kitty1625 Posted July 2, 2005 #1 Share Posted July 2, 2005 Need some help deciding where to stay after our cruise next April. I've been looking at hotels around South Beach and thought that Fort Lauderdale might have better beaches?? Any thoughts?? Also if anyone can recommend a nice clean hotel right on the beach, we would really appreciate it. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cawhite Posted July 2, 2005 #2 Share Posted July 2, 2005 Hi kitty1625, I've also been doing research and reading through the various posts here, as well as asking questions regarding a stay next April. From what I've learned it seems that Hollywood Beach is nicer, cleaner, and less crowded than Fort Lauderdale. Not sure about the comparison with Miami Beach. Do a search for post responses by bequia and trents... they are both locals who seem to have a very good handle on the local hotel scene, and have been helpful with advice. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grvdggr71 Posted July 6, 2005 #3 Share Posted July 6, 2005 This past May, I was in Miami Beach for a conference. We stayed in the middle of Miami Beach, but also ventured down to South Beach. Near the end of the trip, we drove to Ft. Lauderdale to look around a bit. Personally, I thought that Miami Beach and South Beach was dirty, overcrowded, and way too overrated. The prices for food and drinks are outrageously expensive, and though the food was good, it was not worth the price. Many say that South Beach is nice for "people watching", so I guess if that is your thing. The beach, at least in the areas we saw, had a solid line of dead seaweed and the sand turned to sharp jagged rocks about 5 feet into the ocean. It was not well maintained at all. Ft. Lauderdale Beach, on the other hand, was clean, less crowded, and overall was just more appealing. Food prices in the area were much more affordable than in Miami, at least in the one restaurant we ate in (admittedly, we did not spend nearly as much time in FLL as in Miami). Though some people may consider it blasphemy, I would rather go back to Ocean City, Maryland than back to Miami Beach, and I would definitely rather go to FLL than Miami Beach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dosi Posted July 6, 2005 #4 Share Posted July 6, 2005 We love Fort Lauderdale. Also we love Bill Baggs State Park in Key Biscayne just outside of Miami. That is a lovely beach and wasn't at all crowded when we were there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bequia Posted July 6, 2005 #5 Share Posted July 6, 2005 We love Fort Lauderdale. Also we love Bill Baggs State Park in Key Biscayne just outside of Miami. That is a lovely beach and wasn't at all crowded when we were there. Have you been to the John U. Lloyd State Park? It borders Port Everglades, has a beautiful expanse of beach and rarely has any crowds. http://www.floridastateparks.org/lloydbeach/ParkSummary.cfm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty1625 Posted July 7, 2005 Author #6 Share Posted July 7, 2005 Thanks everyone. So it looks as though I should focus on a hotel in Fort Lauderdale for post cruise. Any suggestions on a nice hotel on the beach in Fort Lauderdale? Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bequia Posted July 7, 2005 #7 Share Posted July 7, 2005 Any suggestions on a nice hotel on the beach in Fort Lauderdale? Thanks again! Marriott Harbor Beach http://www.marriottharborbeach.com/ or The Lago Mar http://www.lagomar.com/ ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss hlywd Posted July 22, 2005 #8 Share Posted July 22, 2005 Just wanted to add to cawhite's post: While Miami and Ft. Lauderdale both have great beaches, and lovely parks, Hollywood's beach is unique b/c of it's 2.5 mile paved boardwalk. In Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, eating at an outdoor "beachside" cafe actually means eating ACROSS THE STREET from the actual beach. In Hollywood, there are restaurants and shops all along the boardwalk which borders the sand. I find it much more pleasant be dining with pedestrians, bikers, and roller bladers passing by instead of cars driving by. (see pix below) A couple of other things that differentiate Hollywood from it's neighbors to the north and south: It's much more affordable, both the accomodations and restaurants. It's also very family-friendly...there's both miniature golf and a playground right on the boardwalk. For a bit more info on Hollywood, check out a thread I started a while back http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=184354 or go to http://www.visithollywood.org which has a complete listing of Hollywood hotels, attractions, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenandlaura06 Posted July 22, 2005 #9 Share Posted July 22, 2005 Is Hollywood Beach north of Fort Lauderdale or South???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss hlywd Posted July 22, 2005 #10 Share Posted July 22, 2005 Hollywood Beach is south of Ft. Lauderdale and north of Miami so it's especially convenient if you have a few days and want to explore both areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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