Hotels before cruise

[CruisingLover]

Hi All

 

I asked in a previous post about hotels in Ft. Lauderdale to stay at before our Jan 2, 2016 cruise on Oasis. I got some helpful answers :) but would like to know specifically about 3 choices I am thinking of. We would like to be near "stuff" as we will not have a car and will be there for NYE so any recommendations as to what to do around those particular hotels would be appreciated. Also, our 3 kids (21, 19 and 15) will be with us.

 

If it helps to maybe add more recommended hotels, we are going to be using our Hilton Honors points so it has to be a Hilton owned property.

 

OK here are the 3 I am looking at:

 

1) Hampton Inn Ft. Lauderdale/Plantation

 

2) Homewood Suites by Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Airport-Cruise Port

 

3) Embassy Suites Fort Lauderdale - 17th Street

 

Thanks for all of the help on this!!

[GTO-Girl]

Hi All

 

I asked in a previous post about hotels in Ft. Lauderdale to stay at before our Jan 2, 2016 cruise on Oasis. I got some helpful answers :) but would like to know specifically about 3 choices I am thinking of. We would like to be near "stuff" as we will not have a car and will be there for NYE so any recommendations as to what to do around those particular hotels would be appreciated. Also, our 3 kids (21, 19 and 15) will be with us.

 

If it helps to maybe add more recommended hotels, we are going to be using our Hilton Honors points so it has to be a Hilton owned property.

 

OK here are the 3 I am looking at:

 

1) Hampton Inn Ft. Lauderdale/Plantation

 

2) Homewood Suites by Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Airport-Cruise Port

 

3) Embassy Suites Fort Lauderdale - 17th Street

 

Thanks for all of the help on this!!

 

Defintely Embassy Suites.......the 17th street area is very near the port and has restaurants you can walk to. This hotel is a BIG favorite of cruisers here on these boards.

 

Hopefully some of our local folks will chime in soon that can give you more details.

Edited February 3, 2015 by GTO-Girl

[dacsmom]

I commented under your other post about the Embassy Suites. It is a great hotel with a lot of room, and across the street from food and shopping. Each room is a suite with a sofa bed in the living room. The full breakfast is also a plus, and is included in the price.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Definitely another vote for the Embassy Suites.

 

To add to what previous posters have said, great "manager's cocktail party" each evening with free drinks including non-alcoholic and basic snacks. Also very convenient to shopping plaza and numerous restaurants.

 

Breakfast in the morning is excellent. Would not eat dinner there primarily because there are better, cheaper options within easy walking distance.

 

Also take a cab to the pier in the morning - faster and cheaper than hotel shuttle, which last July was $10 per person.

[Desertbelle]

We've stayed at the Embassy Suites in Ft. Lauderdale several times and we love it.

 

Easy to walk to shopping and food. We always eat at least once every stay at Kelly's Landing, which is just across the street and down a block. Excellent Boston style seafood place. Yummy.....I can imagine those delicious fried clams right now! :)

[CruisingLover]

Sounds like Embassy is the way to go!

 

Are the other 2 hotels scummy or gross or anything? I would totally just go ahead and pick Embassy but the reason I ask is because my sister and her family are going on the cruise too. They don't have points to use for a hotel so will be paying out of pocket and Embassy may not be in their budget.

 

Also, what do people do there on NYE? We aren't huge party people but also don't want to just sit in the hotel

[jamesr3939]

Do you have enough points for the Doubletree Gallery One? We stayed there a couple of years ago and it was very nice. I am a Hilton person and will be using points in three weeks at the Hilton Marina pre-cruise only because my brother is a Hyatt person and staying close by. It just makes it easier to do a limo down to south beach on Friday and then group transit to the ship on Saturday.

 

The Doubletree is right across the street from a huge mall and the water taxi stops a few feet from the pool bar. I would have booked it had it not been for my brother booking the Hyatt.

[George C]

We always do the embassy suites, nice hotel, good location , only 10 or 15 dollar taxi from port

[Sky616]

You can also hop on the trolley that will take you down to the beach area. You can get on it at the forum shops about a block away from the Embassy Suites. Took our kids to the beach there in November. It's a buck per person each way. We stayed 2 nights precuise. The cocktail reception and breakfast were very good.

[CruisingLover]

Do you have enough points for the Doubletree Gallery One? We stayed there a couple of years ago and it was very nice. I am a Hilton person and will be using points in three weeks at the Hilton Marina pre-cruise only because my brother is a Hyatt person and staying close by. It just makes it easier to do a limo down to south beach on Friday and then group transit to the ship on Saturday.

 

The Doubletree is right across the street from a huge mall and the water taxi stops a few feet from the pool bar. I would have booked it had it not been for my brother booking the Hyatt.

 

We do have enough points for this one but it would cost out of pocket just slightly more than Embassy because The Gallery doesn't offer free breakfast. I know it's not a HUGE amount to worry about but every little bit we can save is a plus in my book :)

[beachsands]

We always do the embassy suites, nice hotel, good location , only 10 or 15 dollar taxi from port

 

 

 

 

George is that per person or the cab full of people?

 

Joel

[royalcruz]

The only one on your list that I would choose is Embassy Suites because it is surrounded by lots of eateries that are good for families. I would prefer the Doubletree at Gallery One, but I understand that free breakfast is important. I also think the kids would enjoy the Doubletree at Bahia Mar at the beach.

Edited February 3, 2015 by royalcruz

[JohninDC]

George is that per person or the cab full of people?

 

Joel

 

Price is for the cab, not per person like a shuttle charges.

[beachsands]

Price is for the cab, not per person like a shuttle charges.

 

 

Thanks John,

i can count the times i have been in a cab on one hand and still have 3 fingers available...lol.

I appreciate the quick response.

 

 

Joel

[CruisingLover]

The only one on your list that I would choose is Embassy Suites because it is surrounded by lots of eateries that are good for families. I would prefer the Doubletree at Gallery One, but I understand that free breakfast is important. I also think the kids would enjoy the Doubletree at Bahia Mar at the beach.

 

Thanks for this suggestion. Unfortunately there are no rooms available for our nights :(

[CruisingLover]

We do have enough points for this one but it would cost out of pocket just slightly more than Embassy because The Gallery doesn't offer free breakfast. I know it's not a HUGE amount to worry about but every little bit we can save is a plus in my book :)

 

Do you have enough points for the Doubletree Gallery One? We stayed there a couple of years ago and it was very nice. I am a Hilton person and will be using points in three weeks at the Hilton Marina pre-cruise only because my brother is a Hyatt person and staying close by. It just makes it easier to do a limo down to south beach on Friday and then group transit to the ship on Saturday.

 

The Doubletree is right across the street from a huge mall and the water taxi stops a few feet from the pool bar. I would have booked it had it not been for my brother booking the Hyatt.

 

Ok. I initially said we weren't going to book this one. But it looks so nice, so I booked it :) Since we are Diamond Hilton members, we will get 2 free breakfasts so that helps out a little :D

 

Any tips on this hotel you can share?