Best of the budget hotels????

[bluehorizonlover123]

My understanding was that the Holiday Inn on 17th was an older hotel and shows some wear. Trent you are saying that it is newer. So what is the story. On trip advisor people are not saying good things about the Holiday Inn on 17th.

[TrentS]

My understanding was that the Holiday Inn on 17th was an older hotel and shows some wear. Trent you are saying that it is newer. So what is the story. On trip advisor people are not saying good things about the Holiday Inn on 17th.

The Holiday Inn Express on SE 17th Street is NOT an older hotel! It's only a few years old... The one complaint about it was the beds were sagging, but those were just replaced with brand new ones a month ago. It's a very nice, clean budget hotel. There have been a few comments just in the last few days from people who have stayed there who wrote in to thank me for recommending it because they loved it.

 

The 2 nicest BUDGET hotels in town are the Holiday Inn Express and Extended Stay America on SE 17th Street... They're not Mandarin Orientals, but for the price they're great places to stay in the best possible location for cruisers.

[bluehorizonlover123]

Says there arent alot of restaurants in the area.

 

Fort Lauderdale: Holiday Inn Express Ft. Lauderdale Air / Sea Port: "Great Hotel For Stop Over!"

January, 2006

 

One of the worst experiences in customer service I have ever had. However, the rooms were good... basically what you would expect from a Holiday inn Express. However, I will never stay here again.

 

 

Would I stay at this location again: most likely

We stayed the night before our cruise and found the hotel to be quite nice. The pool area was exceptionally nice and is open year around. The rooms were spacious and clean. There is a continental breakfast area available for everyone staying there, which was quite sufficient. Unfortunately, the hotel does not have a bar or restaurant, and there is not a whole lot in the area without driving a short distance. Take a cab from the airport rather than wait for the shuttle service, as it was a nightmare of confusion for us and everyone we talked to that night.

 

It is not in the greatest area of Ft. Lauderdale but it is close to the airport and sea port which was perfect for us. We had absolutely no problems with the free shuttle to and from the airport and cruise port. You have to call from the phone at the airport (they have a free stand to call from) to let them know to come pick you up and from your cell phone when you are ready to get picked up from the sea port after your cruise. You also need to tell them what time you need to go to the sea port and back to the air port. We didn't have to wait more than 10 minutes from the time we called or signed up for. The driver was polite and on time. I would recommend this hotel to anyone who needs a clean, comfortable, and nice place to stay close to the airport or sea port. The bed had a nice pillowtop mattress, granite-looking countertops, and a very nice large bathroom. Also a fridge and microwave. Continental breakfast was also really good.

 

For the most part the hotel is very clean and has a very nice pool. It is very close to both the airport and cruiseport. There is a diner,a German restaurant, and a stripmall (Wynn Dixie, Big Lots, liquor store, McDonalds, pizza shop) nearby. If you are going to rely on a shuttle service, I highly recommend you stay somewhere else.

[TrentS]

bluehorizonlover123, you're reading a review about the WRONG Holiday Inn Express! THAT review is about the one on STATE ROAD 84, which is an area any local will tell you to STAY AWAY FROM! Calling that one "air/sea port" is IMO quite deceptive, because it's much farther away from both than the GOOD Holiday Inn Express "Convention Center" on SE 17th Street AND is in a bad neighborhood with nothing to walk to, not that you would want to anyway.

 

The Holiday Inn Express that's in the SAFE neighborhood, a block from Port Everglades, with dozens of restaurants, shops, grocery, drug & liquor stores around it is on SE 17th Street and is called HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS "CONVENTION CENTER".

 

THIS one is the GOOD one... http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hd/fllcc

 

The one you posted the review about is a completely different one in a very very different neighborhood.

[bluehorizonlover123]

Actually I have been researching these two Holiday Inns alot so I was aware of the different between the two and the addresses of both. Those remarks are about the one on 17th. If you don't believe me then you should visit tripadvisor.com yourself. People are saying there isn't much around the one on 17th. I know there is nothing by the one on the highway. But that is BRAND NEW with queen size beds and a sofa bed suite for the rooms. But it is on a very busy highway they say and hard to walk to restaurants from there. But they are saying it is a beautiful hotel. The reviews are as glowing about the one on 17th.

[TrentS]

Well no, the remarks you posted above are all about the one ON STATE ROAD 84.

 

Whoever told you there's nothing around the one on SE 17th Street IS BLIND! There are more things within 2 blocks of that hotel than there are within ANY hotel in Fort Lauderdale. The Holiday Inn Express "Convention Center" is on SE 17th Street next door to an Extended Stay America. They have EVERYTHING you could possibly want RIGHT THERE. It's the one on State Road 84 that doesn't have much around it! The one on State Road 84 is the one that's newer, HOWEVER it's in a bad neighborhood and doesn't have much to walk to. The one on SE 17th Street is a very nice CLEAN hotel in a SAFE neighborhood. I HAVE been inside of it recently, and I'm picky. It has EVERYTHING right there! I go past it almost every day, there are literally DOZENS of restaurants, 2 large grocery stores, 2 liquor stores, 2 drug stores, all kinds of shops, the Water Taxi, all within 2-3 BLOCKS, and it's only a block from the port and less than 10 mintues from FLL.

 

Here is everything that's around the one on SE 17th Street, if this "isn't much" then I don't know what more they could want???...

 

SE 17th Street Restaurants...

 

Tara Steak & Lobster is right next door to Holiday Inn Express/Extended Stay America... http://www.tarasteakandlobsterhouse.com/

 

Carlos and Pepe's (Mexican) & Durty Harry's (bar with food) are in the same shopping center as Tara. There's also a small diner in that strip mall that I've been told has an excellent breakfast.

 

Giorgio's (Italian) and Einstein Bros. Bagels are across the street from Extended Stay America/Holiday Inn Express... http://www.einsteinbros.com/

 

Bimini Boatyard and Bravo (Italian) are both across the street from Holiday Inn Express/Extended Stay America, and about a block east, opposite the Renaissance Hotel... http://www.bravoitaliano.com/

 

Jack Jackson's new restaurant FISH is across the street from the Renaissance hotel, attached to the Convention Center complex at the entrance to Port Everglades... http://www.fish-fl.com/

 

Chuck's Steakhouse... http://www.chucksflorida.com/

 

And Waxy O'Connors are both across the street from Embassy Suites, a long block west of Holiday Inn Express/Extended Stay America... http://www.waxys.com/

 

Outback Steakhouse and Del Rio Tex Mex are just west of Embassy Suites, and Quarterdeck is across the street and a block north of Embassy Suites on Cordova Road, just beyond Winn-Dixie... http://www.quarterdeckrestaurant.com/

 

Kelly's Landing is a great New England style seafood place in a strip mall on Cordova Road, across the street from Winn-Dixie.

 

If you want some excellent ice cream, Aspen Ice Cream is next door to Office Depot, in the large yellow strip mall across the street from Tara and Carlos and Pepe's... http://www.aspenicecream.com/

 

There are 3 large strip malls around Holiday Inn Express/Extended Stay America - More or less across the street, next door, and behind, as well as several smaller ones. There are at least a dozen other small restaurants scattered throughout those strip malls, plus a number of fast food and carry-out places in the area as well... You'll never go hungry along that section of SE 17th Street, there's something for every taste and budget.

 

Publix grocery store is in the large strip mall a block south on Cordova Road, behind Embassy Suites. Publix sell beer & wine as well as being very large, very nice grocery stores.

 

Barnie's Coffee & Tea is in the same strip mall as Publix, a few stores to the west, next to Carvel Ice Cream... http://www.barniescoffee.com/

 

Chicken Grill... http://www.naturalchickengrill.com/

 

And Camille's Sidewalk Cafe are also in that same strip mall... http://www.camillescafe.com/

 

Crown Wine and Spirits is across the street from Embassy Suites, behind the Chevron station, and 67 Wine & Spirits is across the street from Crown.

 

Winn-Dixie grocery store is next door to Crown, and there's a CVS drug store in the same strip mall as 67 Wine & Spirits.

 

Walgreens drug store is a block east of Holiday Inn Express/Extended Stay America, across the street from the Renaissance hotel.

 

The restaurants above are just those that you can easily walk to. If you take the Water Taxi you can easily get to dozens more. The nearest Water Taxi stop is 2 long blocks east, under the SE 17th Street Bridge, in front of the Marina Marriott hotel... http://www.watertaxi.com/FortLauderdale/FLLHome.Asp

 

Some popular places easily accessible by Water Taxi are...

 

15th Street Fisheries... http://www.15streetfisheries.com/

 

Jackson's Steakhouse... http://www.jacksonssteakhouse.com/

 

Shirttail Charlie's... http://www.shirttailcharlies.com/

 

Fort Lauderdale Riverhouse... http://www.ftlauderdaleriverhouse.com/

 

Downtowner Saloon... http://www.downtownersaloon.com/

 

Shooter's Waterfront Cafe, and at the same stop Taverna Opa... http://tavernaoparestaurant.com/

 

Charlie's Crab... http://www.muer.com/locations/chcrab-ftlaud/chcrab-ftlaud.html

 

The many many restaurants and shops along beautiful Las Olas Blvd... http://www.lasolasboulevard.com/

 

And Las Olas Riverfront... http://www.riverfrontfl.com/

[Bequia]

It is not in the greatest area of Ft. Lauderdale It is very close to both the airport and cruiseport. There is a diner,a German restaurant, and a stripmall (Wynn Dixie, Big Lots, liquor store, McDonalds, pizza shop) nearby. If you are going to rely on a shuttle service, I highly recommend you stay somewhere else.

 

This description of the area noted in the quote above is most definately the Holiday Inn Express on State Road 84. It is the "bad" area of town. Stay away from any property on SR84. ;)

[bluehorizonlover123]

But the Hampton Inn Airport North is not on 84 so what is the problem with that one.

[TexasMommy]

Hampton Inn Airport North was on our short list as well. Interested in reply.

[dromMOM]

Hampton Inn Airport North was on our short list as well. Interested in reply.

 

Feel free to private email me and I can give you all the information you want on this Hotel as we have stayed here two years in a row.

 

Click on my Email link below.

[TexasMommy]

Well the Hampton Inn is ending up being a non-issue as they are completely booked for the 10th of March..the day we want prior to the cruise departing the 11th. To grab something...we booked the La Quinta Inn & Suites near FLL Airport. It had the 2 things we wanted most....a shuttle from the airport and a swimming pool for my daughter. It has a breakfast too although I assume not very extensive. We always stay Embassey Suites but we are going economy this year...if you consider $157 Economy...which is what La Quinta is running us. I don't remember in which post but I read somewhere a recommendation for La Quinta.

 

We can always cancel and book somewhere else if we find a better fit...but at least now we won't be shut out during Spring Break Season.

[bluehorizonlover123]

I too had read that the Quinta was a good alternative. It was expensive for us too. Hampton is running $119. That HI on 17th is $165 and La Quinta is $185. Embassy Suites is too expensive at $285. So that was definitely out. We have stayed at the Embassy Suites on 17th 3 other times but that is just too expensive now for just one night.

[Diane F]

Stayed at La Quinta last April and had a very nice stay there.The rooms are very nice, nice pool area and a decent breakfast.We took their shuttle from the airport but decided to take a taxi to cruise terminal.We were told what time we would get the shuttle and for our Princess cruise it was 1:00 p.m. We like getting to terminal earlier so decided not to wait.The shuttle comes from the port and La Quinta has no control over times.If the time they give you is good, go for it.I got La Quinta on Priceline for last April for $42,which was a steal. Have not seen anyone get it this year.All the hotels seem high this year.I got Super 8 for this April for $81.It is $159 on all the sites.Called direct and our group has 6 rooms reserved.We know there is not much around there and no pool. If you just want a place to sleep,the rooms look very nice. It is a new motel.