Need advise on FT.Lauderdale Hotel-So confused!

[over the edge]

Will someone please help me pick a hotel in Fort Lauderdale. I have been reading up on them all night and just when I think I've found one that is in my price range and has mostly good reviews, I read something really terrible about it! We are cruising in March and would like a hotel that is not over $200 a night, less would be better and of course, we want it to be clean. I was reading about the Best Western Marina (Fort Lauderdale) and Holiday Inn Express Convention Centre. Its a bonus if they have a free shuttle to the pier, but not a necessity! I really appreciate anyone's first hand knowledge and expertise!:)

[PR1NCESSD1ANE]

Have you considered using Priceline? I was able to get the Sheraton at the airport for $50/night for this past March. It's probably way too early to start bidding, but not to early to start doing your research on http://www.biddingfortravel.com . You will learn everything that you need to know on that web site.

[over the edge]

Can you tell me a bit about your stay at the Sheraton at the airport? I would love to hear about the pool area and of course the room. I will do my research on it as well. Tks.:)

[James&Rob]

Hello

 

we stayed at the Holiday Inn express befor our princess cruise in sept it is a very nice clean motel and the staff was very helpful now they dont have a pool we sailed on the zuiderdam this month and could not get the holidayinn express they was booked up so I remebered the extended stay america next door I looked it had good reviews so I book it for only like 69.00+tax and I was very well pleased now it is not the Hyatt but the room was very clean and the desk personell was friendly and it was a great place to stay for a one night precruise you can go to tripadvisor.com and check this out have a great day James

[leahjade]

Over the Edge, how are you getting from the airport to your hotel? I'm looking for the name of a good town car company. We're a family of 5, so we're too many to fit into a cab.

[Nitra]

I say stay at Lago Mar.. that is a nice place!

[superjerryw]

Over the Edge, how are you getting from the airport to your hotel? I'm looking for the name of a good town car company. We're a family of 5, so we're too many to fit into a cab.

 

At the Fort Lauderdale airport you can use Tricounty Limo. I believe their web site is www.floridalimo.com. They have a kiosk right outside the baggage claim area.

[superjerryw]

Have you considered using Priceline? I was able to get the Sheraton at the airport for $50/night for this past March. It's probably way too early to start bidding, but not to early to start doing your research on www.biddingfortravel.com . You will learn everything that you need to know on that web site.

 

I'e gotten the Sheraton on Priceline as well for about $50. If you bid on a 3 star hotel in the airport area you are likely to get either the Sheraton or the Wyndham.

[emmy]

hello to over the edge ~

 

I am right now at the Renaissance hotel in Fort Lauderdale before we board the beautiful Jewel of the Seas tomorrow. I am in the business centre and they have free internet access.

 

I bid on Priceline for this 4* hotel and paid $90.00. It is a very nice hotel with very friendly staff and located by many restaurants...just had dinner at Bimini Boatyard.

 

They do have a shuttle that you sign up for at the COncierge desk which we did already and we will be going to the pier at 11 am. The shuttle is $4.00 per person and in run by an independent company.

 

Taxi ride from the airport to the hotel was 10.00 this morning and we tipped the driver as well.

 

We are presently in a room on a high floor so tomorrow morning when I get up I will be able to see the ships in port.

 

The Holiday Inn Express is fairly new as is the Renaissance 4 years or so but their is no pool at the Holiday Inn...not sure if that is important.

 

Take care and can't wait to see 'my Jewel'

 

Emmy

[springtxbill]

I would recommend Hampton Inn Airport North. Clean, fairly cheap, free breakfast, free shuttle from airport and to port. Also a small shopping center next door to get last minute sodas, etc. to take on board. :)

[over the edge]

I'm still doing my research and not ruling out any possibilities. I have come across Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, Ft. Lauderdale Air/Sea Port. The price seems reasonable, (approx. $150 plus tx for King bed, free breakfast and free shuttle to and from airport and ship port) Has anyone stayed at this hotel and does anyone know if this hotel can be had on priceline?? :)

[lmmn]

I'm still doing my research and not ruling out any possibilities. I have come across Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, Ft. Lauderdale Air/Sea Port. The price seems reasonable, (approx. $150 plus tx for King bed, free breakfast and free shuttle to and from airport and ship port) Has anyone stayed at this hotel and does anyone know if this hotel can be had on priceline?? :)

 

What night are you looking for? How many people? I'll help you.

[balconyonly]

We use priceline now but I realize the bidding deal isn't for everyone.

We have stayed here before

 

http://www.valuetrips.com/AMS/FL/F17.htm#Today's%20Super%20Value%20rates

 

The price is good the hotel is great. They have the free shuttle from airport and actually took us to the port for free.

[over the edge]

We are cruising on March 25 and this would be for the night before (24th). There is just DH and myself. Tks for helping. I can use all the help I can get!!!:p

[PR1NCESSD1ANE]

Can you tell me a bit about your stay at the Sheraton at the airport? I would love to hear about the pool area and of course the room. I will do my research on it as well. Tks.:)

 

This particular stay was just OK. We were given a smoking room because that was all that was available with 2 beds when we checked in. That is one of the gliches with Priceline. You are only guaranteed a room for 2 people, but we have always bid on only one room and asked for 2 beds and have always been accommodated, however in this instance, we had to settle for a smoking room. You are guaranteed a non-smoking room under normal circumstances with Priceline.

 

The swimming pool was very nice. The rooms were nothing great and not what I would have considered as Sheraton's usual standards, but for the $50 I paid on Priceine, a great deal! They have a free shuttle from the airport and the cab ride to the port is probably about $10. It is located in a somewhat isolated area so you would require a cab to get you just about anywhere.

 

If you want to be within walking distance of shopping and dining, etc., bid on the downtown area. In the past, I had been awarded the Embassy Suites, but according to the info on http://www.biddingfortravel.com , lately, that has not been available through Priceline. The Marriott Marina is still offered, but you can expect to pay more around $80-90 through Priceline for this hotel.

[over the edge]

The Marriott Marina seems to be going for close to $400 a night (Canadian) on most of the websites. Priceline would be worth a try if I chose to stay there. I'm thinking I may make a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites (about $200 canadian) because I can cancel with no penalty up until the day of check in. This way I can be assured of a place to stay and continue to look. I may even venture into Priceline when the month of March gets closer. Tks. ;)

[PR1NCESSD1ANE]

The Marriott Marina seems to be going for close to $400 a night (Canadian) on most of the websites. Priceline would be worth a try if I chose to stay there. I'm thinking I may make a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites (about $200 canadian) because I can cancel with no penalty up until the day of check in. This way I can be assured of a place to stay and continue to look. I may even venture into Priceline when the month of March gets closer. Tks. ;)

Booking a back-up cancellable hotel reservation is just what biddingfortravel recommends. Read through the messages that others have posted that have successfully been awarded the Marriott Marina with regard to their bidding strategies. I know that another fellow cruiser on our ship was awarded that hotel for our 3/25/05 stay. Her screen name on biddingfortravel and cruisecritic is kpauley. Why don't you do a search and see about what time of year she successfully bid that hotel and use it as a guide. Keep in mind that you are not guaranteed the Marriott Marina, but you should not be disappointed in any 3* hotel in the downtown area.

[D4]

Keep in mind that if you use Priceline you are locked into the hotel that accepts your bid. So, if you have specific requirements or are counting on a specific hotel, Priceline probably isn't the way to go.

 

For those reasons, sometimes I use Priceline and sometimes I don't.

[lmmn]

This is what I would do....book a cancellable back-up ASAP. This way, you will have something booked in case you don't find another room at a better price. You cannot book this far in advance on Hotwire or the travel websites. This is high season in Ft. Lauderdale. I doubt you will get a great deal on Hotwire or Priceline in March. I'm assuming you are sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale. As far as a hotel shuttle to the pier, I wouldn't use it if it were offered, unless you can get on the first shuttle. I think you can add name to a list at check-in if they offer it. Taxi would be my first choice anyway. The cost is minimal, plus no wait or hassle.

 

As the date gets closer, I would just check Hotwire to check rates offered. I had to book a room this year in Ft. Lauderdale, and as I was looking for a great deal I ended up just lucky to find a room...anywhere at any price. I think it was the same weekend as Daytona 500 plus spring break.

 

As far as ratings on hotels, I have found tripadvisor very helpful. People rate their experiences...very helpful. We stayed at the Embassy Suites a couple years ago. It was just your typical Embassy Suites...fine for one night.

 

Good luck.

[BluIDblonde]

My family and I stayed at the Renaissance. It was very nice. There's a great french bakery right around the corner which serves pastries to die for (my dad was a pastry chef, so I know it was very good quality.) We wanted to see the ships come in the morning too but our room looked over the city. So we got up early and walked over to the bridge and watched from there. The pool at the hotel was fine and the staff was great! We took the shuttle, although I wouldn't again. Next time I'd take a cab. We were the last to get off when on the shuttle, although out ship was the closest when we started out. We also walked over to the Marriot Marina and meet our fellow CC members for a drink and had dinner.

[happycruzer]

Hi Immn, i've just read the very helpful advice that you have given over the edge. I wonder if you would be so kind as to offer me some advice too.

We are travelling from the UK and sailing from March 5th >March 19th on the Jewel,in and out of FLL but flying back from MIA. We would love your oppinion on a hotel to stay for 3 nights post cruise (6 adults in total. ages 22,26,27,28,50 & 52) Ideally to be on or very near the beach. I'm not confident enough to use priceline etc as I'm a bit of a control addict in that I need to know all the info etc and make sure that everything is organised fully, so really dont think I could handle booking something when I dont know what I'm booking (sorry its a bit long winded)

Do you think our dates in March will be difficult to find accom for and a reasonable price. I'd love to hear your oppinion on a decent hotel and where/when it is best to book.

Transfers really are not too important as we will just get a taxi or mini van to take us all if need be.

Many thanks for your advice.

 

Over the edge .....sorry for jumping in on you post ,but I found Immn advice very helpful and wondered if she could help us too. BTW have you changed your sailing dates ? I thought that you were on one of the same dates as us. 5th & 12 March. Hope it wasn't something I said lol.

 

Have a good weekend folks and safe journey home to all the pax on the Granduer.

 

sandra aka happycruzer

[T Rex]

I hear the Hyatt Pier 66 is good.

[kpauley]

Over the edge, I’m the one PR1NCESSD1ANE was referring to in her post. For our 3/26/05 cruise, I bid in mid Oct. and received the Marriott Marina for $74 plus taxes. I only saw a couple of successful bids on BFT after mine for this property. For our 3/04 Spring cruise, I didn’t start bidding until mid January and was bidding up to $90ish for 3* downtown with no luck. Finally a couple of weeks before we left, I bid around $110 and received the Marriott Marina. Mind you, others on my Roll Call had bid in the fall and received the Marriott Marina for under $70 for the same night. My backup hotel was the Best Western Marina for $110. My experience in bidding Priceline for Spring break travel in FLL, the earlier the better. As long as you’re comfortable using Priceline with their terms, I think you can get a good to great deal at any of the 3* downtown or 4* beach zone hotels.

 

Kathy

 

[over the edge]

BluIDblonde: thanks for the info on the Renaissance. I would LOVE to stay there, but it is over my price range. Its well over $200 a night!

 

kpauley: thanks for the advise about when to bid on priceline. I will definitely look into it when the time comes and I think booking a back up hotel is the best option for me!

 

Happycruzer: of course I dont' mind you joining in. The more the merrier and the more info we can gather together. We had to change our date for the Jewel and in order to keep the 8 night itinerary, we had to move to March 25. I'm so sorry we won't get to meet. You were asking about a hotel near the beach. While doing my research, I came across Holiday Inn Lauderdale by the Sea. They offer beach views and from what I understand, the beach is right across the street. They are a bit less expensive than the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites (possibly not as lavish) and they do NOT offer free shuttle. From what I've read, not all people think the free shuttles are worth it. I guess that would be a personal choice. I have read that a taxi from the airport to Lauderdale by the Sea is about $20 and much less from the hotel to the peer. Both Holiday Inns include breakfast! Nothing seems to be "cheap" for this time of year, but even here in my small town in Nova Scotia, you can't get a decent hotel for under $150 (Canadian of course) a night. So, if you put it all in perspective, I guess its reasonable! I want the pre-cruise stay to be the beginning of a wonderful 9 days for DH and I. This year we took two of the teens with us on the Voyager, and next year, its just going to be he and I. Can't wait!!

 

Best of luck to everyone. And tks.......Keep those comments coming! :p

[lmmn]

Hi Immn, i've just read the very helpful advice that you have given over the edge. I wonder if you would be so kind as to offer me some advice too.

We are travelling from the UK and sailing from March 5th >March 19th on the Jewel,in and out of FLL but flying back from MIA. We would love your oppinion on a hotel to stay for 3 nights post cruise (6 adults in total. ages 22,26,27,28,50 & 52) Ideally to be on or very near the beach. I'm not confident enough to use priceline etc as I'm a bit of a control addict in that I need to know all the info etc and make sure that everything is organised fully, so really dont think I could handle booking something when I dont know what I'm booking (sorry its a bit long winded)

Do you think our dates in March will be difficult to find accom for and a reasonable price. I'd love to hear your oppinion on a decent hotel and where/when it is best to book.

Transfers really are not too important as we will just get a taxi or mini van to take us all if need be.

Many thanks for your advice.

 

Over the edge .....sorry for jumping in on you post ,but I found Immn advice very helpful and wondered if she could help us too. BTW have you changed your sailing dates ? I thought that you were on one of the same dates as us. 5th & 12 March. Hope it wasn't something I said lol.

 

Have a good weekend folks and safe journey home to all the pax on the Granduer.

 

sandra aka happycruzer

 

I'd love to help you out. Believe it or not, I will actually do some research for you. I've got plans for the evening, so watch for a post tomorrow.