WARNING: Filthy, Dishonest, and Manipulating Reviews -- Do Not Stay Here
We booked this property (listed under multiple names -- Byronessa Miami Beach, Byron Avenue Suites, Villa Byron Suites -- all the same address: 7320 Byron Avenue) through Booking.com, trusting a high overall rating. What we found on arrival had nothing to do with that rating.
The apartment reeked of a strong chemical odor the moment we walked in. The bedding on the sofa had visible stains -- we were disgusted at the thought of sleeping in it. The bathroom window had visible mold. The sink drain was corroded and caked with buildup. The door hinges were rusted and the doors didn't close properly. It was already evening, with no realistic way to find and check into somewhere else that same night, so we were stuck there one night before relocating the next morning at our own expense.
The host later claimed -- in writing, to us and to Booking.com -- that he'd personally asked us that morning whether everything was fine, and that we'd confirmed it was. That conversation never happened. We reported the problems to Booking.com the same day we found them, nothing more, nothing less.
We asked for a refund for the nights we didn't use. He refused. He'd previously written that he'd refund us if the unit got rebooked to someone else -- and the public booking calendar for those exact dates went from "1 left" to "sold out" within days of us leaving. He kept our money and, it appears, got paid twice for the same nights.
Here's the part that made us dig further: we found a screenshot of this host messaging a different guest, telling her to leave only a 10-star rating, or no review at all if she couldn't give the maximum. That explains a lot. Cross-check the reviews on this listing across platforms and you'll find a cluster of suspiciously similar 5-star reviews, all posted within about a three-week window in February, using nearly identical phrasing -- "super clean and spotless," "very clean, comfortable, and well maintained" -- word for word, from supposedly unrelated guests, each getting the exact same templated "thank you for your 5-star review " response from the owner. Meanwhile the more honest, independent reviews scattered across Agoda, Kayak, and elsewhere consistently describe the same mold, dirt, and broken AC that we saw ourselves.
We've filed complaints with Booking.com, TripAdvisor's content integrity team, and EU consumer protection authorities, and we're pursuing a chargeback with our bank. Don't let the star average fool you -- read the actual reviews, not just the number, before you book anything at this address. read more