Best Pre-Cruise Hotel

[cruser2]

Can anyone recommend a good pre-cruise hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. We will be cruising on the Grand Princess and looking for a 1 night pre-cruise hotel close to the pier.

Thanks in advance.:)

[croozinsnoozin79]

Check out North American Homeports, East Coast Departures board. All the info and then some you will ever need to know to find a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale.

[fllady]

You don't really need a car OR a shuttle if you stay at one of these

hotels. Just grab a cab, it's MUCH quicker and easier! They're all less

than 10 minutes from FLL, just outside the entrance to Port Everglades

and are surrounded by dozens of restaurants, shops, grocery, drug &

liquor stores as well as the very popular Water Taxi all within safe, easy

walking distance.

 

SE 17th Street hotels (closest to Port Everglades and FLL)...

 

Renaissance... http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/FLLBR

 

Embassy Suites... http://www.embassysuites.com/en/es/h...tyhocn=FLLSOES

 

Marina Marriott... http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/FLLFL

 

Holiday Inn Express "Convention Center"...

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hd/fllcc

 

Extended Stay America...

http://www.extendedstayamerica.com/h...er-marina.html

 

AmeriSuites... http://amerisuites.com/reservations/...asp?facid=3929

AmeriSuites is cheaper on Valuetrips...

http://www.valuetrips.com/AMS/FL/F17.htm

 

Here's a list of the SE 17th Street area Restaurants...

 

Tara Steak & Lobster is right next door to 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.

 

Einstein Bros. Bagels is across the street from Holiday Inn

Express/Extended Stay America... http://www.einsteinbros.com/

 

Bimini Boatyard and Bravo (great Italian restaurant) 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/

 

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...ab-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/

__________________

[ajoneen]

that is some of the best information Ive seen on these boards. Good info, no crap, no long stories.

 

In short- THANKS

[cruzzers]

Just wondering if anyone here has had any problems staying at the Extended Stay on 17 St? I just called and they told me that during Feb they couldn't promise that even if we make reservations, we would be at that hotel. They told me that they are an "Extended Stay facility" and not set up for short stays and they may move us to another hotel. We have a big group going so we are concerned that we could be spread out all over the place and then have to find our own transportations to boot. Have any of you experienced that?