Earlier this year, we broke down which Super Bowl team scored a better hotel room. Now the Stanford Cardinals and the Virginia Tech Hokies are headed to the Orange Bowl, and we’re at it again. We know the main contest is going to be on the football field January 3rd, but we can’t help but wonder — which team got the sweeter hotel deal?
The Cardinals will be shacking up at the snazzy Fontainebleau Miami — the same hotel where the Cincinatti Bearcats stayed for the 2009 Orange Bowl, before a raucous New Year’s Eve party headlined by Diddy forced them to move to quieter quarters, and before losing to Virginia Tech 20-7. The Hokies, for their part, are staying at the quiet, elegant Fairmont Turnberry Isle Miami — along with a slew of excited fans. (The Hokies also moved hotels in 2009 so the players could get some peace and quiet). Keeping both teams from getting distracted before the big game will be a challenging task. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for any last-minute hotel swaps.
Parties and super-fans aside, let’s take a look at how the two hotels stack up.
Inside the Cardinals’s Orange Bowl Hotel:
Fontainebleau Resort Miami Beach
After its $1 billion facelift in 2008, the Fontainebleau’s 1,504 rooms, nine pools, phenomenal spa and gorgeous design are hard to top. Despite its sexy ads and nightclub, it’s a relaxed property that attracts mostly families and convention goers. Its peacful Mid-Beach location — next to the also snazzy Eden Roc hotel — is 30 blocks from the South Beach action.
Inside the Hokies Orange Bowl Hotel:
Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club
- Price: $107/avg. per night
- Pearls: 4.5
- Location: Suburban Miami, Miami
An award-winning golf course, beautiful pools, elegant rooms and an amazing spa make the Fairmont a true luxury retreat. But there’s little to eat beyond the compound’s gate, and even the Aventura Mall is several minutes away. Digging deep to pay for ordinary grub can get painful.
Winner: This is a tough one. Each team is staying at a truly luxurious hotel, but the things that make the Fontainebleau slightly more attractive for tourists — its sexy nightlife, cool pool, and beachfront location — make it slightly less attractive for a football team trying to get some shuteye. We’re going to have to give this one to the Hokies.
All products are independently selected by our writers and editors. If you buy something through our links, Oyster may earn an affiliate commission.
