Ft. Lauderdale hotel

[bjenkins322]

We're sailing the Carribean Princess in September and was wondering if anyone could suggest a hotel for the night before we sail, also, since we're flying into Miami (we couldn't pass up the price for airfare) and renting a car to drive to F.L. do any of the car rentals offer shuttle service from the office where you return the car (in F.L.) to the pier.

[chrysalis]

there are tons of recommendations in the area here call "pre- and post-hotels"

 

The Amerisuites in popular...very close to the port and beside a supermarket for stocking up on wine, water, etc or whateve you might need.

[cruiserjanet]

If you go to www.sunny.org it will give you a list of hotels near the port. That is the tourism office for Port Everglades and/or Broward County (I hope I got that right). I just downloaded the cruise guide but it has other links as well.

[Iamthesea]

Depends on if you just want a motel and bed to lay your head on or if you want a nice hotel.

 

We stay at the Riverside Hotel in the Executive Tower rooms. Great location!

http://www.riversidehotel.com/

[liv2cruise4ever]

Depends on if you just want a motel and bed to lay your head on or if you want a nice hotel.

 

We stay at the Riverside Hotel in the Executive Tower rooms. Great location!

http://www.riversidehotel.com/

 

We also stayed in the Executive Tower rooms. You will love it. We stayed both pre and post cruise. Elizabet at the front desk remembered us and upgraded us the 2nd weekend. Top notch facility close to everything. Dining, shopping, canal, water taxi, etc. You won't be regret it.:D

[kkorman]

I just returned a few days ago and we used the Courtyard Marriott Port Everglades. Nice and relatively new. We had an Alamo which had a shuttle to the port... I believe they share it with Avis, hertz, and Budget. The others rental cars in the airport do not have a shuttle.

[Nova Scotia]

We recently rented from Budget in Fort Lauderdale .They have an office on 17th St. just before the bridge and offer a shuttle service to the pier which is only 2 minutes away.There is no need to run back to the airport to return the car.

I can highly recommend the Hilton Garden Inn just about 5 minutes from the airport . Its only a couple of years old ,great amenities and lots of restaurants and stores in the area as well as only a 10 minute drive to down town Fort Lauderdale.

[Desert Cruisers]

In December 2003, we dropped our car at Hertz and they had a shuttle to the port. You might call Hertz - local office at the airport location - and confirm that they have a shuttle.

 

Because you have a rental car, you'll have a wider range of hotel choices than those cruisers who don't and, therefore, must stay near the port. You might also look at hotels in some of the Ft. Lauderdale "suburbs" such as Plantation, Tamarac and Weston. All these communities have lots of restaurants, entertainment options, etc. For example, if you are a shopper, you may want to stay near Sawgrass Mills which is a hugh shopping mecca west of Fort Lauderdale. Rates may also be lower than the places near the port. :)

[Iamthesea]

We also stayed in the Executive Tower rooms. You will love it. We stayed both pre and post cruise. Elizabet at the front desk remembered us and upgraded us the 2nd weekend. Top notch facility close to everything. Dining, shopping, canal, water taxi, etc. You won't be regret it.:D

If you were already booked into the Tower Room, what type of "upgrade' did you get?

[thechandlers99]

The Pier 66 Hyatt is very nice and not too far away..maybe 5 minutes!

[Aquarian]

We just stayed at the Renaissance Hotel (Marriott) on 17th, last Friday night before our cruise on the Caribbean Princess last week. It was the first time we had done a preday so we booked it through Princess. We loved the hotel. It was close to restaurants and two wine stores and within walking distance to the water taxi. You can ride the water taxi throughout the waterway for $10pp for all day. If you get a chance, take the water taxi and get dropped off at stop 9 where the Los Olas shoppes and restaurants are. We did this the night before our cruise and loved every minute of it. So much so that I want to go back because we missed the nightlife at stop 10 of Los Olas Boulevard. Also, the water taxi gives a little narrative tour of where all the rich people live along the way. You won't believe the yachts parked in front of these homes.

[Dena]

Sharaton Yankee Cipper is on a nice wide beach with loungers and umbrellas. And you can see ships going in and out of the port.

[liv2cruise4ever]

If you were already booked into the Tower Room, what type of "upgrade' did you get?

 

Corner room, big balcony. :D

[Hello-Kitty]

My last cruise in March we stayed at the Ameri-suites and were please w/ location and hotel.

I loved the location is was a five minute walk to liquor and foodstore

[98Charlie]

Lawt cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express just outside the port and only a few blocks away from Mariott Marina location. Staff was terrific. Free shuttle service. Half the price of other hotels in the area.

 

Dianne

[Iamthesea]

Corner room, big balcony. :D

Cool! We had a small balcony, but never used it.

[Merion_Mom]

Lawt cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express just outside the port and only a few blocks away from Mariott Marina location. Staff was terrific. Free shuttle service. Half the price of other hotels in the area.

 

Dianne

Are there places near this Holiday Inn Express, such as places to eat and pick up last minute items, particularly those of an alcoholic nature? Is the shuttle from the airport, to the port, or both?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Fuzzzy]

Depends on if you just want a motel and bed to lay your head on or if you want a nice hotel.

 

We stay at the Riverside Hotel in the Executive Tower rooms. Great location!

http://www.riversidehotel.com/

 

I agree 1,000%. The shops and restaurants on Las Olas are terrific too.

[98Charlie]

Are there places near this Holiday Inn Express, such as places to eat and pick up last minute items, particularly those of an alcoholic nature? Is the shuttle from the airport, to the port, or both?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Hotel offers shuttle service to and from the airport and to the port. Is actually located only a few blocks from the port.

 

There's a Publix grocery store about 2 blocks up the street and several restaurants located across from the hotel in a some strip malls. We purchased some sandwiches at a N.Y.style deli that were terrific. Makes my mouth water just thinking about them.

 

Holiday Inn Express is just a couple of looooong blocks from the Mariott Marina water taxi stand as well so you can hop on a water taxi and travel down to Las Olas or Riverwalk.

 

Dianne

[dmc]

We stayed at the Amerisuites in November. It offers free shuttle service to and from the airport and also the cruise port. It is located right next to a shopping center (great for buying wine and beer) and it's within walking distance. There is also an Outback Steakhouse and a Mexicen restaurant (can't remember the name) across the parking lot from the hotel. Free continental breakfast was served in the morning. We reserved our room through ValueTrips and paid approx $79.00 for the night. I can't remember the exact amount but it was close to that price. Our room wasn't anything luxurious but was clean and the hotel staff was very nice. If we ever cruise out of Port Everglades again I will defenitely stay at Amerisuites.

[Merion_Mom]

Thank you so much, Dianne. The Holiday Inn Express sounds perfect (and cheaper than Amerisuites :))

[98Charlie]

Thank you so much, Dianne. The Holiday Inn Express sounds perfect (and cheaper than Amerisuites :))

 

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. We actually stayed there two nights post cruise but had planned on only one night. Shuttle took us to the airport, we were able to take an overnight bump on our flight. Called Holiday Inn Express, shuttle picked us up and we were put back into the same room we had just left a few hours before.

 

Hotel staff were very friendly. There really is alot of small restaurants and shops within walking distance and the Publix is in a relatively new shopping mall with several stores as well.

 

Dianne

P.S. when we returned to the airport on the second day our plane was overbooked again and we took another bump to a plane that arrived home about 2 hours later. With the two bumps we received a total of $1,600 in free air dollars. Those dollars paid for our flights for our next two cruises. (With $93 each left over which we will be using this summer on a mini-weekend to somewhere.)

[docksider21]

I like Embassy Suites. It is a couple blocks from Ameri-suites, and right next to the port. Free transfer to the port. A couple blocks from the water taxi.

Complimentary evening cocktails, and a great free breakfast.

[Aquarian]

There is a new wine/liquor store near the Holiday Inn Express. Ask at the front desk and they can direct you. It's a warehouse of wines. What a great selection and super prices! Also nearby in a small mall in amongst yacht stores is a restaurant called Bravo. We had lunch there and it was out of this world. It was very busy so I'm guessing it is a local favorite. Also close by is Bimini Boatyard but we didn't eat there. The people in the hotel can direct you to both. They are within walking distance. Also, the water taxi is not too far a walk from the Holiday Inn Express and it is worth seeing the mansions and yachts along the waterway. I mentioned earlier taking the water taxi and going to Los Olas to the shops and restaurants. It's a great way to spend your pre-day.

[Travelw]

Has anyone stayed at the Ramada Inn Airport/cruiseport? I have not stayed in Fort Lauderdale before and they offered shuttle from the airport and to the cruise terminal the next day, so we grabbed it. Price was only $79.00 for the night. Any comments would be welcome.

 

Thanks,

 

Dennis