TrentS, How bad is the damage to hotels

[Bequia]

Bequia, hope all is well for you and yours. You have in the minds and prayers of many of us.

 

Cathyoo....Thank you for your kind thoughts....we're fine. ;)

[Bequia]

We are driving in from Ohio and can always stay north of Fort Lauderdale. Can you tell me how far north I should look for a hotel that is not damaged?

 

Orlando ;)

[TrentS]

Trent,

Thank You for your time and effort. If you happen to notice when AmeriSuites is open, please let us know, we were planning on staying there on Sat. Nov 5th

Yeah, I'll let you know if/when I find out anything new.

[TrentS]

We are driving in from Ohio and can always stay north of Fort Lauderdale. Can you tell me how far north I should look for a hotel that is not damaged?

Also if we want to park at Port Everglades garage, are they open or did they have damage and power outages?

 

You might keep trying AmeriSuites number. I got someone this morning - He didn't know much, but at least I got a real person.

 

Yeah... Orlando might be your best bet!... Generally though north of Palm Beach county is in much better shape, but the best selection of hotels would definitely be in the Orlando area. If AmeriSuites isn't open by the time you're coming you may just want to stay there and drive in early on the morning of your cruise. Many hotels have reopened here but are full with locals who don't have power and with relief workers at the moment.

 

Port Everglades is operational now. You can park in the garages there, or another alternative is Park 'n Fly... http://www.pnf.com/ftlauderdale/default.htm

[Sailingseas]

Does anyone know the extent of the damage to the beachfront properties in Hollywood? I'm particularly interested in the lowrise inns along the broadwalk. Thanks in advance for the personal attention to the many questions we cruisers have!

[TrentS]

I haven't been through Hollywood yet but Bequia mentioned that friends of theirs have a motel there and they lost a roof, or had roof damage. I don't remember the details, or what thread it was under, but I remember reading that somewhere. :confused:

[NJCONVCRS]

I have reservations this week at the Wyndham Miami Airport & I just spoke to them on the phone. The woman who answered told me that they have full power restored and were 100% operational.

[TrentS]

Yeah, things are much better in Miami & Miami Beach... Most hotels there are open, but the problem is if you don't already have reservations it can be tough as most seem to be full with locals who still don't have power in their homes.

[CruzNut7]

Just wanted to add my thanks to Trent and others for being so good about keeping us up-to-date about the hotel situation. Hoping AmeriSuites will be open by November 11 and will honor ValueTrips reservations!!!

Glad your home and family were okay Trent.

[The Cruisers]

The Cruisers - Holiday Inn Express on SE 17th Street has power back and has reopened. Renaissance Hotel on SE 17th Street has also reopened, as has Hyatt Pier 66.

 

erby2283 - At this point I don't know what to tell you except to try them all and take what you can get. The problem is that so many locals who don't have power have taken rooms at hotels that do have power and are open, and on top of that the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show has been moved to November 3-6, so it's not going to be easy. :(

 

I haven't been in the Sovereign, but here are it's Trip Advisor reviews... http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g34439-d88528-Reviews-Sovereign_Hotel-Miami_Beach_Florida.html

 

Thanks Trent. That is good news about the Holiday Inn Express. But the better news is that you and yours are ok. That you can take time out of your busy schedule to check out hotels and provide info to this board is truly incredible and appreciated. You are going above and beyond the call of duty. Thanks for all of your help.

[NJEWERS]

Trent,

What would we all do without you! How about the Miami Hyatt-We have reserervations there Nov. 5th. We are also flying into FLL-any word on the airport situation?

[TrentS]

Yes, Hyatt Regency Miami is open and operating normally.

 

FLL is open as well, but check with your airline to make sure there haven't been any changes to your flight times.

[jnc411]

TrentS. Hi Trent, I hope things are getting better in your area each day, and that it will be somewhat normal soon. There was an article in the LA Times Today about the hotels and damage and when they might reopen. I was just wondering if you knew what kind of damage there is in the 26th street area, we are booked in the La Quinta Inn , but not for a couple months. If you happen to be out in that area sometime , would you please just take a look see as you drive by, no rush at all. And we certainly do appreciate all your help, you are the best..... :) Take Care and we are keeping you and yours in our thoughts and prayers.

Cori

[TrentS]

Thanks Cori... Things are considerably better than they were last week. Many restaurants, hotels, stores and gas stations have reopened.

 

I haven't been past that La Quinta, and don't know the extent of their damage, but you might want to book a cancellable back up just in case they haven't reopened when you get here. I'll let you know what it looks like when I get into that area.

[Ella2]

Trent, thanks for all your input and help.

 

I have had, I think FOUR reservations now for my pre-cruise stay on 11/2, but have settled on the ONE hotel that I know is OPEN, has power, water and PHONES, and have cancelled the rest. It's not cheap, but oh well...the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood. It's twice as much as my original reservation (Priceline) for the Renaissance Ft. Lauderdale, but at least I know I have a place to stay now.

 

I'm glad to hear things are getting back to normal, albeit slowly. :)

[TrentS]

I'm glad you found something Ella... I know it's tough, and things change so fast I don't know what to say sometimes except to just try them all.

 

Yes, the Westin Diplomat isn't exactly cheap, but it's a spectacular hotel! I'm sure you'll love it. :)

 

The last I heard though Renaissance Fort Lauderdale on SE 17th Street does have power, water, phones and will be open to guests tomorrow.

 

Have a great cruise!

[CruzNut7]

I've read in the Sun-Sentinel that FLL is still required to boil water, so how do the hotels handle that???

[TrentS]

That's true, the boil water order hasn't been lifted yet in Fort Lauderdale. It's fine to shower in, do laundry, etc., just not to drink. We drink bottled water anyway, and have been using bottled water to brush our teeth with, but other than that there's no need to do anything differently.

[jnc411]

Thanks Cori... Things are considerably better than they were last week. Many restaurants, hotels, stores and gas stations have reopened.

 

I haven't been past that La Quinta, and don't know the extent of their damage, but you might want to book a cancellable back up just in case they haven't reopened when you get here. I'll let you know what it looks like when I get into that area.

 

Thanks Trent, I think I will do as you suggest and book a cancellable back up just in case. I emailed hotwire today to ask about my situation and they answered promptly, with " do to contractual agreements yadda yadda, we must adhere to yadda yadda yadda, etc etc etc." In other words hope for the best and contact us at a later date. But this is small problems when I consider what you are going through in FL. Thanks for any info you get. You take care.

Cori

[tutak]

Amerisuites system seems to be taking reservations for November 15th and later. For dates prior to that it says All Rooms Sold.

[cruisequeen007]

I still have not been able to get thru on Amerisuites local phone number so I am going to book a room that I can cancel if needed. Do you think the hotels in the Jupiter area are All open?

[TrentS]

Cori - That's all you're going to get from them at this point. If the hotel is closed when you're scheduled to stay there, you'll get a refund after the fact.

 

cruisequeen007 - I understand Jupiter has power, but I don't know the status of the hotels up there. All I can tell you to do is to call the hotels themselves, as the people at the national reservations centers for the chains seem to be clueless as to the status of many of them.

[gatour]

I just got through to the Embassy Suites on 17th St and they are definetly closed until 7 Nov

[C 2 C]

Holiday Express Airport/Cruiseport:

 

 

Just sent me this:

 

We are closed due to no power. Guest Relations is trying to contact everyone.

 

@#$%%!!

[oorbear]

I checked with them today and they had power, water and phones. My res is not for a couple of weeks so I did not ask if they were currently accepting any new ones.