Why No Downtown Hotels?

[dmk]

I find it interesting that so many have gotten great deals on Hyatt Pier 66. It's like priceline and Hotwire are giving it away.

However, there does not seem to be any downtown hotels being won.

What are your thoughts?

[DanJ]

I'm sure there are, but I would only guess that not a lot of cruisers are looking in that area. Or if they are, then they realize transportation to and from will eat up any potential savings over being in the port or beach area.

[BlueHerons]

I find it interesting that so many have gotten great deals on Hyatt Pier 66. It's like priceline and Hotwire are giving it away.

 

However, there does not seem to be any downtown hotels being won.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

What downtown hotels are you talking about? The Riverside gets won all the time.

[eandj]

If you are thinking Embassy or Renaissance on 17th....they rarely if ever show up. They get rooms filled at the going rates all winter.

 

Which hotels?

[dmk]

I'm sure there are, but I would only guess that not a lot of cruisers are looking in that area. Or if they are, then they realize transportation to and from will eat up any potential savings over being in the port or beach area.

 

I am not sure what you mean. Transportation for the port is not expensive since the hotels around 17th are close to the port. Transportaion from the airport to downtown is about the same. Lots of people look for hotels close 17th because of the above

 

If you are thinking Embassy or Renaissance on 17th....they rarely if ever show up. They get rooms filled at the going rates all winter.

 

Which hotels?

 

Renaissance Fort Lauderdale at Port Everglades. I have won this hotel many times over the past few years.

 

Embassy Suites Fort Lauderdale - 17th Street

 

Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina I have also won this hotel many times

Hyatt Place Ft. Lauderdale/Airport-North

Holiday Inn Express Ft. Lauderdale Airport/Cruise

 

Extended Stay America - Fort Lauderdale Airport-Cruiseport

[firefly333]

Ft. Lauderdale .. downtown .. I would hardly call that a downtown area. .. its a tiny area if you have actually seen it and not sure any hotels within the boundaries of what I would call downtown.

[startwin]

What downtown hotels are you talking about? The Riverside gets won all the time.

 

What area would you enter for the Riverside? I really like the look of this hotel.

[eandj]

What area would you enter for the Riverside? I really like the look of this hotel.

 

 

Las Olas/Downtown

[eandj]

Well, much has to do with demand, obviously. And to "win" on priceline just means that you hit at least the minimum amount of dollars needed by the hotel for that room. If people are paying a higher dollar amount and are booking at other non-discount sites and thru the hotels' sites, Pl and Hotwire doens't have the rooms to sell at deep discounts. Fridays and especially Saturdays in Ft. are high in Jan and Feb. With all the mega ships, vacancies are just fewer. It is going to be important to book cancelable res. early and hunt for last minute (less than a month) vacancies for the bigger discounts.

WSJ just had an article re how this year's travel was up and the rates show that.

 

I personally haven't tried booking Renaissance in a slower period. And I have seen no big "winners" during peak months there in a couple years. The cruiselines have been using Embassy Suites and are blocking out lots of rooms. Again, no chance for deep discounts if the rooms are being booked in advance.

[Busman723]

I have never used LMT/Priceline/Hotwire. We are doing a T/A in April on the Eclpise. We are flying into FLL and sailing out of POM. How do I know what Hotel I am bidding on?

We usually stay a Holiday Inn Express. I have checked with the one in 17th and they want $184/nite. Can I get another 3.5 or 4 star hotel for about $125 or $130, doing LMT/Priceline/Hotwire?

Thanks for any adivce on this.

[eandj]

Two big questions....

*Where do you want to stay...Ft. or Miami???

 

*What is the exact date you need?

 

 

 

Are you open to stay at a different hotel???

If you are talking the week beofre or week after Easter, rates will be higher than normal of course.

[Busman723]

eandj

We are open to staying in Ft.L or Miami Never stayed in Miami. No idea where is the best to stay. We will be arriving on April 20th. Leaving on cruise on April 21st. We could arrive as early as the 19th, if the prices of air fares are better on the 19th.

[DanJ]

I am not sure what you mean. Transportation for the port is not expensive since the hotels around 17th are close to the port. Transportaion from the airport to downtown is about the same. Lots of people look for hotels close 17th because of the above

 

OK, well, it's been a while since I looked up the zones on Hotwire, and I've never looked them up on Priceline because of their 2 person guarantee. But, I don't think of 17th St as being downtown Ft Lauderdale. To me, admitedly not a local, downtown FT Laud is Broward Ave, south to the New River, and maybe a few blocks south of that and a few blocks either side of Andrews Ave.

 

But anyway, I see reports all the time of people getting hotels in the 17th St area. As said, the Embassy Suites does pretty well without needing Hotwire to fill it, but people are constantly reporting Hyatt Place North, as well as Holiday Inn Conv Center, and to a lesser extent, Renaissance and Hilton Marina.

[eandj]

eandj

We are open to staying in Ft.L or Miami Never stayed in Miami. No idea where is the best to stay. We will be arriving on April 20th. Leaving on cruise on April 21st. We could arrive as early as the 19th, if the prices of air fares are better on the 19th.

 

 

I just glsanced at LMT for you and you could stay in downtown Miami on the 20th for about $125-$130 at a 3 1/2 star hotel like the Holiday Inn Port of Miami or the Hilton on Biscayne Blvd.

 

You are offering too many options for me to research on a busy Saturday. ;)

 

What I would do if you, is first make the decision re one or two nights. If you are staying just the one night, I'd head to Miami on arrival in FTL, stay at something near the port and spend the time there roaming Bayside park and Mall. You'll be only a ten dollar cab ride to the pier in the morning. And the rates are reasonable for that night. This will avoid having to transport to Maimi in the morning. Of course that's just my opinion. Some will say stay in Ftl. You could decide that after making the air res. After researching, you might find one place or the other cheaper that night.

 

If you decide to fly earlier for two nights, I wouldn't look at downtown Miami hotels. You'd want to spend the time in Miami Beach where you can enjoy the beaches during April. Or in Ft.L which is a very nice city with its waterways, beautiful beaches, restaurants etc. I didn't look at rates for hotel on the 19th.

 

You can tell what hotel is being offered on LMT by pretending you are booking and then adding a city tour or one of the other add ons. When the total due shows, it will tell you the hotel. To know the hotels on hotwire, you need to look at the hotel lists for the cities on betterbidding.com and compare the location, star level and amenities to narrow it down. Never a sure thing tho.

 

Hope I helped a little. Gotta run..:eek:

[dmk]

OK, well, it's been a while since I looked up the zones on Hotwire, and I've never looked them up on Priceline because of their 2 person guarantee. But, I don't think of 17th St as being downtown Ft Lauderdale. To me, admitedly not a local, downtown FT Laud is Broward Ave, south to the New River, and maybe a few blocks south of that and a few blocks either side of Andrews Ave.

 

But anyway, I see reports all the time of people getting hotels in the 17th St area. As said, the Embassy Suites does pretty well without needing Hotwire to fill it, but people are constantly reporting Hyatt Place North, as well as Holiday Inn Conv Center, and to a lesser extent, Renaissance and Hilton Marina.

 

Hi Dan,

 

I only use the term "downtown" for these hotels since that is the term used by Hotwire and Priceline for these hotels.

 

Please, where are people constantly reporting Hyatt Place North, Holiday Inn Conv Center, and to a lesser extent, Renaissance and Hilton Marina? I haven't seen any reports here or any other sites and I would love to book these hotels:)