Fort Lauderdale hotel not near port

[Bananas27]

I'm sailing out of Ft Lauderdale in April driving down from SC the day before. Availability is low and cost is sky high near port. Can anyone suggest a hotel a half hour to an hour away ( to the north) that might be more affordable with a nice pool?

[capriccio]

I'm sailing out of Ft Lauderdale in April driving down from SC the day before. Availability is low and cost is sky high near port. Can anyone suggest a hotel a half hour to an hour away ( to the north) that might be more affordable with a nice pool?

 

First when in April (not Palm Sunday weekend or Easter weekend I hope because that will be expensive)? Second, how much are you willing to spend? Half an hour north of Fort Lauderdale could be Deerfield Beach (Broward County) or Boca Raton (Palm Beach County) - while they may be cheaper than Fort Lauderdale they still won't be inexpensive at that time of year.

[BlueHerons]

I'm sailing out of Ft Lauderdale in April driving down from SC the day before. Availability is low and cost is sky high near port. Can anyone suggest a hotel a half hour to an hour away ( to the north) that might be more affordable with a nice pool?

 

Anything from Orlando south is going to be expensive in April. There are no inexpensive places this time of year.

[eandj]

What's the date?

What's your budget range?

Do you need parking while cruising?

[royalcruz]

Look for something on Cypress Creek Rd: Hampton Inn, La Quinta, Courtyard

[Pia1913]

I'm sailing out of Ft Lauderdale in April driving down from SC the day before. Availability is low and cost is sky high near port. Can anyone suggest a hotel a half hour to an hour away ( to the north) that might be more affordable with a nice pool?

 

Suggest you stop around the Ft. Pierce area. Once you start getting into Palm Beach County (Jupiter) prices will be higher. Coming from SC you will already have driven enough.

[dreamer976]

For a 3-day pre-cruise stay this past January, we wanted to stay a bit away from the port also. After much searching, we opted for the Holiday Inn Express up on Commercial Blvd. in Ft. Lauderdale, about 10 miles north of the port, but across the street from the Executive Airport.

 

While you definitely need a car for this property as there are no stores/restaurants right around it, a 5-minute drive to the east will put you in the A1A area and you will have just about anything at your disposal. The immediate area is a business park.

 

This HIE property is clean, extremely well run and the employees there are some of the most courteous/helpful/friendly that I have encountered anywhere in recent memory. While nothing worth staying in is going to be cheap at this time of year, you'll assuredly save some $$ over anything aroumd the port.

[rkacruiser]

I have stayed 2-3x at the Courtyard on Cypress Creek Road and can recommend it without hesitation. Friendly staff, a small, but adequate pool, parking that is close to the building, but other than dining options available on-site, not too much else is close. There is a "Diner", listed in AAA Tourbook, just down the street; have not tried this, but friends have and they thought it was perfectly fine for their purposes. The Port is about 30 minutes away from the hotel.

 

Pia's suggestion of a stay at Fort Pierce is a valid one, as well. I am very familar with the Fort Pierce area; several good properties near I-95 with restaurants also close. If you stay there, better, more interesting dining options are available on the way to, and on, Hutchinson Island. (That is not that far of a drive.) It will be about a 2 hour drive from Fort Pierce to the Port.

 

Personally, if I am sailing the next day, I want to be as close to Fort Lauderdale as possible. I want to be through the West Palm Beach area; one can get caught in traffic issues anywhere, but West Palm Beach is/has been a problem at times.

 

I hope this helps you.

[Bananas27]

Thanks so much for the ideas! How far a drive is Boca?

[royalcruz]

Thanks so much for the ideas! How far a drive is Boca?

 

About 45 minutes. There are a lot of hotels near I95 there and it's a very nice neighborhood.

[Copna2d]

Just to throw in my two cents...we are a group of 35; sailing June 20th on the Oasis and have booked rooms at the Lago Mar. Checked off all the boxes for us. Close to the port (15 minutes) and right on the beach. Just sayin...

[capriccio]

Just to throw in my two cents...we are a group of 35; sailing June 20th on the Oasis and have booked rooms at the Lago Mar. Checked off all the boxes for us. Close to the port (15 minutes) and right on the beach. Just sayin...

 

And no doubt much cheaper in late June than in April!

[BlueHerons]

Just to throw in my two cents...we are a group of 35; sailing June 20th on the Oasis and have booked rooms at the Lago Mar. Checked off all the boxes for us. Close to the port (15 minutes) and right on the beach. Just sayin...

 

15 minutes? Only if the bridge is up. Shouldn't take more than five minutes.

[eandj]

Lago Mar is beautiful. ;) But unless you plan on staying on the resort grounds, it is not a hotel that makes seeing the city or trying restaurants easy without a cab.