Howard Johnson Dezerland Beach

The Dezerland Hotel is based in Surfside Miami Beach. It is owned by the Dezer brothers, who have gone into partnership with Donald Trump developing high rised, high priced condos . We checked into the hotel, had to change rooms as it was a basic room we were allocated, after pre paying for an upgrade of a sea view. We moved rooms, the upgrade consisted of a longer room, same basic facilities, with a view of the smashed up balcony furniture of the rooms on the floors below us. The safe was $5 per day, it wasn't screwed down and even I could lift it up and carry it. The pool was cloudy, when I asked why, they said because it has rained, I have stopped at other hotels in the area when it had rained, and the pools were never cloudy. There was a damp smell throughout the hotel. The staff were the most miserable people I have ever seen, the atmosphere was like what I imagine death row to be like, no one smiled or was welcoming. I saw the Virgin rep after 2 days of trying to make the best of it as it was really spoiling the holiday, when we were out I was dreading going back. The Virgin rep was grest, she moved us immediately to a 200% better hotel, with no additional cost. When I checked out of the Dezerland I told them exactly what I thought of the place, the receptionist was not even bothered, until I refused to pay for the safe saying it was unsafe. She said she would phone the police if I didn't pay, so I paid it unwillingly. Virgin gave me a refund on my holiday of £150 when I got home and complained in writing to them. It was graded as 3V which is Virgin star rating, they do not use it now. I e-mailed the manager of the hotel when I got back as he was never available, and I got a threatening e-mail from the customer service manager of the hotel for bad mouthing their services. Needless to say they have not done anything since. Do not use the hotel it is a dump. I go to Miami every year and when I go passed I just thank god I am not stopping there again.