Help choosing hotel

[tine-tine]

Wondering if anyone can give me advice to decide between two hotels for upcoming cruise on January 22? We are in town for 3 nights and I have booked the Victoria Hotel, which I can cancel. I was also looking at the Aqua Hotel, which is one block away from the Beach. They both appear similar boutique style hotels so I was wondering, as we have no car, which would be the best location for transport, Trolley, water taxi, dining, Las Olas etc.

 

I have looked on some Florida Departures and Trip Advisor but I wondered if anyone local or knows the area could make a comparison between the two?

[HawaiianShirtDay]

Which city/port?

[eandj]

Sounds like Fort Lauderdale. I'd get info from the local residents found on the FL departures board.

[HawaiianShirtDay]

I'm a big fan of Renaissance Cruise port. We stayed there twice and loved it.

[HawaiianShirtDay]

Sorry... Preemptive post. Renaissance is a great hotel with lots of shops and restaurants within walking distance and close to water taxi.

[tine-tine]

Apologies folks, it is in fact Fort Lauderdale. Unlike my normal planning i have made a late booking and therefore looking at hotels a bit late and could not believe the price! Doing some research, I came across these small hotels with great reviews plus in a central location (I hope). The bigger chain hotels seem pretty far out and we would like somewhere we can walk from when dining at night.

 

I tried Priceline and Hotwire but being in the UK they seem to come up with UK prices in £, which are even more expensive. I tried manipulating the websites to US which I can do with Hotwire with some success but Priceline does not give that option. I also tried LMT and the prices for the dates are high for central locations.

 

I appreciate this is because I am late and there is a huge demand at high season the prices will be high. I am trying to have a balance between cost for three nights, locality and transport/dining etc.

 

I will copy this post on to the Florida Departures and hopefully someone might have the info.

 

Thanks for your help

[sandancer]

Travel Republic have the Bahia Mar (Doubletree by Hilton) on your dates for £155 a night.

[KKB]

Love Embassy Suites & Hyatt Place (Los Olas)--convenient to shopping & pier. We had to book nearby Extended Stay this time due to insane prices, but it gets very good reviews.

 

We almost always book Hotwire, using Better Bidding to narrow the field. Last year we did a 5 day, and found the Atlantic Spa & Resort (5*) on Hotwire for about $225/nt--we were upgraded to a 2 BR suite (apartment really) for the 5 of us. Right on the beach. AMAZING. Mom & Dad had a standard King room & it was terrific, too.

[tine-tine]

Thank you for your reply KKB, what is the name of the extended stay? Thanks for the tip about better bidding, I will give it a study, I always wondered how people managed to identify the hotel from Hotwire! Hopefully it will be simple!!

[tine-tine]

Sandancer, I saw the Bahia Mar and was swithering over booking, I read lots of good reviews then some bad ones (as is always the case) but wondered why it was soo cheap for the standard and location compared to the rest of hotels?

[BlueHerons]

Again, the Aqua is the best located out of all the hotels you have mentioned.

[royalcruz]

Sandancer, I saw the Bahia Mar and was swithering over booking, I read lots of good reviews then some bad ones (as is always the case) but wondered why it was soo cheap for the standard and location compared to the rest of hotels?

 

I would stay at Bahia Mar. It's not perfect and is older, but the location is great, it's a Doubletree in the Hilton family, and the reviews are good enough. It has for a long time been the best value at the beach of all the big hotels.

 

Also check to see if you can get a good rate at Riverside Hotel. It's the only hotel in the middle of Las Olas and sometimes they have great rates.

Edited November 14, 2015 by royalcruz