Downtown Ft Lauderdale or Beach

[LuCruise]

Where do you prefer to stay...in a hotel in Downtown Ft Lauderdale or at/near Ft Lauderdale Beach? Our fight arrives around noon the day before our cruise. We're coming with two kids and won't be renting a car so need something with places in walking distance and things to do for the rest of the day. Breakfast within the hotel is preferred (complimentary or for a fee) so we can shower, grab quickly breakfast, pack up and go to the port the next morning.

 

From google maps, some of the beach hotels seems isolated (Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort Hotel) but highly recommended ones like Embassy or Hyatt are too pricey.

 

Which area is better?

[BlueHerons]

Where do you prefer to stay...in a hotel in Downtown Ft Lauderdale or at/near Ft Lauderdale Beach? Our fight arrives around noon the day before our cruise. We're coming with two kids and won't be renting a car so need something with places in walking distance and things to do for the rest of the day. Breakfast within the hotel is preferred (complimentary or for a fee) so we can shower, grab quickly breakfast, pack up and go to the port the next morning.

 

From google maps, some of the beach hotels seems isolated (Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort Hotel) but highly recommended ones like Embassy or Hyatt are too pricey.

 

Which area is better?

 

The only downtown hotels are The Riverside on Las Olas and The Hampton Inn downtown.

 

With two kids, by far stay on the beach on A1A. Fort Lauderdale is an expensive city, you may need to up your budget.

 

Look at the Best Western Oceanside and the Snooze Inn. Neither has breakfast but there are options very close by.

[LuCruise]

The only downtown hotels are The Riverside on Las Olas and The Hampton Inn downtown.

 

With two kids, by far stay on the beach on A1A. Fort Lauderdale is an expensive city, you may need to up your budget.

 

Look at the Best Western Oceanside and the Snooze Inn. Neither has breakfast but there are options very close by.

 

For Downtown I saw Hyatt 66 ir Embassy Suites ...both often recommended but pricey. Also saw Comfort Inn which seems more reasonable.

 

Noticed a couple beach ones but not much around them in terms of restaurants.

 

Yeah...noticed that Ft Lauderdale hotels are quite pricey.

[eandj]

When are you cruising? Your budget may have to be raised if peak season rates.

 

Definitely with a full day, I'd stay by the beach. Look at Bahia Mar. The tower oceanview rooms are more costly. Another option would be Doubletree Gallery One. A few blocks from the beach but everything is walking distance.

I wouldn't stay nearer the airport, when you have so much time and no car.

[royalcruz]

I think Bahia Mar is a great choice...it's a big hotel for smaller budgets, right across the street from the beach and you can walk to Bahia Cabana for a fun family meal.

 

Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort is well-priced, and in a nice neighborhood, but it's a motel. If you stay there, Nick's is a good pizza restaurant for the family. I can't see the family enjoying that neighborhood though. It's a senior area with condo after condo.

[LuCruise]

I think Bahia Mar is a great choice...it's a big hotel for smaller budgets, right across the street from the beach and you can walk to Bahia Cabana for a fun family meal.

 

Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort is well-priced, and in a nice neighborhood, but it's a motel. If you stay there, Nick's is a good pizza restaurant for the family. I can't see the family enjoying that neighborhood though. It's a senior area with condo after condo.

 

Looks like Bahia Mar is sold out for out date (which is crazy as that's 10 months away)

 

Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort is available and "cheap" (for Ft Lauderdale prices). But there is not much around it. (I don't even see Nicks on goggle maps). Since we are doing a Caribbean cruise, the beach isn't essential.

 

From above suggestions from eandj...Double Tree is above our budget (would like to stay in the $200s and it shows $324CAD).

 

We are travelling mid April 2016

Edited June 2, 2015 by LuCruise

[SMSACE6]

I agree with the others who recommend the beach area, especially with kids. Did you try the Best Western Oceanside? Bahia Mar would be great, but I see that it is unavailable? I saw your other post about Comfort suites. If it is better budget wise, that is ok too and there is a sun trolley that stops at Embassy suites and Harbor shops, very reasonable price (which I have forgotten now:D), but it will goes all over the area, beach, las olas, shopping areas. But if you can swing it, I would just go for a beach area hotel.

[LuCruise]

I agree with the others who recommend the beach area, especially with kids. Did you try the Best Western Oceanside? Bahia Mar would be great, but I see that it is unavailable? I saw your other post about Comfort suites. If it is better budget wise, that is ok too and there is a sun trolley that stops at Embassy suites and Harbor shops, very reasonable price (which I have forgotten now:D), but it will goes all over the area, beach, las olas, shopping areas. But if you can swing it, I would just go for a beach area hotel.

 

Thanks. Both are sold out for our date. Guess they are popular. ;)

 

Yeah, I think we are now leaning towards Comfort Suites in the downtown area. There seems to be shops and stuff nearby. And we can always take a cab or hotel shuttle/trolly to the beach if we want to go there. We're thinking that our Caribbean cruise will give us enough pool and beach time so are ok with more non swimming stuff beforehand. We're from Canada so will give us a chance to do US Shopping.

Edited June 2, 2015 by LuCruise

[eandj]

Check on valuetrips.com for the Hyatt place convention center. If not a blacked out date, you'll get a great rate. Good location..right behind the popular Embassy suites .

[BlueHerons]

Thanks. Both are sold out for our date. Guess they are popular. ;)

 

Yeah, I think we are now leaning towards Comfort Suites in the downtown area. There seems to be shops and stuff nearby. And we can always take a cab or hotel shuttle/trolly to the beach if we want to go there. We're thinking that our Caribbean cruise will give us enough pool and beach time so are ok with more non swimming stuff beforehand. We're from Canada so will give us a chance to do US Shopping.

 

If you want to shop, I'd stay at Sawgrass Mills. Second largest mall in the US and the largest outlet mall in the US.

 

Tons and tons of dining options in the area. I think every chain restaurant on the planet has an outpost here.

[SMSACE6]

Thanks. Both are sold out for our date. Guess they are popular. ;)

 

Yeah, I think we are now leaning towards Comfort Suites in the downtown area. There seems to be shops and stuff nearby. And we can always take a cab or hotel shuttle/trolly to the beach if we want to go there. We're thinking that our Caribbean cruise will give us enough pool and beach time so are ok with more non swimming stuff beforehand. We're from Canada so will give us a chance to do US Shopping.

 

Me too from Canada. In the harbor shops is a TJ Maxx, some good deals there, as well as accross 17th st from Embassy suites is a Ross dress for less. I have not been to the shopping malls like Sawgrass in quite a few years, but should be easy enough to get to, and the hotels are usually very good at recommending places to go. Good luck and have a great cruise.:)

[SMSACE6]

If you want to shop, I'd stay at Sawgrass Mills. Second largest mall in the US and the largest outlet mall in the US.

 

Tons and tons of dining options in the area. I think every chain restaurant on the planet has an outpost here.

 

Thanks for the info..for my future reference, which hotels are close to Sawgrass ? thanks.

[LuCruise]

Me too from Canada. In the harbor shops is a TJ Maxx, some good deals there, as well as accross 17th st from Embassy suites is a Ross dress for less. I have not been to the shopping malls like Sawgrass in quite a few years, but should be easy enough to get to, and the hotels are usually very good at recommending places to go. Good luck and have a great cruise.:)

 

Sounds great. Thanks for the input.

I did look at a couple hotels near Sawgrass mall (I just did a search on expedia) but the area seems a bit far out to stay.

[DanJ]

Seems weird that those hotels would be booked this far out. It's not Easter, and not very busy at the port. Maybe some special event going on. Usually hotel prices start to come down a bit by April. Embassy Suites is higher than what I currently have booked for January lol.

 

Anyway, there is the Holiday Inn Express on 17th St for $229 US on April 9, which I think is the night you are after. For the prices I'm seeing on a couple sites, this is probably the best bet. Lots of shopping and restaurants nearby and right around the corner from the port. It's just across the plaza to the east of the Embassy Suites.

[capriccio]

Seems weird that those hotels would be booked this far out. It's not Easter, and not very busy at the port. Maybe some special event going on. Usually hotel prices start to come down a bit by April. Embassy Suites is higher than what I currently have booked for January lol.

 

 

The Tortuga Music Festival was that weekend (April 11 and 12) this year and while the dates haven't been announced yet for 2016 there is speculation that it will be the weekend of the April 9 and 10. This past year they announced around 75,000 attendees for the 2 day festival with headliners Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, the Doobie Brothers, Jake Owen, and the Band Perry. In 2016 they've already announced Blake Shelton will be the main headliner. They've even sold out the initial round of tickets without providing a date or the names of the other performers!

 

Maybe hotels are 'betting' on it being that weekend and will adjust their prices if a different weekend is announced?

[crazy4cruzn]

If there is a hotel that sounds good to you (like the Bahia Mar), you might try calling even if it looks booked on the website. I was just trying to book a hotel on the beach for next year, and it looked completely booked. When I called they had rooms available.

[royalcruz]

Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort is available and "cheap" (for Ft Lauderdale prices). But there is not much around it. (I don't even see Nicks on goggle maps). Since we are doing a Caribbean cruise, the beach isn't essential.

 

 

Are you talking about the Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort Hotel & Suites at 4221 N Ocean Blvd? Google Maps shows Nicks Italian if you search nearby for restaurants. It's under a mile south. Commercial Blvd in Lauderdale by the Sea is a good place to take the family too, and it's about a mile north. There is a McDonald's across the street from the hotel too, about a block away. The hotel is not on the beach. It's across the street from a commercial block, which is across the street from condos and hotels that are on the beach. I'm not sure how far you have to walk for beach access.

[LuCruise]

Are you talking about the Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort Hotel & Suites at 4221 N Ocean Blvd? Google Maps shows Nicks Italian if you search nearby for restaurants. It's under a mile south. Commercial Blvd in Lauderdale by the Sea is a good place to take the family too, and it's about a mile north. There is a McDonald's across the street from the hotel too, about a block away. The hotel is not on the beach. It's across the street from a commercial block, which is across the street from condos and hotels that are on the beach. I'm not sure how far you have to walk for beach access.

 

Do you know much about Royal Beach Palace Hotel?

[royalcruz]

Do you know much about Royal Beach Palace Hotel?

 

No. From the outside it looks just like the one I described in my last post, a motel in the same neighborhood. Neither of them are on the beach or have beach access.

[LuCruise]

Ah thanks...so a bit of an older area

 

We'll only be there for half a day so not sure it matters so much...as long as there is something to do for the day (e.g. beach, shop) and somewhere to grab a family friendly decent dinner and breakfast in the hotel (included or surcharge)

 

Another question....any idea how much a taxi would cost to one of the beach hotels such as Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort or Royal Beach Palace?

 

(Back to being unsure of which way to go...beach hotel or one near Embassy)

[Arzeena]

We booked on Hotwire some time ago, for August and got the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. $75.

[cincicruisers]

While your u are doing your research on hotels for your stay you should book something now that has no penalty cancellations. That way you have plenty of time to research other options.

 

Someone gave me that advice a few years ago. Came to find out there was a festival that weekend and most everything was booked or prices were skyrocketing for that date.

 

We booked embassy suites for our trip next year.

 

Happy Cruising

[eandj]

We booked on Hotwire some time ago, for August and got the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. $75.

 

August is the hottest month. This wouldn't help a cruiser in April.:confused:

[BlueHerons]

Seems weird that those hotels would be booked this far out. It's not Easter, and not very busy at the port. Maybe some special event going on. Usually hotel prices start to come down a bit by April. Embassy Suites is higher than what I currently have booked for January lol.

 

.

 

Our prices and occupancy are not really driven by Americans/North Americans who even have the same holidays we do.

 

Europeans and South Americans are by far the majority of our visitors and our hotels stay booked through April.

 

That said, it probably is the weekend of the Tortuga Music Festival.

[LuCruise]

While your u are doing your research on hotels for your stay you should book something now that has no penalty cancellations. That way you have plenty of time to research other options.

 

Someone gave me that advice a few years ago. Came to find out there was a festival that weekend and most everything was booked or prices were skyrocketing for that date.

 

We booked embassy suites for our trip next year.

 

Happy Cruising

 

Good advice. And that helped narrowed down our choices. We had it down to 3, but one is non refundable so it's between:

• Royal Beach Palace Hotel
  
• Comfort Suites Airport and Cruise
  

 

For Royal Beach Palace Hotel, it's near the beach (about 15 min walk), has good restaurants around it. It's cheap for FLL hotels BUT airport shuttle and breakfast are not included so that raises the overall price. Also, the taxi ride would be a bit more to the port. Last issue is ...it's a good half day to spend if it's nice out but we're stuck if it's raining that day.

 

For Comfort Suites Airport and Cruise, it's near 17th street so has shops and we can explore the area (but not near beach). There's a playland nearby as well if our kids get bored of checking out the shops. It's a bit more, but airport shuttle and breakfast are included which makes the prices equal. Rooms look nice and modern. It's closer to the port and think I read only about $10 taxi ride.

 

Both hotels have a pool, free wifi, and other standard stuff.

 

I think we're leaning towards Comfort Suites. Thoughts? Anyone know anything specific about those hotels?

 

Thoughts?

 

PS - I'm finding quite a few of the suggested hotels not available, so it looks like it must be that festival people mentioned. Must bring in a lot of people!

Edited June 5, 2015 by LuCruise