In a city like Miami where everyone and their mother has access to a pool, the standard is going to be pretty high for this kind of amenity.
So for those of us Miami natives, like myself, we're going to be a little picky. So sorry guys, brace yourself for this critique of the pool...
My impression of the pool, one of the main attractions presumably of the Miami "Pool" House, was that overall the pool is very small and not very well-maintained. We saw tons of leaves floating around and lots of dirt below. My friend and I were initially hesitant to actually get in the pool.
In fairness, we went on a day where there was a torrential downpour, so possibly it got dirty from the rainwater and the staff didn't have a chance to clean it thoroughly. The area also was very flooded and a little gross after the downpour and staff needed to work considerably to clean it up. Plus, all the chairs have (seemingly non-removable) cushions and were really soggy after the rain, so they needed a bit of time to dry in the sun before they were comfortable to sit on. The pool deck could generally use a good scrub to make it look cleaner. I also don't understand their choice to have sharp shell pieces around the lounge chairs - it's painful on your feet like walking on pieces of glass, you have to wear shoes. Also, while it's nice the location is a bit tucked away and private-feeling, it's right next to a very noisy train which takes you out of any relaxation and very much reminds you you're right in the city, negating the positives of its private "oasis" vibe location.
The indoor space is nice and inviting, but the doorway is pretty narrow and seemed to often be crowded with people standing at the entrance talking and/or ordering a drink. It's also quite dark and could use more natural light.
I will note I did attend the Pool House as a non-member for a special brand activation event, so I possibly didn't have a representative experience of all the amenities. The event itself was so-so. It was heavily advertised to have all kinds of fun giveaways and activities, but when we got there it seemed everything was for purchase and honestly pretty pricey. But of course we did appreciate that part of this event allowed for non-members to access and experience the facilities. It was a bit confusing though to non-members how this location is branded - it's technically a Soho House location but it's listed as "Miami Pool House" when looking online for directions. Thankfully, my friend caught this before we traveled for the event. I overhead some girls had gotten confused about this for the event and went to the Soho House at the beach. Probably they need to work on their brand and differentiating between locations.
I will say though the staff was very friendly and welcoming and did not treat us non-members any differently. I didn't get any snobby attitude at all from any of the team members. The woman especially working at reception (shame on me for not getting her name!) was very friendly, which is important for your first impression. And I appreciated that we were not harassed to order food and drinks by the staff at the pool, as my friend and I ate before the event and didn't plan to drink. So I obviously can't speak to the food and drink selection other than to observe that prices are pretty standard high Miami prices (think: high-end bar in Brickell prices). But some of the food others ordered smelled pretty good. Lastly, I will say the decor around the pool is very cute and fun.
Overall, it's a nice spot to have a little bit of time for a pool getaway somewhere new, especially if like me you have complimentary attendance from an event, but I couldn't see myself paying a ton of money to access this pool unless there was a compelling networking value and/or I myself didn't have access to other and much nicer pool options at my own building and other private locations. read more