FLL - Hurricanes - Hotels - Evacuations???

[sail7seas]

If FLL or Broward County orders an evacuation, do hotels simply throw their guests out and tell them to find a shelter? Obviously they do not have homes to go to or they would not be staying in a hotel.

 

It seems to me I read that Hyatt (which implies all hotels) had to evacuate when Frances was bearing down on them.

[taszmom]

It depends on where the hotel is located. Hotels on the barrier islands have to evacuate. We got kicked out of the Keys once and had to drive back home cutting short our vacation. Some hotels will find other hotels to send their guests or possibly even arrange for them to go to a shelter. My DH works at the Breakers Hotel over in Palm Beach (on the beach) and they are evacuating all guests at 10am tomorrow. My DH was supposed to work tomorrow night at a very large (and very expensive) wedding...hundreds of people flying in. Monday too, Merril Lynch having their convention at the hotel. No guests, no work, no paycheck. These hurricanes are killing us financially! 1 one was bad enough, 2 is not funny anymore!

[sail7seas]

Thanks for your response.

 

 

Where will The Breakers send all of their guests who must vacate the hotel?

 

I am very sorry to hear of the hardship you are incurring from all of these miserable storms. Hopefully, all will go well over this weekend and you and those around you will remain safe.

 

My heart aches for the folks whose wedding has been destroyed. Surely they will still get a big bill even though there was no party. All of the food/flowers/photographer/musicians/gowns etc had been ordered/reserved etc and must be paid for.

[Lauraally]

We just made hotel reservations in Miami for our cruise that should have sailed 9/25. The rooms are for 9/25 and 9/26. Any word of Miami evacuating?

[blndee77]

If FLL or Broward County orders an evacuation, do hotels simply throw their guests out and tell them to find a shelter? Obviously they do not have homes to go to or they would not be staying in a hotel.

 

It seems to me I read that Hyatt (which implies all hotels) had to evacuate when Frances was bearing down on them.

My mom's at the Hyatt Pier 66 tonight. Hotel told her they are evacuating at 10am tomorrow. They have to because of their location on the intercoastal. Most other hotels were booked, but they found her another hotel for tomorrow night - some name I hadn't heard of but they told her it was a "good part of town".

 

Her flight to the Zui left before all of the announcements so she doesn't have much choice. We have relatives in Tampa that she can rent a car and drive to if need be, but she says she feels safe in FLL.

[dramamama]

Evacuations have been ordered for early Saturday morning for low lying areas and Miami Beach. Check with your hotel. At present, no one is sure where they eye of Jeanne will pass but we all should have a better idea Saturday a.m.

[Lois R]

7, When I was a the Marriott (mine was a "normal" 7dayer")....with a change of itinerary only.

 

Anyway...I was talking to a couple of the staff and they told me when Frances was coming, yes, they evacuated....guests and staff...and the other Marriotts (in the Western area of FLL) were totally sold out and those folks on 17th Street did go to shelters.......I also happen to hear some guests on the phones calling home~telling whoever was on the other end of the phone that they had been in shelters for more than a couple of days.........

[peaches from georgia]

Normally it's just the barrier islands that are told by law enforement (and common sense) to evacuate totally- homeowners and hotels. When we lived in NC on the coast Wrightsville Beach, a barrier island, would evacuate completely by law and many additional homeowners living anywhere near the Intracoastal Waterway or Atlantic would move to hotels or shelters in the city. Just a matter of a mile or two from the water makes a huge difference and FLL itself will not have to evacuate or close down. The problem is the inland hotels fill up fast and early and people are forced into shelters or hotels further inland for lack of anywhere else to go.

 

Same with Miami Beach- that island will evacuate into the city of Miami.

[sail7seas]

I live on the Coast in Massachusetts. We get hurricanes here, also. I understand about flooding and high tides and high water. I am aware of the Intercoastal in FLL.

 

Thanks everyone who offered helpful responses pertaining to FLL and hotels there...in particular Hyatt Pier 66.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Where will The Breakers send all of their guests who must vacate the hotel?

 

Sail, The Breakers is sadly closed indefinitely due to the damage suffered from Frances.

[peaches from georgia]

Sail, The Breakers is sadly closed indefinitely due to the damage suffered from Frances.

Heather, reading taszmom's post it doesn't sound like The Breakers has been closed since Frances. Her husband works there and there was a wedding and convention scheduled there until the evacuation this morning I believe. It is such a large resort, maybe a part of it has been under repair though.

 

So many readers of these boards live inland and my thought was they probably do not understand the barrier islands/Intracoastal exposure to these storms and I'm sure think the entire city of WPB or FLL are needing to evacuate their homes. Stay safe.

[taszmom]

The Breakers officially opened just this past Wednesday 9/22 to all guests. They suffered only some water damage in some of the rooms, but the hotel for all intents and purposes did pretty well. Frances scared everyone awat so they took the time to do some cleanup & maintenance to each area and had to wait for opening to re-stock everything. My DH said that this time they rented refrigerated trucks to hold all perishable items that they had to throw out last time. If you knew how big this resort is, you would understand how much product they had to discard. I worked as a chef there myself and the kitchen area itself is HUGE with LOTS & LOTS of refrigerators/storage in the basements. The hotel, other than the new Beach Club, is VERY old, but well built. Hopefully she will survive Jeanne.

 

Evacuations are the barriers islands plus 1-2 miles just west of the Intracoastal waterways depending on how below sea level you are. This includes pretty much everyone on the east coast of Florida.

[HeatherInFlorida]

My mistake ... so sorry. I had seen a spokesman for The Breakers on the news only last week saying they were closed until notice. I guess Wednesday was the notice!:D Sorry for the wrong information.

[sail7seas]

taszmom.....

 

 

Thank you for your posts. I find them very interesting and enjoy reading them. They give us a viewpoint of the practical problems a large, ultra luxurious hotel encounters from these storms.

 

I am still interested WHERE they sent their guests who had to evacuate the hotel today????

 

Thank you.

[elmorejj]

Just heard on the news that FLL airport has closed down. Prayers and thoughts to all of you who live in the coastal area or are stuck there waiting on a cruise to depart.....jean :cool:

[Roadwork]

taszmom.....

 

 

I am still interested WHERE they sent their guests who had to evacuate the hotel today????

 

Thank you.

 

Hotels try to place people the best the can. It will vary. If the hotel was full no way are they going to place all their guests in any given hotel. The important thing is helping to find a safe place, if it happens to be a Motel 6, that is what you get, other choices could be a shelter. If a person doesn't like it they can find a hotel themselves.

[bookworm0911]

The locals would have been booking up the better inland hotels probably as far away as Naples since the first word of a big storm a week ago. I'm sure the beach hotels do what they can, but I would thank the good Lord if they found me anything safe and dry, including a cot in a shelter. Didn't some poster here last week say he had spent a night or 2 in a shelter?? I'm sure of it.

 

Best thing is not to get on the plane headed south to begin with if there is a reasonable threat of a hurricane on the east coast of Florida.

[Little Feet]

At our time-share resort on the beach just north of Ft. Lauderdale we are told to evacuate and no one gives any assistance to help you get out. It is not an easy task when you have no where to go. Even trying to make reservations somewhere else is not easy....they will be full before you call....you will have a hard time getting there due to traffic jam up problems, by the time you do get to where you had a reservation they have given it to someone else because you were late! They do just dump you out....and you are on your own.

[sail7seas]

.....

[Roadwork]

Sail7Seas, I did see your post before you edited it out and I am sorry this may not have been what you wanted to hear, but I did give you "real information".:)

[sail7seas]

Thanks for all your help, Roadwork. :)

[taszmom]

I'm back online! Did just fine. Only lost power for abut 16 hours, had phone service. Counties to the north in bad shape. Can't go out and survey damage...curfew.

[elmorejj]

So glad you are OK, hope others fared as well. How long are you under curfew for?....jean :cool:

[sail7seas]

taszmom...Happy you are safe and weathered the storm well.

[taszmom]

So glad you are OK, hope others fared as well. How long are you under curfew for?....jean :cool:

 

They want everyone to stay off the roads during the day so that emergency vehicles, power crews and road crews can do their thing. Actual curfew is 10pm-6am until further notice...probably until they get most of the power back on, roads cleared and traffic signals back on. And they ain't kidding about being caught out after curfew, if you don't have a pass, you go to the klinker for the night. As a deterrent, the sheriff was on the news today saying how the jail has no power, it's hot and some of your cell mates may not practice good hygene.

 

sail7seas...thanks! Really looking forward to this Saturday being on the Zuiderdam. We're due a little relaxation and pampering.