaurants of the city centre. You can keep the evening indoors with dinner, the spa or a game, then head out when Miami's lights start doing their usual overstatement.

English is one of the languages used on the hotel's website, alongside Chinese, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Haitian Creole and Portuguese. That shows a broad international focus. The atmosphere is more city hotel than dive base: useful if diving is one part of your Miami stay rather than the entire reason for booking.

You are in Miami, United States, at 255 Biscayne Boulevard Way in the downtown area. Bayfront Park is about half a mile away, and Knight Center rail station is roughly 300 yards from the hotel, with Bayfront Park Station around 450 yards away. Government Center metro station is about 0.7 miles on foot, while Brickell station is roughly 0.8 miles away.

The beaches are a drive rather than a stroll in flip-flops. Hobie Beach is about 1.8 miles away, while Lummus Park Beach and South Pointe Park Beach are each around 3.6 to 3.7 miles away. South Beach is about 5 miles from the hotel, so you get the downtown setting first and the famous beach strip when you choose to go there.

The 41-storey building contains 313 guest rooms, including 56 suites. Your room comes with a 52-inch television, cable and satellite channels, a private bathroom, a minibar and facilities for making hot drinks. In practical terms, you have water and coffee close at hand, while the air conditioning helps cool things down after Miami has heated up during the day.

For two people, a standard room suits a city break; if you are staying longer or want more space, the suites are the better fit. The beds are particularly comfortable, which matters far more after an early start and a full day out than another piece of design furniture.

With 24-hour room service, you can keep the night flexible. There is no need to head out again if hunger strikes late. Non-smoking rooms and a safe at reception cover two other practical basics.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are covered by the hotel's two named restaurants. Boulud Sud brings Mediterranean cooking from chef Daniel Boulud, while Met Café and Bar takes a more relaxed route with traditional, local and American favourites. Breakfast is served at Boulud Sud, with continental, American, buffet and takeaway options available.

There is also a lobby bar for the first drink of the evening, plus a coffee house and snack bar within the hotel. Room service runs around the clock, which is handy when your appetite has shifted several time zones or you return from a long day with little interest in dressing for dinner. Nearby, Met Cafe and Bar and L'Atelier are about 100 feet away, and DB Bistro Moderne is roughly 50 feet from the hotel.

The outdoor pool is the hotel's more obvious decompression tool: a heated sky pool with a stainless-steel finish, set above the downtown streets rather than beside a beach. Enliven Spa adds massage, facials, body treatments, a hammam, sauna and jacuzzi, with salon treatments including manicures, pedicures, hair styling and hair treatments. You can also use the fitness centre, join fitness classes or take a yoga class.

For something less sedate, the indoor leisure complex brings bowling, table tennis, billiards, a games room and a tennis court. The hotel also has an indoor golf school, an NBA-approved basketball court and a 3D media room. Some activities carry an additional charge, so check the arrangement before wandering in with the confidence of someone who has already won the tournament.

Miami International Airport is about 7 miles away. The hotel offers private on-site parking with valet service, and car hire is available. A 24-hour front desk, concierge, luggage storage, safety deposit box, lift and facilities for disabled guests make the practical side fairly straightforward, while dry cleaning and laundry services cover the clothes that have lost their argument with Florida's humidity.

Check-in runs from 4.00pm to 4.30pm, with photo identification and a credit card required. Check-out is by 11.00am, and the minimum check-in age is 18. Children of all ages are welcome; children aged 12 and over are charged as adults, and a cot is available for children aged up to two. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, and room service remains available for those evenings when the sensible plan is air conditioning, food and an early night.

The hotel holds LEED certification and recognition through the Florida Green Lodging programme run by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Those are the named environmental credentials attached to the property.