Ft Lauderdale Hotel Help - Best area w no car?

[Newbcruiser1]

We just booked the Navigator of the Seas for January and will need a hotel for 1 night pre-cruise in Fort Lauderdale. Our flight arrives in the late morning and we don't plan on renting a car so we're looking for a good area with things to do (pool or beach) /eat on-site or within close walking distance. I'm hoping to use Hotwire or Priceline for the first time ever, but I'm unsure of what areas to be looking in that would suit our needs. Please Help! :)

[JohninDC]

We like the Embassy Suites - big room, nice pool, great breakfast, shopping & dining options within walking distance, and a great free happy hour! :D There are lots of Hilton and Marriott brand hotels in the same downtown/17th street area with shopping and dining options within walking distance.

 

Good luck! :)

[eandj]

Look to bid on the Fort L downtown or beach locations. They'll be close to restaurants and or the water taxi stop or trolley.

 

3 star properties will keep you close to things. A couple of the 4 stars on the beach are a bit further north, but nice properties. The 4 star downtown is the Renasissance, which RARELY makes it to PL.

 

 

What night do you need the room? We can help with your bidding or what to look for on Hotwire.

[Newbcruiser1]

Thanks for the replies!

 

We need the room for Jan 28th.

 

I was hoping to keep it under $100/night. I just tried a few priceline bids in the beach area and didn't win but I'm probably under-bidding considering it's a Saturday night and a bunch of the 3 and 4* hotels I checked are already sold out, including the Hyatt Pier 66, Marriott Harbor Beach, and the Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Beach. The Renaissance is also sold out.

 

Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated! :)

[royalcruz]

Downtown and beach are the only PL/HW areas that you can be guaranteed to be near things (avoid less than 3 stars). Bids for January have been high this year. Look on better bidding for more info.

[Michael Kays]

Thanks for the replies!

 

We need the room for Jan 28th.

 

I was hoping to keep it under $100/night. I just tried a few priceline bids in the beach area and didn't win but I'm probably under-bidding considering it's a Saturday night and a bunch of the 3 and 4* hotels I checked are already sold out, including the Hyatt Pier 66, Marriott Harbor Beach, and the Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Beach. The Renaissance is also sold out.

 

Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated! :)

 

I just booked two rooms at the Hilton Gallery One on Last Minute Travel for $169 for January 28, 2012, they are suites right on the waterway and close to restuarants. They had great reviews.

[Michael Kays]

Downtown and beach are the only PL/HW areas that you can be guaranteed to be near things (avoid less than 3 stars). Bids for January have been high this year. Look on better bidding for more info.

 

you seem to really know the area. Could you offer any suggestions for dinner? WE are staying in the Hilton Gallery One. We have a party of 7!

Our mothers (85 and 86), both my daughters and my 6 year old granddaughter. Nothing fancy just good food at a reasonable price.

[Newbcruiser1]

I checked out the Gallery One and it looks great but the best price I'm getting for that night is $233 before taxes.

 

Any thoughts on what a reasonable Priceline bid might be for a 3-4* Downtown or Beach hotel for a Saturday night? I checked BetterBidding but it seems everyone who got good deals got the Hyatt Pier 66, but as mentioned above, they're sold out that night. I started with $76 and $78 today with no luck but I realize that's likely too low.

 

Also what would you recommend between the downtown areas, and the beach areas if I were to choose just one?

[Michael Kays]

I checked out the Gallery One and it looks great but the best price I'm getting for that night is $233 before taxes.

 

Any thoughts on what a reasonable Priceline bid might be for a 3-4* Downtown or Beach hotel for a Saturday night? I checked BetterBidding but it seems everyone who got good deals got the Hyatt Pier 66, but as mentioned above, they're sold out that night. I started with $76 and $78 today with no luck but I realize that's likely too low.

 

Also what would you recommend between the downtown areas, and the beach areas if I were to choose just one?

 

Did you use Lastminutetravel.com?

[ddloml]

We like the Embassy Suites - big room, nice pool, great breakfast, shopping & dining options within walking distance, and a great free happy hour! :D There are lots of Hilton and Marriott brand hotels in the same downtown/17th street area with shopping and dining options within walking distance.

 

Good luck! :)

 

If you're in Ft Lauderdale on Friday through Monday, there is a trolley/bus system that goes right past the Embassy Suites, with a formal stop at Publix nearby. It's only $0.50 per person/per ride or $2.00 per person for an all day pass. The trolley will take you from there along the beaches, the botanical gardens, and the huge Galleria shopping mall at the other end. You can also transfer to another trolley to go to the shopping, restaurants, and museums downtown.

 

It was a great Saturday afternoon we spent a couple of weeks ago seeing the city at a great price! For dinner that night, we went to Kelly's Landing just a block away from the Embassy Suites (following the happy hour) for great seafood (stone crabs! and whole Maine lobster).

[Michael Kays]

Downtown and beach are the only PL/HW areas that you can be guaranteed to be near things (avoid less than 3 stars). Bids for January have been high this year. Look on better bidding for more info.

 

you wouldn't by any chance be a memeber of the PBS would you? Emmy and rick are very good friends of ours..we sailed with them pre PBS

[eandj]

Thanks for the replies!

 

We need the room for Jan 28th.

 

I was hoping to keep it under $100/night. I just tried a few priceline bids in the beach area and didn't win but I'm probably under-bidding considering it's a Saturday night and a bunch of the 3 and 4* hotels I checked are already sold out, including the Hyatt Pier 66, Marriott Harbor Beach, and the Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Beach. The Renaissance is also sold out.

 

Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated! :)

 

Yes you are bidding way too low if you want to book the room this early. Start bidding at $155 and go up each day. Somewhere around $175 I'd think you might get a hotel.

 

 

I wouldn't think you will get anything even on PL for the price and location you want unless you stay out closer to the airport.

Book something you can cancel and just hope something opens for that night as the date approaches. We have a marina room on hold that we booked a while ago for $170( on lastminutetravel.com ) at the Bahia Mar. About 60$ less than their going rate at that time.( It's higher now. ) We will keep watching for something lower if it DOES show up. :rolleyes: But we are okay with the booked price if we don't. Right now, you see that it is a VERY busy Sat. night. ( We had no trouble getting very good rates for the Sun-Wed following that night at Westin in Hollywood.)

[cruisegirl29]

Hello,

 

I have the ES & Hilton Marina Ft Lauderdale booked for Jan 26, 27, 2012 $195 for ES & 223 For Hilton. (I will be cancelling)

 

I was playing around on Hotwire last week & actually scored the Westin Beach Resort & Spa for both nights... for only $39.00 ea night including all taxes & fees. I was sure it had to be this resort as many other CC were posting the same deals. So I took & chance & it worked. You can find the reviews on trip advisor dot com.

 

One reason that the rates are high this weekend is the Miami Marathon is on Sunday Jan 28th. Only 22,000 runners in the area. :)

 

Good Luck & Happy Sailing!

Sue

[royalcruz]

you seem to really know the area. Could you offer any suggestions for dinner? WE are staying in the Hilton Gallery One. We have a party of 7!

Our mothers (85 and 86), both my daughters and my 6 year old granddaughter. Nothing fancy just good food at a reasonable price.

There are casual neighborhood Italian and Mexican restaurants just over the bridge called Franko & Vinnie's (gets good reviews but I haven't been there) and La Cantina(not too great). At the Galleria Mall, the most casual restaurants are Seasons 52 and PF Changs. There is a neighborhood Chinese restaurant across the street from the mall called Jade Palace and it is good there. I would just call ahead or stop in earlier in the day so that they can put together a table for 7. Anything else in the area is too fancy or too far to walk to for your mothers.

[pjtulsa]

Hello,

 

I have the ES & Hilton Marina Ft Lauderdale booked for Jan 26, 27, 2012 $195 for ES & 223 For Hilton. (I will be cancelling)

 

I was playing around on Hotwire last week & actually scored the Westin Beach Resort & Spa for both nights... for only $39.00 ea night including all taxes & fees. I was sure it had to be this resort as many other CC were posting the same deals. So I took & chance & it worked. You can find the reviews on trip advisor dot com.

 

One reason that the rates are high this weekend is the Miami Marathon is on Sunday Jan 28th. Only 22,000 runners in the area. :)

 

Good Luck & Happy Sailing!

Sue

 

AMAZING Deal!!!

Do you remember what the signs were? I need 2 rooms for Jan 27th.

Thanks,

[drd-aus]

Off the wall suggestion -

 

If you are a member of a loyalty for a hotel chain you can use those points to defray or even cover the cost of a hotel. These programs are free and with most points do not expire. On our upcoming trip I am using Hilton points and can get the Embassy Suites for $70 and upon our return Marriott is covering 100% of the cost at the Renaissance.

[AnnJohn]

Just got Hyatt Regency Pier 66 FLL for $70 bid on Priceline Jan. 14.

[cruisegirl29]

AMAZING Deal!!!

Do you remember what the signs were? I need 2 rooms for Jan 27th.

Thanks,

 

Hi,

 

I just checked Hotwire. I'm guessing.. only a guess that it is now $100.00. Ft Lauderdale Beach Area 4 star/Resort. You can always go to better bidding dot com & look at the List for Hotwire to see if you can determine this hotel.

 

Good Luck!

Sue

[kazcruise]

Just bid $150 per night on a 4 star in FT lauderdale Beach area on Priceline...ended up with the W Hotel for February.

[Michael Kays]

what dates ?

[Michael Kays]

there is a really simple way to identify hotels on Last Minute Travel.

 

go into LMT and find the deal you want and click "bookit"

 

look up in the URL and there is a hotel id number..write it down or memorize it

 

use the following URL and substitute the hotel id you wrote down where you see 9999

 

http://www.touricoholidays.com/en/PageHotelDetail.aspx?hotelId=9999&provider=localTgsProvider

 

for instance if the hotel id you want is 123456 the url will look like this:

http://www.touricoholidays.com/en/PageHotelDetail.aspx?hotelId=123456&provider=localTgsProvider

 

you have to click on the url to see the full thing for some reason it truncates on this page

 

cut and paste this url and it will go to LMT web page and hotel will be identified.

 

once identified if you like the hotel go back to the LMT site where the name is left off and bookit.

[kazcruise]

on priceline I got the W in Ft Lauderdale Beach area for $150 for february 21-23th, and I just got the Westin in Fort Lauderdale Beach area for $120 on February 27th.

[Cancun01]

That's great ..what were the amenities listed if i might ask?

[sbfanatic]

I just bid $150 per night on a 4 star in Ft Lauderdale Beach area on Priceline for after the cruise. I got the W Hotel for January 29th