Hotel with Free Shuttle to FLL Airport, Downtown and Cruise Terminal

[lifeasme123]

Our annual family cruise is set for OTS on Dec 6th this year. There are 12 of us going this time. I am looking for advice on hotels that offer free (or reasonably priced) shuttle service from airport, cruise terminal and downtown.

 

We are looking to fly in one day early (most are flying in from CA) and then stay one night after the cruise. After the cruise we would like to get a taste of the Riverwalk/Olas area. At the saem time we would like to avoid having to rent a car for one day.

 

Is this possible?

[megr1125]

First, you probably do not mean DOWNTOWN Ft Lauderdale...that area is not all that nice.

 

Second, get "free shuttles" out of your mind, or even reasonably priced ones..cabs are faster, cheaper and oh yes, they go when YOU want..

 

Third...how many rooms and what is your realistic budget?

 

Look near the 17th street area..(RIGHT near the pier, and probably what many travelers would consider the 'down town area' unless you mean the beach area... but DOWNTOWN Ft Lauderdale is not the best).MANY walkable things, shopping, places to eat, etc. Cab to the pier should be 10-15 bucks or so PER CAB and 15-20 to the airport..

 

You can take http://www.suntrolley.com to get around, and also http://www.watertaxi.com

 

I would suggest you scroll around this thread ..you'll get a lot of ideas.

 

Embassy Suites is good, so is the Renaissance , Hyatt Pier 66 and even the Hilton Marina..

 

I think the Doubletree Galleria (Brain fade on the name..) and the Riverwalk are options near Las Olas but really, with the transportation options above you can get almost anyplace..

 

BTW none of the places near anything fun have "free" shuttles....they're pretty much all extra charge, a couple may offer free airport shuttles...but truthfully, go in a cab.....you'll save....

Edited May 21, 2014 by megr1125

[jlmkey]

Spring Hill Suites....Dania Bach.....great location free parking free breakfast shuttle to ship ~6.00p/p includes return.....

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[lifeasme123]

First, you probably do not mean DOWNTOWN Ft Lauderdale...that area is not all that nice.

 

Second, get "free shuttles" out of your mind, or even reasonably priced ones..cabs are faster, cheaper and oh yes, they go when YOU want..

 

Third...how many rooms and what is your realistic budget?

 

Look near the 17th street area..(RIGHT near the pier, and probably what many travelers would consider the 'down town area' unless you mean the beach area... but DOWNTOWN Ft Lauderdale is not the best).MANY walkable things, shopping, places to eat, etc. Cab to the pier should be 10-15 bucks or so PER CAB and 15-20 to the airport..

 

You can take http://www.suntrolley.com to get around, and also http://www.watertaxi.com

 

I would suggest you scroll around this thread ..you'll get a lot of ideas.

 

Embassy Suites is good, so is the Renaissance , Hyatt Pier 66 and even the Hilton Marina..

 

I think the Doubletree Galleria (Brain fade on the name..) and the Riverwalk are options near Las Olas but really, with the transportation options above you can get almost anyplace..

 

BTW none of the places near anything fun have "free" shuttles....they're pretty much all extra charge, a couple may offer free airport shuttles...but truthfully, go in a cab.....you'll save....

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Sorry - I don't know the area well so I am glad you corrected me on the "downtown" reference. We are looking for a place close to the riverwalk (or water taxis) and Olas area. We want to do the "touristy" thing and not the beaches (will have plenty of time to do that while on the cruise). :-) So what do you call the area where Olas Blvd and touristy thing? I read the water taxis will give us a tour of the "rich and famous" people homes. :-) One can dream. :-)

 

I found the Hilton Marina and Hyatt Pier 66 reading through the various postings but didn't see good reviews for them. Also, Hilton charges $21/day for parking. I also found Hampton Inn North Airport Cruise Terminal (something like that). I am unsure if it is near enough to walk.

 

We are looking into 3-4 rooms, with 2-4 people in each. About $100-200/room My in-laws are driving from Tampa area and I thought maybe I can get a hotel where they park their car while on the cruise. This is not a deal breaker as they parked near the port/terminal on our last cruise on AOTS.

 

Re: transportation - how many people can fit in a cab? 4? Thoughts on a shuttle vs 2 cabs for 8 people?

 

Thanks again!

[lifeasme123]

Spring Hill Suites....Dania Bach.....great location free parking free breakfast shuttle to ship ~6.00p/p includes return.....

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I looked up this hotel and the option looks great. I need to find out if it's within walking dist to the Olas Blvd and/or if tax is inexpensive.

 

They have a stay/park/cruise option.

[eandj]

I looked up this hotel and the option looks great. I need to find out if it's within walking dist to the Olas Blvd and/or if tax is inexpensive.

 

They have a stay/park/cruise option.

 

 

Any hotel offering free parking will be nearer the airport...about a 15 min drive from the beach/port etc. I would not put all those people at the airport hotels just for parking one car.

Cabs from airport hotels to the city/beach/port will run under $20 each way. There are suv cabs that hold 5.

You might look at Hyatt Place North. Off of 17th St near lots of restaurnats and stores. Book on valuetrips.com for the best rate. If time, you can catch the trolley very near there to head to Las Olas and the beach.

[Happy2cruise]

Spring Hill Suites....Dania Bach.....great location free parking free breakfast shuttle to ship ~6.00p/p includes return.....

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We stayed at the Spring Hill Suites twice, the latest in March and the shuttle to the ship was free both times.......has that recently changed:confused:

[megr1125]

No prob..

 

the Hyatt Place North is fine (though not my fave HP....but again, YMMV) And reviews are subjective.

 

I stayed at both the Hyatt Pier 66 and the Hilton Marina...while I had some issues at both, the General Manager of the Hyatt was VERY nice, whereas at the Hilton,no one cared....They BOTH get busy with cruisers.

 

That said, i would stay at the Hyatt again.....

 

The Courtyard FL Beach is also very nice, and it's opposite the beach. Again, cab fares will not be much, a tiny bit more (closer to the higher side of what's been mentioned)

 

For a night, don't even bother with a rental car...you can get around fine with the sun trolley, water taxi, cabs, walking or even the bus.

 

 

While generally you need more than 3-4 rooms for a group deal, call a couple places DIRECT, ask for sales and see if they can work out a slightly better rate....the worst they can say is no, best case scenario, the knock a few bucks off the rate....

[royalcruz]

Thanks for the info!

 

Sorry - I don't know the area well so I am glad you corrected me on the "downtown" reference. We are looking for a place close to the riverwalk (or water taxis) and Olas area. We want to do the "touristy" thing and not the beaches (will have plenty of time to do that while on the cruise). :-) So what do you call the area where Olas Blvd and touristy thing? I read the water taxis will give us a tour of the "rich and famous" people homes. :-) One can dream. :-)

 

...

 

Thanks again!

I live in Fort Lauderale and everyone I know refers to Las Olas/Riverwalk as "downtown" and we think it is nice. The area east of Andrews Avenue is more upscale that the area west of Andrews. The only 2 hotels downtown are Riverside Hotel and Hampton Inn Downtown. Riverside has no shuttles. Hampton Inn offers some free shuttles but clarify with the hotel; their website says they have port and local transportation...I wouldn't walk after dark from this hotel to Las Olas Blvd; it is only a couple of blocks away, but is in a more isolated part of downtown which isn't so nice. Taxis to/from this area from port/airport is $20-25.

I get best prices for Hampton Inns on HiltonFamilyMVP; you need a free hhonors number to qualify.

Edited May 21, 2014 by royalcruz

[snow bunny]

Try booking through value trips for the Hyatt Place on 10th. They have rooms wih double beds plus a hide a bed couch, could then do just two rooms as long as everyone likes each other! Breakfast was fairly decent as well. They have a shuttle to the hotel from the airport and are within walking distance to the water taxi. We had four of us in a taxi along with luggage for the trip to the port, cost with tip was around $15 or so! Best part was it was a quick walk to Total Wine. I will be back here in October with my DD as we are flying into FLL for our NCL Getaway cruise out of Miami.

 

snow bunny

[ForSharonB]

Try booking through value trips for the Hyatt Place on 10th. They have rooms wih double beds plus a hide a bed couch, could then do just two rooms as long as everyone likes each other! Breakfast was fairly decent as well. They have a shuttle to the hotel from the airport and are within walking distance to the water taxi. We had four of us in a taxi along with luggage for the trip to the port, cost with tip was around $15 or so! Best part was it was a quick walk to Total Wine. I will be back here in October with my DD as we are flying into FLL for our NCL Getaway cruise out of Miami.

 

snow bunny

I'm interested in this hotel for DH and me for our Nov 8 cruise out of Miami.

I've never stayed in FLL for a POM cruise.

How will you get to POM on cruise morning?

[Marie51]

Our annual family cruise is set for OTS on Dec 6th this year. There are 12 of us going this time. I am looking for advice on hotels that offer free (or reasonably priced) shuttle service from airport, cruise terminal and downtown.

 

We are looking to fly in one day early (most are flying in from CA) and then stay one night after the cruise. After the cruise we would like to get a taste of the Riverwalk/Olas area. At the saem time we would like to avoid having to rent a car for one day.

 

Is this possible?

 

The Doubletree Gallery One is $108 on LastMinuteTravel. They have suites with 2 double beds and a sofa bed and are right on the water taxi route. We just stayed there last month and there were 10 of us.

 

We used Johns car service to pick us up from the airport and then also take us to the ship the next morning. That worked out better for our large group and all our luggage than using multiple taxis.

[lifeasme123]

The Doubletree Gallery One is $108 on LastMinuteTravel. They have suites with 2 double beds and a sofa bed and are right on the water taxi route. We just stayed there last month and there were 10 of us.

 

We used Johns car service to pick us up from the airport and then also take us to the ship the next morning. That worked out better for our large group and all our luggage than using multiple taxis.

 

Thanks for the tip. The rate for this hotel is $298 right now. Also, do not see it on LastMinuteTravel. How far before your trip did you book the room?

[Marie51]

Thanks for the tip. The rate for this hotel is $298 right now. Also, do not see it on LastMinuteTravel. How far before your trip did you book the room?

 

It is the first hotel on the list with green bedspreads on the bed and a glass of orange juice with some fruit if you look at the pictures. If you call the toll free number they will take a few dollars off the rate. They will also verify that it is the hotel you are looking for. You have to prepay but it can be cancelled as long as you do it 3 day or more ahead.

I booked it about 6 months before our trip.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Marie51

[lifeasme123]

It is the first hotel on the list with green bedspreads on the bed and a glass of orange juice with some fruit if you look at the pictures. If you call the toll free number they will take a few dollars off the rate. They will also verify that it is the hotel you are looking for. You have to prepay but it can be cancelled as long as you do it 3 day or more ahead.

I booked it about 6 months before our trip.

 

Not sure why I do not see it. Doubletree Gallery One does not show up in my search results at all.

[lifeasme123]

It is the first hotel on the list with green bedspreads on the bed and a glass of orange juice with some fruit if you look at the pictures. If you call the toll free number they will take a few dollars off the rate. They will also verify that it is the hotel you are looking for. You have to prepay but it can be cancelled as long as you do it 3 day or more ahead.

I booked it about 6 months before our trip.

 

Found it!

[Marie51]

Found it!

 

Good. if you found it then you know it does not have the hotel name, only says 3.5* but I can identify the hotel by the pictures.

They do not have a free shuttle but you can't beat the price. There is a CVS and Publix within walking distance if you need to pick up anything last minute.

[Algebralovr]

Once you see pricing on the discount sites, call reservations for the hotel you are interested in and see if they will match the online price. Hyatt usually will. If you book through another website, you do not get Hyatt points for their loyalty club. I believe the Hilton properties have a similar policy.

 

I would look at car services if there are not free shuttles. It is a matter of comparing prices.

[cruisingmimi]

Jen70,

 

If you want to be near Las Olas area and riverwalk then look at Hampton Inn/Las Olas. We stayed there in March for one night pre-cruise and loved the hotel and was a 15 min walk to Las Olas.

http://www.hamptoninnftlauderdale.com/

 

They did have a free shuttle to the port and you sign up for a pickup time (10:30 or 12:00). You can park your car there for a fee or check to see if there are any specials being offered by them for a park 'N Stay. There is a nice breakfast included in the rate.

We walked to Las Olas but it was longer walk than we thought (15 min.). Lots of stores to shop in, riverwalk located there, and lots of the restaurants had happy hour specials.

We really enjoyed our stay there. Hotel staff are outstanding!

 

We did pre-purchase our return to the hotel to pick up our car but unless they improved the pickup I would not recommend this option (it was $10. pp). I would suggest you grab a car and get a direct drop to the hotel from the port. We had to drop several people off at other hotels and the airport and it was time consuming doing this. We had a very long wait at the pier for the shuttle to pick us up.

 

Distance from hotel to port is only about 3 miles.

[royalcruz]

Jen70,

 

If you want to be near Las Olas area and riverwalk then look at Hampton Inn/Las Olas. We stayed there in March for one night pre-cruise and loved the hotel and was a 15 min walk to Las Olas.

http://www.hamptoninnftlauderdale.com/

 

They did have a free shuttle to the port and you sign up for a pickup time (10:30 or 12:00). You can park your car there for a fee or check to see if there are any specials being offered by them for a park 'N Stay. There is a nice breakfast included in the rate.

We walked to Las Olas but it was longer walk than we thought (15 min.). Lots of stores to shop in, riverwalk located there, and lots of the restaurants had happy hour specials.

We really enjoyed our stay there. Hotel staff are outstanding!

 

We did pre-purchase our return to the hotel to pick up our car but unless they improved the pickup I would not recommend this option (it was $10. pp). I would suggest you grab a car and get a direct drop to the hotel from the port. We had to drop several people off at other hotels and the airport and it was time consuming doing this. We had a very long wait at the pier for the shuttle to pick us up.

 

Distance from hotel to port is only about 3 miles.

This is the hotel that I mentioned in post #9. It is perfect for what the OP wants for after the cruise.

[Lois R]

I'm interested in this hotel for DH and me for our Nov 8 cruise out of Miami.

I've never stayed in FLL for a POM cruise.

How will you get to POM on cruise morning?

 

Hi, you are staying in Ft. Lauderdale pre-cruise and sailing out of Miami?

You have a couple of choices......cab or limo service. Or, you could

change hotels and stay down in Miami:)

Edited May 25, 2014 by Lois R

[lifeasme123]

This is the hotel that I mentioned in post #9. It is perfect for what the OP wants for after the cruise.

 

Thanks for the advice from everyone! I have called each hotel and got the information I need. Now I found out 4 more family/friends are coming along. I thought about the Hampton Inn /Las Olas but the distance to walk may be much for some - most are over 50. Plus your comment about not walking after dark raises concern for me. We have 4 generatons on this cruise.

 

I have narrowed down to 3 hotels so thanks for all the suggestions. Through this thread and my research I realize the hotel shultte to the port is not important. We can get a van service to take us for less than the hotel per person price.

 

I am also looking into renting a house instead given teh number of people.

 

Other than the water taxi/riverwalk/las olas area....anything else there is to do for 2-3 days?

[Lois R]

Thanks for the advice from everyone! I have called each hotel and got the information I need. Now I found out 4 more family/friends are coming along. I thought about the Hampton Inn /Las Olas but the distance to walk may be much for some - most are over 50. Plus your comment about not walking after dark raises concern for me. We have 4 generatons on this cruise.

 

I have narrowed down to 3 hotels so thanks for all the suggestions. Through this thread and my research I realize the hotel shultte to the port is not important. We can get a van service to take us for less than the hotel per person price.

 

I am also looking into renting a house instead given teh number of people.

 

Other than the water taxi/riverwalk/las olas area....anything else there is to do for 2-3 days?

 

Do the folks enjoy the beach?:) There is that:D

[lifeasme123]

Do the folks enjoy the beach?:) There is that:D

 

I figured we will have plenty of beach time on the cruise. Additionally most of the group are from Southern CA near the beaches.

[Lois R]

I figured we will have plenty of beach time on the cruise. Additionally most of the group are from Southern CA near the beaches.

 

Oh...ok, I was just making a suggestion:)....I had no idea where

all your group is from and alot of folks enjoy the beaches even if

they are going to them on the cruise;)

 

Do they enjoy shopping? You could rent a couple of cars and go

to Sawgrass Mills.