Sleep Inn or Best Western Fort Lauderdale area

[Joby]

I have found both of these hotels at around $135+tax for our February 2016 1 night pre-cruise stay.

 

Sleep Inn--1500 Southeast 5th Avenue, Dania Beach

Best Western Plus--1900 Stirling Rd, Dania Beach

 

We are just looking for clean, safe area, pluses would be: breakfast, free airport shuttle and/or pier shuttle and the ability to walk to get something inexpensive to eat for dinner and a couple of bottles of wine before the cruise.

 

Both are 3.5 */5 on Trip Advisor. Both have free cancellation.

 

Would one be any better than the other?

[fishywood]

As is repeated daily on this board: never use shuttles as a deciding factor. Taxis are plentiful, cheap and run on your schedule directly to your destination. Hotel shuttles are always crowded, run on their schedule and on sailaway day Murphy's Law reigns: your ship is always the last one stopped at.

 

The Sleep Inn is on a quiet side street and has a Walgreen's next door but the shopping plaza across the street is in the process of abandonment; there is still a good Chinese restaurant there but who knows in February? Publix supermarket and other restaurants moved to a new plaza about a half-mile west at Sheridan St and Federal Hwy.

 

The Best Western faces the I-95 off ramp at Stirling Rd. Across the street is Subway and Las Vegas Cuban restaurant, part of a very popular (and good) local chain. Walk east under I-95 where on the other side there are a half-dozen other hotels and fast food franchises galore. About 10 minute walk south into Oakwood Plaza there is K-Mart for wine and sundries; a few minutes more walk are some casual franchise restaurants: Dave & Busters, Ale House, TGIFridays, Sweet Tomatoes and (if you dare) Red Lobster.

 

For either both are great deals for February; jump on one or the other now before they go away.

Edited May 5, 2015 by fishywood

[Joby]

As is repeated daily on this board: never use shuttles as a deciding factor. Taxis are plentiful, cheap and run on your schedule directly to your destination. Hotel shuttles are always crowded, run on their schedule and on sailaway day Murphy's Law reigns: your ship is always the last one stopped at.

 

The Sleep Inn is on a quiet side street and has a Walgreen's next door but the shopping plaza across the street is in the process of abandonment; there is still a good Chinese restaurant there but who knows in February? Publix supermarket and other restaurants moved to a new plaza about a half-mile west at Sheridan St and Federal Hwy.

 

The Best Western faces the I-95 off ramp at Stirling Rd. Across the street is Subway and Las Vegas Cuban restaurant, part of a very popular (and good) local chain. Walk east under I-95 where on the other side there are a half-dozen other hotels and fast food franchises galore. About 10 minute walk south into Oakwood Plaza there is K-Mart for wine and sundries; a few minutes more walk are some casual franchise restaurants: Dave & Busters, Ale House, TGIFridays, Sweet Tomatoes and (if you dare) Red Lobster.

 

For either both are great deals for February; jump on one or the other now before they go away.

 

Thanks for your thoughts, fishywood. I have now reserved both hotels as they don't incur cancellation fees. I will also keep looking for any other deals on good spots to stay :)

 

On the off chance--would you know if the Walgreens next to Sleep Inn carries wines? Ours here at home does, but not sure if they all do. If not, it sounds like the Publix would be easily walkable and safe to do so if we needed it.

 

The Best Western sounds like it has all the bases covered too :)

[debr]

I have found both of these hotels at around $135+tax for our February 2016 1 night pre-cruise stay.

 

Sleep Inn--1500 Southeast 5th Avenue, Dania Beach

Best Western Plus--1900 Stirling Rd, Dania Beach

 

We are just looking for clean, safe area, pluses would be: breakfast, free airport shuttle and/or pier shuttle and the ability to walk to get something inexpensive to eat for dinner and a couple of bottles of wine before the cruise.

 

Both are 3.5 */5 on Trip Advisor. Both have free cancellation.

 

Would one be any better than the other?

 

 

I have Sleep Inn reserved for Feb. 20 at $160 (2 people/2 beds) and thought that was a good deal .. $135 is a great deal! The Walgren's next door does not carry wine, so we will walk to the Publix before we take the shuttle to the port. FYI - Sleep Inn does charge for the shuttle to the cruise port and you reserve you place when you check in. From what I've read, Best Western has more stores and restaurants around it, but when I checked rates for my date, they were higher than Sleep Inn, plus I have stayed at Sleep Inn.

 

Debr

 

Debr

[eandj]

It is only about $15 to the port via cab. I'd skip hotel shuttles especially if you need to pay.

[BlueHerons]

Thanks for your thoughts, fishywood. I have now reserved both hotels as they don't incur cancellation fees. I will also keep looking for any other deals on good spots to stay :)

 

:)

 

Please don't do this. Prices are high enough and inventory is tight enough without anything else helping it out.

[royalcruz]

Best Western has many more dining choices to walk to.

[lor74]

what site did you use for those rates?

 

thanks

[fireofficer5]

Please don't do this. Prices are high enough and inventory is tight enough without anything else helping it out.

 

Too funny.

 

Now lets just try to keep the tourist off the roads in rental cars.:D

[pls5286]

I have a king room at sleep inn for June that is $80!

[Joby]

what site did you use for those rates?

 

thanks

 

I used Kayak.

 

I have a king room at sleep inn for June that is $80!

 

Our date is in February, I would guess that's the difference in price between the two dates.

[Joby]

Best Western has many more dining choices to walk to.

 

Thanks for that info. That may weigh in on which hotel we decide to keep if all else is equal.

 

As mentioned we're just looking for a decent place to overnight pre-cruise that is walk-able to get something inexpensive to eat and get a couple of bottles of wine for the cruise. Cab cost to the port would be about the same between the Sleep Inn and Best Western?

[DanJ]

Cab cost to the port would be about the same between the Sleep Inn and Best Western?

 

They would be within a small margin either way. Sleep Inn is further south, but BW is further west. Google puts them within several hundred feet of each other in distance to the port.

[Joby]

They would be within a small margin either way. Sleep Inn is further south, but BW is further west. Google puts them within several hundred feet of each other in distance to the port.

 

Thanks, DanJ.

[lor74]

Joby...what site did Kayak link you to? I am seeing a good rate of $160 can for the best western, but it is through Amoma, which does not have free cancelation

 

Thanks

[DanJ]

Joby...what site did Kayak link you to? I am seeing a good rate of $160 can for the best western, but it is through Amoma, which does not have free cancelation

 

Thanks

 

If you are talking about the night before your cruise next January, the best rate on their own site is $224, non refundable, and $249 with no restrictions, and that's US dollars. If you can get 160 CDN, best jump on it and end your search there, you aren't going to beat that for January for that area and type of hotel.

[debr]

I have a king room at sleep inn for June that is $80!

 

June is a very different story than January or February .. Won't see any $80 rooms in Florida!

 

Debr

[debr]

Thanks for that info. That may weigh in on which hotel we decide to keep if all else is equal.

 

As mentioned we're just looking for a decent place to overnight pre-cruise that is walk-able to get something inexpensive to eat and get a couple of bottles of wine for the cruise. Cab cost to the port would be about the same between the Sleep Inn and Best Western?

 

 

Sleep Inn will pick you up at the airport for free and deliver you to the port for $5 (you reserve your shuttle seat when you check in). Rate are climbing since I booked, so I wouldn't wait to reserve (Sleep Inn is refundable if I find something better on Priceline) I wouldn't book a non-refundable unless it is covered in your cruise insurance. In past years I've always scored a good Priceline hotel and always include that non-refundable cost in insurance coverage.

 

Debr

[deew0424]

I just booked two rooms at the Best Western Plus Hollywood/Aventura for $159 a night on Orbitz. Free cancellation in case I see something cheaper between now and February! :D

Edited May 11, 2015 by deew0424

[fishywood]

I just booked two rooms at the Best Western Plus Hollywood/Aventura for $159 a night on Orbitz. Free cancellation in case I see something cheaper between now and February! :D

 

Not even remotely comparable to the locations discussed upthread. More than twice as far from the airport and cruiseport, probably $35-40 cab fare each way. And I hope you are not travelling with your kids or your church-going mother-in-law as this hotel is smack in the middle of strip-club city. There is a Winn-Dixie and IHOP a short walk away but you sure as heck don't want to venture there after dark. Unless you will have a car so that you can spend your evening somewhere safe and just use the rooms to sleep and run, you better keep looking--and find it in your budget for something decent; $159 in February is below market value for a bare room with just a bed and a toilet. You get what you pay for...

Edited May 11, 2015 by fishywood

[deew0424]

Really??? On trip advisor there are glowing reviews about this hotel and no mention of bad area at all....It is only 7.9 miles from the port.... how much are taxi rates in Ft. Lauderdale for it to cost that much to get to the port?? Wow. This is why I love Cruise Critic...would not have known this info without people sharing!:)

[BlueHerons]

I just booked two rooms at the Best Western Plus Hollywood/Aventura for $159 a night on Orbitz. Free cancellation in case I see something cheaper between now and February! :D

 

Really??? On trip advisor there are glowing reviews about this hotel and no mention of bad area at all....It is only 7.9 miles from the port.... how much are taxi rates in Ft. Lauderdale for it to cost that much to get to the port?? Wow. This is why I love Cruise Critic...would not have known this info without people sharing!:)

 

Distance has nothing to do with anything down here. That hotel is probably close to 30 minutes from the port due to traffic so count on an expensive cab ride.

 

The area is horrible. They couldn't pay me $159 to stay there.

[eandj]

I understand people wanting to save money, but hotel choices during peak months in South Florida would not be where I'd look for cheap. Just saying... take the time to figure out why a hotel is offering the lowest rate around. Be smart, people.;)

[DanJ]

The strip club is right across the parking lot from the hotel, according to google maps. Although I'm not sure I would let that be the deciding factor. I'm honestly not wowed by the area around the other hotels we have stayed near Oakwood Plaza either, but it also depends on how long and what else you are planning to do.

[Joby]

Just an FYI--I just found the Sleep Inn in Dania for $123 + tax for our date in February and free cancellation until 2 days before our stay on Kayak--it redirected me to Last Minute Travel (LMT).

 

You do have to have an account on KAYAK to get this deal (it's free to make a Kayak account).

 

Maybe this will help someone :)