Ft. Lauderdale Hotel

[ritarose]

we are arriving day early for cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale on Feb. 18. need recommendation for hotel, is airport near port? which area is better to stay in for the evening and early morning sightseeing? we arrive at 4 p.m. would like mid priced hotel. thank you

 

Rita Myszkowski

Palatine, IL

and Surprise, AZ:)

[barryod]

Ritarose,

I've stayed and will stay again this March at the Embassy suites on 17th st. Everything is pricey there but there is a room for you in fll. Lots of hotels. 5 to 10 min. from airport to port. Have a great cruise.

barryod

[98Charlie]

There are several hotels along 17th Ave. We stay at the Holiday Inn Express, a no frills hotel but clean and friendly. Embassy Suites, the Grande and Mariott's Renassiance and a few others are also close by.

 

When you stay in the 17th Ave. Causeway area (also known as the Convention Center area) you are literally only minutes away from the cruise port. There's a water taxi stand at the Grande where you can jump on a water taxi and cruise the canals to various areas of shopping and dining. the water taxi ride is a great excursion in its own as it passes homes of the rich and famous.

 

There is a Publix grocery store, Walgreens, a few strip malls and many restaurants within walking distance of any of these 17th Ave. hotels as well.

 

Have a great cruise and hope you find the hotel that is just right for you.

 

Dianne

[cechase]

Ritarose, we have stayed a number of times in Ft. Lauderdale, both pre and post cruise. We have stayed at the Ft. Lauderdale Sheraton Airport hotel, which is very convenient to both the airport and the port. [You can see the four red smoke stacks and cruise ships from your window.] We have also stayed at the Hyatt Pier 66 Hotel which is very very nice, but pricey if you stay in a tower room. Again, it is very convenient to both the port and the airport. [if you stay in the tower with the huge triangular decks, you can see all of the cruise ships.]

[mii]

We also stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and highly recommend it. It is centrally located, close to airport and the port. A free breakfast and the place was clean and neat. A great staff; very friendly. I would stay there again.

 

Marilyn

[tbelian]

We recently stayed at Courtyard by Marriot , Dania Beach, pre cruise on 1/7/07. It was a nice place. Nice breakfast served (buffet style). I don't know about 'mid price range' because we used rewards 'points' for a portion of the bill. I think list price without tax was upwards of $200.

[Spender Nui]

I find it interesting that nobody recommends the Amerisuites on 17th street any longer. I think I know why ... the last time we went there it had become shabby and dirty. I suggest you don't consider this hotel.

[cruisingdelt]

I stayed at the Embassy Suites on 17th Ave twice. About 10 minutes from the airport and the pier. On my last visit (2005) there was a nice Restaurant/Pub across the street serving pints of Guiness. Great way to start the fun!

[raudacruise]

I stayed at the Embassy Suites on 17th Ave twice. About 10 minutes from the airport and the pier. On my last visit (2005) there was a nice Restaurant/Pub across the street serving pints of Guiness. Great way to start the fun!

 

We are going on Infinity March 25 and for some reason the Embassy Suites is fully booked. We've stayed there many times. Also know about the pub across the street. We had the whole family there (mom/dad, brothers, sister, niece). I think there was about a dozen off us. Its more of a local place and we just had appetizers.

 

We are going to be trying the comfort inn suites just south on 18th.

 

There are many restaurants right in that area.

[wrp96]

You may not have much of a choice, at least not close to the port. I just did a search to see rates that weekend and many of the hotels are coming up with no availability (very popular cruising weekend plus the Boat Show is in Miami). The Embassy Suites everyone is recommending is showing up at over $300 a night for that weekend.

 

Have you checked Priceline to see if you can get something there?

[raudacruise]

You may not have much of a choice, at least not close to the port. I just did a search to see rates that weekend and many of the hotels are coming up with no availability (very popular cruising weekend plus the Boat Show is in Miami). The Embassy Suites everyone is recommending is showing up at over $300 a night for that weekend.

 

Have you checked Priceline to see if you can get something there?

 

The Comfort Inn Suites (just south of Embassy on 18th) was $189. No breakfast but includes shuttle to the port. We'll get some dognuts or something, there is a shopping center right near there.

 

We'll be on the ship by 11am the next morning after all.

[ritarose]

thanks for all the help, have booked La Quinta at $220, will check if Comfort Inn available. think most are full due to Boat Show

 

Rita Rose

[ritarose]

just a P.S. on my booking the La Quinta at rate of $220 plus tax. that was directly with hotel. then I thought of calling the 800 #, and they gave me a $166 AAA rate. I had asked for AAA rate and senior rate in talking to hotel and they gave me the $220 rate. so, guess it pays to double check. now, if I could get my air fare lowered! I booked AWA since they were the only ones with non stop Phoenix to FLL. then I realized SWA does not show up on Travelocity and the like. dummy me! SWA was $87 cheaper each for non stop! I keep checking but now the fare on AWA is $700!

 

looking forward to the cruise!

 

Rita Myszkowski

[kelmac]

I would go online to hotwire. Select the 4 1/2 star Hollywood hotel that is being offered for $142 + taxes/fees. This is a great deal for such short notice. It's only a short taxi from the airport/ or pier.

 

Enjoy!

Kel

[RadioCarla]

I attended a cruise-related convention last April in Fort Lauderdale and one of our convention hotels was the Comfort Suites Airport and Cruise Port (1800 S Federal Highway). We and all the other folks staying there from the convention were not happy with it. We booked a room with two beds and were given a room with one full bed and a very uncomfortable sofa bed (guess what I had to sleep on). The front desk was surly and the continental breakfast was just okay. The WIFI was extremely tempermental which not good for a hotel full of professionals trying to stay in touch with the office back home while attending a convention. We're going to the same convention this year and we booked the Embassy Suites the second it became available.

 

Restaurant tip - The Casablanca Cafe! It's just a block from one of the water taxi stops and it's right on Fort Lauderdale Beach. We ate there at sunset and it was a spectacular view plus great food too.

 

http://www.casablancacafeonline.com/

 

 

Carla

[gunn2]

we just got back from our feb 4th cruise and stayed at the ft lauderdale airport ramada.the people there are wonderful and it seems pretty cheap by comparison.they pick you up at the airport and take you to the hotel.then on cruise day they take you to the cruise ship.when you get back you call them and they come get you again.all for free.we stayed there the night before and the night after, the restaurant food was great and they have free internet.

[Traceybell]

Has anyone stayed at the Bahia Mar recently that you could give some information about?

 

Thanks!

[jax23]

Has anyone stayed at the Bahia Mar recently that you could give some information about?

 

Thanks!

 

Tracybell -

We stayed there Jan06 before a cruise and it was kind of miserable - maybe it was just the room we had, but it was in the older section (not the towers) and we had twentysomethings yelling and partying and running up and down the hall in the middle of the night. Plus the room was dark, drab and "old" smelling and badly in need of updating - the whole hotel really. It was across from the beach, but restaurant choice (if I remember, only two within hotel, and lousy menus) was limited, even along the beach, and I'd much rather have stayed at the Hyatt Pier 66, Renaissance or Embassy Suites (is ES open or under renovation? not sure) on/near 17th Ave instead. I had gotten it thru Priceline, if that made a difference in room selection (?). But there are much better choices, I feel.

[jax23]

Has anyone stayed at the Bahia Mar recently that you could give some information about?

 

Thanks!

 

Tracybell -

We stayed there Jan06 before a cruise and it was kind of miserable - maybe it was just the room we had, but it was in the older section (not the towers) and we had twentysomethings yelling and partying and running up and down the hall in the middle of the night. Plus the room was dark, drab and "old" smelling and badly in need of updating - the whole hotel really. It was across from the beach, but restaurant choice (if I remember, only two within hotel, and lousy menus) was limited, even along the beach, and I'd much rather have stayed at the Hyatt Pier 66, Renaissance or Embassy Suites (is ES open or under renovation? not sure) on/near 17th Ave instead. I had gotten it thru Priceline, if that made a difference in room selection (?). But there are much better choices, I feel.

[Traceybell]

Thanks Jax for your comments. I guess I shouldn't have asked. Interestingly we were originally booked at the Embassy Suites (for my hotel miles) but the port boards were very negative about it so we switched to Bahia Mar.

 

Oh well, I hope we have a better experience than you did. DH will be happier being in the marina and near the beach anyway.

 

Did you use the pool at all? How was that?

 

Thanks again - Tracey

[Wineguys]

....the Hyatt Pier 66 Hotel which is very very nice, but pricey if you stay in a tower room. Again, it is very convenient to both the port and the airport. [if you stay in the tower with the huge triangular decks, you can see all of the cruise ships.

 

Now that's what I'm talking about!!! This is where we stayed when we cruised out of FLL and probably always will. They told us that they usually upgrade crusiers to Tower Rooms when the hotel is not full. We watched the Connie pull in right across from us. Very cool.

[jax23]

Thanks Jax for your comments. I guess I shouldn't have asked. Interestingly we were originally booked at the Embassy Suites (for my hotel miles) but the port boards were very negative about it so we switched to Bahia Mar.

 

Oh well, I hope we have a better experience than you did. DH will be happier being in the marina and near the beach anyway.

 

Did you use the pool at all? How was that?

 

Thanks again - Tracey

 

No - we didnt use the pool bc when we got there that afternoon - they were having a cold snap and it was about 60 degrees! Hopefully you will have a better experience than we did - and maybe they have updated by now. Good luck! Enjoy your cruise!

[festigal]

We stayed there post cruise last November and were very disappointed. It was tired! If you are already booked there, we have one suggestion...don't accept a room on the top floor of the tower. There is an exhaust fan from the kitchen that vibrates (and is totally annoying). When we asked about it, we were told it would be shut off by 10:30 PM and this was at 3 in the afternoon. The lower floor was better. The pool looked nice but it was too cold when we were there to use it. Good luck.

[hcat]

the Comfort suites airport was not good at all & sadly too many have posted neg abt the Amerisuites--next time we will try to Holiday Inn Express (no pool) or something else--the 17th St Causeway area is very conenient for reasons posted but a trip over to the Riverwalk & Las Olas would make for a great pre-cruise day! That's what we did last time --it was one of the best days of our vacation....

[squirrelgardens]

We had booked at the HI Express Sea/Air .....now I am glad we did. The rate was $179.50 each night before our April 13th Repositioning. Thanks.