FLL Did I make a mistake? Bequia? Anyone?

[Dorie7]

Travel Agent booked us into the Hampton Inn for our pre cruise stay. He said that it would be 99 per night. When he gave me the reservation afterwards, it said 119 per night. Also, the Hampton Inn that he has us booked in is in Plantation, NOT FLL. I went ahead and booked the Grande for before and the Atlantic for after the cruise. Did I make a mistake changing from the Hampton? It's not too late to keep the Hampton since I haven't told the TA yet and the other two are cancellable The price at the Grande is the same and at the Atlantic is about double.

 

Do I turn the ressies I made over to the TA?

 

Thanks,

Dorie

[Bequia]

There is nothing wrong with the Hampton Inn Plantation. There is nothing wrong with the other two hotels either. Anyone of them is fine for a night. ;)

[signman]

A Hampton Inn is a Hampton Inn is a Hampton Inn. They are reliable, clean, offer a good breakfast, and have a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. But the one in Plantation, while in a nice area, is just like being in any suburban area in any city.

 

The Grande is very near to Port Everglades, sits right alongside the Intracoastal Waterway, the cruise ships are visible from there, the Water Taxi stops right there, and you are walking distance to lots of shopping and dining.

 

The Atlantic is one of the premier hotels in Fort Lauderdale and sits right across A1A from the beach.

[cusyl]

They have added the Florida Sales Tax and probably a tourist tax which is common in Florida.

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

A Hampton Inn is a Hampton Inn is a Hampton Inn. They are reliable, clean, offer a good breakfast, and have a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

 

YEP! :D

 

That's what I always tell people!

 

Most of us at my company stay there for that very reason while traveling for work. I've never been to a bad one....and they always deliver EXACTLY what I am expecting them to!

 

TO DORIE7: If you made other reservations on your own, you will have to cancel them yourself...NOT give them to the Travel Agent. Stick with what the TA gave you and have a GREAT trip!

 

There's a point when some things are just over planned..... :rolleyes:

[Dorie7]

Bequia,

Thanks for the reassurance. I guess that I was spooked by the price increase and the fact that the HI wasn't even in the same city as I was arriving in and departing from. Also, the TA was asked a month ago to book post cruise and I just found out that that wasn't done. the HI doesn't have availability for our post cruise dates. (the TA didn't return my calls for the past two weeks and I guess that might be the reason.) I began to wonder why he is so set on us staying in the Hampton Inn. Is he looking after us or does he have his own agenda? Now I'm sounding paranoid, but I did need to book a post cruise hotel. I's less than a month away and I like to have these details settled long before this.

 

Bottom line, I need to decide which I would prefer, the Grqnde or the HI.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Sign Man,

 

Thanks for your reply. I am thinking just like you that the location of the Grande may give it an edge. I had pretty much decided to go with the Grqnde until I read the reviews on Trip Advisor. My main concern was the large number of negative reviews posted on Trip Advisor about the Grande. The HI in Plantation had very good reviews, on the other hand. So now I'm confused. Everyone here seems to think that the Grande is fine and I do prefer the location.

 

Decisions.....Dorie

 

Cusyl,

 

Do you know how much these taxes and fees will be? Thanks for the heads up,

Dorie

 

 

New 2 Cruisin,

 

Sorry, I wasn't very clear, was I?

 

I meant should I turn over the ressies to the TA If I kept them so that he could get a commission? I would obviously cancel the other myself if I decide to stay in the Hampton Inn. You are right that it would be wrong to expect hime to do that for me.

 

My problem with the Hampton reservation(s) is more as follows:

*that I don't have a reservation there post cruise, so I wanted to know that I had a reservation somewhere. Therefore, did it myself.

*the rate is more than I was quoted when I agreed to book the hotel

*HI, Plantation is not in the location that I had asked for (never having been to FLL before, I was asking the TA if you could see the cruise ships from this hotel, he still didn't let me know that it was in another city - just said no. I asked if we could change to another hotel where we could. He said that we needed to be here for shopping and the shuttle??)

*wondered if the TA (who had never really asked me anything about my hotel preferences, just told me that he had a good deal for $30 off (from 129 - 99) for this hotel and that he would book it for me) might be working on some kind of a deal for himself whereby if he gets enough bookings at a certain locality he gets extra commission or something.

Now, I don't necessarily mind if he does, but not if he will delay booking my hotel til the last minute in an effort to get the one that HE wants me to have.

 

OK, so you're probably right, I over plan. But I hate unpleasant surprises such as learning I don't have a hotel room booked when I beleive that it is done or learning that my rate increased by 20% without even being informed of the change.

 

Probably won't use a TA again. Seems like I prefer to do it all myself. With the great help and the opinions of so many online, I think that you have a better chance of finding what you are looking for on your own these days. It's sad, though, because I would like to support the local TA's.

 

Thanks for your help,

Dorie

[bjenkins322]

We stayed at the Grande pre-cruise last month. It was great! Sat at the outside bar soaking up the atmosphere. We loved it.

Brad

[Bequia]

Well Dorie, you are on vacation. You may as well stay in an area that's geared for tourists with plenty of restaurants, shops and sightseeing nearby. Both the water taxi and the Sun Trolley stop at the Grandes doorstep. If you can get a decent price for it go ahead. I'd take the Tripadvisor reviews with a grain of salt and put more faith into your fellow CC'ers reviews. By all means stick with the Atlantic. Have you considered Priceline? If you bid 4* beach zone the only hotel in that category is the Hyatt Pier 66, one of my favorite FLL hotels. I've managed to stay there numerous times for under a hundred a night using PL. ;)

[signman]

Dorie, the only other thing I would suggest for your dates of travel, is to consider bidding on Priceline for a 4 star property in the Downtown Fort Lauderdale zone. If successful you would most likely be at the Renaissance. Read the sticky above.