Which hotel is best? Fort Lauderdale

[BlueHerons]

We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Ft. Lauderdale this past January because of all the glowing recommendations I had seen on CC.

 

I have to admit that I was very disappointed. I thought the "living room" part of the suite was very dark and outdated. The crowds waiting for the elevators at checkout time Saturday morning made for 20 minute waits for the elevators (NOT exaggerating)! The cocktail hour was so crowded you had to wait in a long line leading up to the bar and then couldn't find a place to sit. The breakfast was not good and, again, it was very hard to find a place to sit. Trying to get out of the hotel and to the cruise port was very crowded and disorganized!

 

In all fairness, it is possible this was all a fluke because there were five large ships in port that day and I don't know if that is the "norm". Also, the location was very convenient and perfect for picking up wine and any last minute items from the grocery. The beds are always very nice in Hilton family hotels.

 

And before anyone thinks I'm just a hotel "snob" I have to admit that our hotel of choice is usually Hampton Inn, which should definitely be a step below an Embassy Suites! With all the recommendations here on CC, I just wanted people to know that things can sometimes be different.

 

Five ships in port is the norm for Port Everglades.

 

FWIW, that Embassy is a heavily trafficked hotel and is getting a little worn but for the most part, it is a good hotel.

 

In my opinion, I think Hampton Inns are nicer than ES.

[Bert64]

I've stayed at the Hyatt Place as well and found it a great place to stay (basically same location as the Embassy Streets to it's still close to everything) and it had the shuttle from the airport to the hotel and then from the hotel to the port. I don't know if the shuttles are still free, but it was when we were there, so that's another cost you should factor in. I like the rooms and liked to staff as well. If it were between the 2, I'd definitely go for which one is cheaper because I don't see the Embassy Suites being so much better than the Hyatt Place.