Hotel and Transportation Issues for FLL

[LA-Mom]

My family of four (2 youngs kids) is cruising on the Liberty on Saturday January 5, 2008. We are planning to fly in the day before but won't arrive until midnight Friday night. I have booked a room at the Comfort Suites Airport & Cruise Port. I believe that the hotel shuttle will still pick us up that late at night. Currently the room is about $250 a night with taxes.

 

I would like to use Hotwire or Priceline to get a cheaper room but was planning on the hotel to pick us up from the airport and take us to the port. I am not worried about access to entertainment and restaurants. I am interested in finding a hotel that can meet our transportation needs and is less expensive especially since we will only be there to get eight hours sleep and leave.

 

I see that I should use biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com to learn about the priceline and hotwire websites. I see that hotwire might be better for me since I need a room for four people.

 

What do I do about my transportation issues? How do I know what hotels meet my requirements for beds and transportation?

 

I have never used any bidding websites before. My biggest concern is that I save money on a hotel that has no transportation and then get stuck arranging and paying for taxis separately for no net gain!

[prarie cruiser]

I would focus on getting a good, cheaper hotel room rather than on the transport to the cruise terminal. Taxi service between all the hotels in the cruise terminal areas and the cruise terminal itself is both fairly inexpensive (think 20 dollars or less for all) and very efficient. Hotel shuttle services to the pier often are not the best way to go in FLL, as you have to sign up for a shuttle time, wait in the lobby for your turn, etc. Meanwhile, everyone who is taking a taxi is already at the port.

 

Try the Holiday Inn Express, it is often well thought of on these boards.

[Bequia]

Prairie Cruiser is absolutely right, more often then not the free shuttle is more trouble then it's worth. ;)

[LA-Mom]

OK.

 

So a taxi is about $20 for four people for each of the below situations If I stay at the Holiday Inn Express?

 

to the hotel from the airport,

to the port from the hotel,

and to the airport from the port?

 

What is a good price to pay for this hotel either directly or through Priceline/Hotwire for January 4th?

[Bequia]

Taxi from FLL to the HIX is about $14, from the HIX to the Port $12

[LA-Mom]

OK. I can live with those prices.

 

How do I know what a good rate for that hotel is? The travel websites are showing rates around $250 or more which is the same prices as the hotel I already booked.

 

I would definitely have to use Hotwire to save any money and am not sure how to do that as I have never used any bidding site.

 

Can anyone offer guidance on how to use Hotwire to get a deal on this specific hotel?

 

Thanks.

[Bequia]

Refer to Better Bidding http://betterbidding.com/ and Bidding for Travel http://p070.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding for comprehensive instructions on how to use Hotwire and Priceline.

[JoeSmooga]

OK.

 

So a taxi is about $20 for four people for each of the below situations If I stay at the Holiday Inn Express?

 

to the hotel from the airport,

to the port from the hotel,

and to the airport from the port?

 

What is a good price to pay for this hotel either directly or through Priceline/Hotwire for January 4th?

 

As an FYI, I was in the same boat (no pun intended) trying to find a room the night of 1/4. We are going on the Triumph the next day out of Miami, but wanted an inexpensive hotel up near FLL for the pre-cruise night. Maybe others will share their opinion about this hotel, but we booked the LaQuinta/Cypress Creek for substantially less than $250 (something like $62 right thru their website for the four of us). If entertainment isn't a concern and price is, from what I have been reading this may be an option you could look into. They do not have an airport shuttle (just called to confirm), but it's just a few miles north of the airport right off I95.

 

Joe

[MarriedInStThomas1807]

I really hope a lot of people aren't getting their room reservations for jan. 4th yet because I don't plan on getting mine for a few more weeks. Now I am getting worried

[JoeSmooga]

I really hope a lot of people aren't getting their room reservations for jan. 4th yet because I don't plan on getting mine for a few more weeks. Now I am getting worried

 

I would get on it soon. We found that the Orange Bowl game was right around our dates of arrival, so it appeared that the prices were being driven up as a result of it. Maybe there are other things going on around 1/4, but the prices sure seem higher that when we have gone down the same week in years past. Rooms are out there, but book soon to avoid getting your wallet raided. My biggest concern now is getting decent airfare from the midwest down to FLL or MIA, as I have yet to find any deals whatsoever. In the past it would run us aroun $220 pp. Now I can't seem to find anything for less than $296, and I have been checking everyday, multiple times, for the past month and a half.

 

Joe

[BlueHerons]

I really hope a lot of people aren't getting their room reservations for jan. 4th yet because I don't plan on getting mine for a few more weeks. Now I am getting worried

Your dates are peak season for South Florida. I'd go ahead and book something.

[MarriedInStThomas1807]

Your dates are peak season for South Florida. I'd go ahead and book something.

well now I'm worried.. I wont have the money for a few weeks :o

[Bequia]

well now I'm worried.. I wont have the money for a few weeks :o

 

You can book a room reservation without leaving a deposit.

[JoeSmooga]

You can book a room reservation without leaving a deposit.

 

Seconding what Bequia said... just look for hotels that hold the reservation to a CC. No charge to the card until the day you stay. BE MINDFUL that sites like Orbitz, Travelocity, and Expedia will charge your card sometimes based on the rates they offer (they position it like "in order to secure this great rate, your room fees will be charged at the time of reservation"). Typically if you book directly thru the hotel site you don't get charged. Just make sure to read the fine print. So you know, we typically do this to ensure we have a room somewhere down in FL, and will continue to watch for last minute deals at other hotels leading up to our departure.

 

Joe

[d&a Delaware]

LA-Mom

 

Right now you can get a special rate at the Comfort Inn Airport/Cruiseport South through the Southwest airlines site at $140/night. Here is a link I think will work:

http://www.southwest.com/hotfares/great_rates/fll25354.html

 

Even if you end up using taxi's instead of their shuttle, this may be about the best in-season rate you will find.

 

Other sites (in addition to priceline and hotwire) which may turn up a well discounted rate are sidestep (http://www.sidestep.com/ ) or the hotels portion of cheapOair ( http://www.cheapoair.com/ ). These sites take some time to navigate, so you might nail down a cancellable placeholder (like Comfort Inn through the Soutwest site) and give your self time to look around the other sites for something better. Good luck.

 

David

[LA-Mom]

Thank you for the hotel tip David. I will definitely look into it. That rate is certainly a good back up option if I decide not to go the hotwire route.

[megr1125]

i just booked the sheraton airport on sheraton.com for a AAA rate of 135 per nite for jan 5-7....that's half of what everyone else wants....it was on HW for 69 for those nights...as a 3.5* ft laud/hllywd airport hotel with tennis....i think some places have it as 3* (the bidding help sites) but it seems to be the only thing that could possibly be a 3.5* with tennis....

 

since my plans are not completely final, i want to be able to cancel.....the only way i can get a canacelable room for less is marriott points, so i booked something, just have to make sure i get enough points.......

 

hth

[T-ANN]

I really hope a lot of people aren't getting their room reservations for jan. 4th yet because I don't plan on getting mine for a few more weeks. Now I am getting worried

 

 

You better go ahead and get a room ASAP. That weekend is the BCS National Championship Football game in Miami. Hotel rooms will be more expensive and will fill up very fast.....

[LADYLAYLA]

You better go ahead and get a room ASAP. That weekend is the BCS National Championship Football game in Miami. Hotel rooms will be more expensive and will fill up very fast.....

 

 

Orange Bowl is 01-03-08, National Championship is 01-07-08 in New Orleans - according to the BCS website

 

BE careful with rates and hotels -- there are some that are advertising low rates, but charging your card in full when you make the deposit - no chance to change reservations whatso ever

[LA-Mom]

i just booked the sheraton airport on sheraton.com for a AAA rate of 135 per nite for jan 5-7....that's half of what everyone else wants....it was on HW for 69 for those nights...as a 3.5* ft laud/hllywd airport hotel with tennis....i think some places have it as 3* (the bidding help sites) but it seems to be the only thing that could possibly be a 3.5* with tennis....

hth

 

How far is this hotel from the airport and port? Is taxi fare still about $20 or less for four people from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the port? How does this hotel compare to the Comfort Inn Airport/Cruise Port South?

 

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

[megr1125]

I'm thinking maybe 5 miles...taxi should be about the same.....i saw it when i was in FLL looked ok and gets pretty good reviews on TA.....i think it has been fairly recently renovated......also it looked good on sheraton's website but you never know....

 

i figured it was a good deal and i'd book it and keep looking..i also have ressies at a couple marriott brands too mainly for free rooms since those are limited....

 

they have an sirport shuttle so that would be free....i am not a big sheraton girl but the couple times i stayed in them i didn't really have any complaints....

[LA-Mom]

LA-Mom

 

Right now you can get a special rate at the Comfort Inn Airport/Cruiseport South through the Southwest airlines site at $140/night. Here is a link I think will work:

http://www.southwest.com/hotfares/great_rates/fll25354.html

 

David

 

 

I have been trying for the past few days to get this rate. What a disappointing hassle it turned out to be!

 

I tried on two computers to book this deal through the Southwest website. On the last screen when I would click "Reserve room", I would get an error message saying that I had "Exceeded Maximum Optional Characters."

 

The error was wrong. There is only one optional field on the form and I had not filled it in. I verified the data entry rules on the page and everything else I could think of. I could not get around the error. I filled out the form in different ways multiple times. No luck. I tried different computers at home and work. Same problem.

 

I called Southwest. They said the special had to be booked through the website. They had an IT person test the site using a personal CC and they were able to book the reservation. They gave me numbers to call the hotel and work with them directly. I talked to the hotel. I talked to the clerk, reservation manager and sales coordinator. They all said it has to be booked through the Southwest website.

 

I had a family member book reservations when I found out about the deal since we are traveling in a large group. She booked two rooms. No problem for her. Unfortunately, I did not have her include a room for me since I did not know this was going to be such a fiasco.

 

I talked to the hotel again today and they said there are no more rooms at the special price for that date. Even though I grabbed an identical room, as advertised in the special, at the rack rate for that date, the hotel will not give me the southwest special price.

 

I called Southwest customer relations and they said they can not do anything for me. It has to be booked through the website they said and they are only a portal to the hotel booking system. The hotel has to be the one to make the price change and the hotel won't help me.

 

I am frustrated and disappointed. My travelling group has now jumped in to this deal because of my tip and I am the one out of luck. I am exhausted by this process.

 

Booking my own travel plans has never been something I enjoy. I have worn myself out on arranging flights, which was another chore that I won't go into, and arranging the cruise details. I still need a hotel and I am at a loss for how to move forward.

 

Anyone have any violins they can play for me? Or, how about some ideas for how to proceed?

 

Thank you for reading my rant.

[d&a Delaware]

LA Mom --

Ugh. What a frustrating experience. I too hate it when computer/mechanical things don't work right for me -- end up yelling at the screen or machine, scaring my dogs, not resolving anything, and not feeling very much better. Sorry my tip didn't work for you. Just before I posted it, I went back to the Soutwest site and did a phantom booking right up to the point of actually reserving the room, just to make sure the rate was still there. Maybe the only thing to do is book it now at the best rate you can still find on-line (some weeks ago I think it was available for $198), then you will at least have a fall back cancelable reservaton with the rest of your group and time to look for a workable alternative for the whole group. Not the solution you wanted to hear, I'm sure, but at least it creates a known situation from which you can begn to explore alternatives. Sorry for the colossal hassle.

 

David

 

PS -- don't know if this will be of any use to you at all, but when I figured out that I would be renting a car because that was the least expensive way to get from MIA (airport we are using to get best airfare) to our Ft. Lauderdale hotel, I was no longer dependent on "transfers" and could expand my search for an inexpensive but decent hotel. Through the travel discount site sidestep.com I found a Marriott Courtyard at Cypress Creek Rd. in North Fort Lauderdale with a Senior rate (I qualify) of $118. I grabbed it. No shuttles to FLL or Port Everglades that I know of, but the best cancellable rate for the night of March 22 that I have been able to find. Now I have six months to monitor Hotwire and Priceline to see if I can get a 3* or 4* property for under $100. Probably not, but who knows. I suspect that your biggest priority is going to be keeping your group together in one place, so what might be working for someone else may not be of use for you. Good luck.

[darbyups]

on travelalocity right now you can get a room at the fort lauderdale grand hotel and yacht club which is on 17th st right by port everglade for 125.00, am cruising on the 14 of jan and just booked room there

[LA-Mom]

I suspect that your biggest priority is going to be keeping your group together in one place, so what might be working for someone else may not be of use for you. Good luck.

 

on travelalocity right now you can get a room at the fort lauderdale grand hotel and yacht club which is on 17th st right by port everglade for 125.00, am cruising on the 14 of jan and just booked room there

 

I checked and the rate is much higher for Jan 4. I think this is because of the Orange Bowl. When I talk to the hotels about prices and dates, they say "Oh, the 4th." Obviously, that is proving to be a busy day for the hotels.

 

Thank you very much for passing on the tip. I do appreciate it.

 

I am not too worried about staying with my group since I will be coming in after midnight. My priority is a decent rate for a clean room in a safe area. I don't need a lot of restaurants, stores, entertainment, etc. If the price is low enough, I can even deal with arranging my own taxis and bypassing the free shuttles if I save money in the long run.

 

Family members that are in a different hotel are encouraging me and my family to crash in their room to sleep when we arrive but I really don't want to do that just to save $200.