Ft. Lauderdale Q&A/FAQ

[royalcruz]

HELP!!! Trying to decide between Comfort Inn on Stirling or Comfort Suites on Federal Highway. We won't have a car and would like dinner to not be a far walk(more than 3 blocks), Also would like to get beer to take on ship. Which would you say is best?

Thanks

 

Comfort Suites on Federal Hwy is within a block or two of fast food (Taco Bell, Pollo Tropical, Burger King). You might be able to get to Outback steakhouse through a shortcut in the back but that's not safe. Otherwise it is 3-4 blocks to there, McDonald's, KFC, Dough Boys, Mezzaluna, and Chuck's Steakhouse. If you walk 5-6 blocks you'll find several more restaurants. The closest place to get beer is CVS 2 blocks away. However, the reviews for this hotel on Tripadvisor are not great, so you should read them before booking.

 

Comfort Inn is right next to Oakwood Plaza. I think you can get beer at Kmart and BJ's there. There is a McDonald's, Burger King, maybe Taco Bell, and a diner (Starlight?) there. It is about a 6 block walk to the south end of the shopping center where you will find Friday's, Ale House (good), Sweet Tomatos, etc.

[royalcruz]

Any info about the Seminole Casino, or the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe/Casino? Specifically, the area/neighborhood.... Looks like they are very close to each other. They look fairly close by cab from one of the hotels Nana G was asking about-the Comfort Inn on Stirling....Thanks.

 

It is 4 miles from Comfort Inn to Seminole Hard Rock. Hard Rock has its own hotel. It's a big property with hotel, casino, restaurants, shops, and concert venue.

[mosaic_mom]

Are the hotels on 17th Street very far from the Jai Alai in Dania? We used to have Jai Alai when I lived in Tampa many years ago and they closed it down. Is the Dania Jai Alai open all year long?

[urbanhawk]

It is 4 miles from Comfort Inn to Seminole Hard Rock. Hard Rock has its own hotel. It's a big property with hotel, casino, restaurants, shops, and concert venue.

Royalcruz-Thanks!

[NoWhiners]

Hi royalcruz and all the other helpful FLL locals!

 

We are going to panama canal next April and just for fun, I looked at hotwire rates in FLL. Got this:

 

$59

per room per night ($72 total)

 

Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood Intl Airport FLL area hotel, 3.5 stars

amenities: suite, shuttle, non-smoking, free continental breakfast, fitness center, pool, business center, internet access

 

We are still gathering reviews for this property.

 

 

Any guesses as to which hotel this is--seems like a decent rate? Also might be new since no reviews available? We will have a car, so don't care about distance from port, even though this is in airport area.

 

 

What do you all think?

Mary Lynn

 

 

ML

[royalcruz]

Hi royalcruz and all the other helpful FLL locals!

 

We are going to panama canal next April and just for fun, I looked at hotwire rates in FLL. Got this:

 

$59

per room per night ($72 total)

 

Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood Intl Airport FLL area hotel, 3.5 stars

amenities: suite, shuttle, non-smoking, free continental breakfast, fitness center, pool, business center, internet access

 

We are still gathering reviews for this property.

 

 

Any guesses as to which hotel this is--seems like a decent rate? Also might be new since no reviews available? We will have a car, so don't care about distance from port, even though this is in airport area.

 

 

What do you all think?

Mary Lynn

 

 

ML

 

Just a guess....It's possible that this is the Springhill Suites. It was reported on betterbidding as a 3* and not with pool and business center. However it does have a pool and business center and may have been upgraded to 3.5*. There are also Cambria, Candlewood, and Fairfield suite hotels in the FLL area, which I think are all new.

[royalcruz]

Are the hotels on 17th Street very far from the Jai Alai in Dania? We used to have Jai Alai when I lived in Tampa many years ago and they closed it down. Is the Dania Jai Alai open all year long?

 

I don't know if it is open year round. It's 5 miles from 17th St.

[Nana G]

Thanks Royalcruz! We have decided on Hyatt Place but need to wait until October for ValueTrips to open 2011 prices. Hope it remains the same.

[royalcruz]

Thanks Royalcruz! We have decided on Hyatt Place but need to wait until October for ValueTrips to open 2011 prices. Hope it remains the same.

 

Good choice! Meanwhile, you might find a good rate at Embassy Suites on hiltonfamilymvp.com. It is in an even better location than Hyatt Place. Also Hyatt Place, Embassy Suites, and Riverside Hotel are 3* on Priceline downtown zone, and you can't go wrong with any of those.

[NoWhiners]

royalcruz

 

it is the Hyatt Summerield Suites on 90 SouthWest 18th Avenue,

Dania Beach, FL, 33004.

 

What do you think--good deal at $72 or we could have gotten better for less if we waited? I am happy either way--another task done, good location and a Miller's Ale House down the street!!

 

Any better eating suggestions for this area?

 

Thanks for all the help!

ML

[mosaic_mom]

I don't know if it is open year round. It's 5 miles from 17th St.

 

Thanks, so much. I appreciate your help. :)

[royalcruz]

royalcruz

 

it is the Hyatt Summerield Suites on 90 SouthWest 18th Avenue,

Dania Beach, FL, 33004.

 

What do you think--good deal at $72 or we could have gotten better for less if we waited? I am happy either way--another task done, good location and a Miller's Ale House down the street!!

 

Any better eating suggestions for this area?

 

Thanks for all the help!

ML

 

It is unreal how many suite hotels are opening in the airport area. It looks like you got a great price, and there is an airport shuttle. I think that the Ale House is the best place to eat that you can walk to. It's a sports bar/restaurant, but is good. It is less than a 6 block walk.

[mdmomof7]

Hilton Marina might be one block closer to the port entrance but ES is closer to lots of restaurants and stores and includes free happy hour and breakfast.

 

Hi RoyalCruz,

 

You are a wealth of info here! Thank you!

 

On the standard Hilton.com website, I just booked a $99 rate at the Hilton Marina and it includes:

Rate Type:SUMMER ESCAPE

INCLUDES BREAKFAST FOR 2 DAILY AT ANTEA 2 WELCOME COCKTAILS, 1 CATEGORY UPGRADE

This makes it $5 less a night than the Embassy Suites through MVP at $103.99, which I also found through your suggestion. Never knew it was there. Thanks!

My question is if one could walk from the Hilton Marina to the shopping center across (Southport I assume?) from the Embassy Suites. It seems less than 1/2 a mile. I liked the Hilton because it has been newly renovated and has terrific customer service/hospitality at tripadvisor.com. Some recent reviews suggest the Embassy Suites is now showing some wear and tear. And if I can get the complimentary cocktails and breakfast at Hilton, that makes it equal to the value at ES.

There was also the opportunity to participate in the e-standby program for a $10 price (charged at check in ONLY if available) That gets one an upgraded room w/ a floor to ceiling window and furnished balcony. Tempting, but I passed for now. We'll enjoy our balcony on the cruise. ;)

I booked the Hilton Marina, but can cancel up to 2 days before arrival. For our 2005 cruise, I did Priceline and got the Bahia Mar for $55 night and a free upgrade to ocean view upon check in. I figure the Hilton's complimentary breakfast and cocktails are easily worth $35-$40 making it about the same cost as the Bahia Mar was back in 2005.

What do you think?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

[NoWhiners]

royalcruz

 

I noticed that there are a lot of suite hotels near the airport! apparently the Hyatt Summerfield Suites just opened in March. Also read that it has $8 shuttle to cruise port. Not much different than cab fare but might be good for some people. We will have a rental car so the free parking (less than 7 night stay!) is a good feature.

 

Wanted to second the opinion that you are a wealth of information--thanks a bunch.

 

Mary Lynn

[Nana G]

Mdmomof7, we stayed at the Hilto Marina in April and paid less than Embassy Suites for a balcony overlooking the port! We enjoyed it so much. It is a very long walk to any other restaurant however. We did do Bimini Boatyard which was great and next door to the Rennaissance. About 15 min to walk. There is also a Walgreens about 5 minutes away. The Hilton deal with breakfast is a good value. Rather expensive without. The pool and grounds are aboslutely stunning and the Yahts are great too. Water Taxi stops right there.

[royalcruz]

Hi RoyalCruz,

 

You are a wealth of info here! Thank you!

 

On the standard Hilton.com website, I just booked a $99 rate at the Hilton Marina and it includes:

Rate Type:SUMMER ESCAPE

INCLUDES BREAKFAST FOR 2 DAILY AT ANTEA 2 WELCOME COCKTAILS, 1 CATEGORY UPGRADE

This makes it $5 less a night than the Embassy Suites through MVP at $103.99, which I also found through your suggestion. Never knew it was there. Thanks!

 

My question is if one could walk from the Hilton Marina to the shopping center across (Southport I assume?) from the Embassy Suites. It seems less than 1/2 a mile. I liked the Hilton because it has been newly renovated and has terrific customer service/hospitality at tripadvisor.com. Some recent reviews suggest the Embassy Suites is now showing some wear and tear. And if I can get the complimentary cocktails and breakfast at Hilton, that makes it equal to the value at ES.

 

There was also the opportunity to participate in the e-standby program for a $10 price (charged at check in ONLY if available) That gets one an upgraded room w/ a floor to ceiling window and furnished balcony. Tempting, but I passed for now. We'll enjoy our balcony on the cruise. ;)

 

I booked the Hilton Marina, but can cancel up to 2 days before arrival. For our 2005 cruise, I did Priceline and got the Bahia Mar for $55 night and a free upgrade to ocean view upon check in. I figure the Hilton's complimentary breakfast and cocktails are easily worth $35-$40 making it about the same cost as the Bahia Mar was back in 2005.

 

What do you think?

 

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

That's a great price for the Hilton. The hotel is on the intracoastal under the 17th St. bridge which makes it quite a hike to things. Southport shopping center is about 6-8 blocks away. It has Ross, Office Depot, Kelly's Landing, and a NY deli. You did great with Bahia Mar too!

[shelbylook]

For those of you in the know....

 

We (4 gals, 40-50) will be spending 2 days pre cruise in Fort Lauderdale, July 6-7. We're staying at the Hyatt Place Airport North. If the weather is perfect (anything less than a tropical storm will be perfect), what would you suggest we do for day time entertainment? We're more beach goers than shoppers and we have a vehicle.

 

Would you suggest a trip to South Beach for the atmostphere (and to say we've been there) or just stay around FLL? I was thinking the water taxi would be fun. Or if we were to spend a couple hours on the beach, where would you send 4 women from Michigan who are on an all-girls adventure (joining 10 other gals late on the 7th) to celebrate a retirement?

 

Thanks!

 

Cathy

[mdmomof7]

Mdmomof7, we stayed at the Hilto Marina in April and paid less than Embassy Suites for a balcony overlooking the port! We enjoyed it so much. It is a very long walk to any other restaurant however. We did do Bimini Boatyard which was great and next door to the Rennaissance. About 15 min to walk. There is also a Walgreens about 5 minutes away. The Hilton deal with breakfast is a good value. Rather expensive without. The pool and grounds are aboslutely stunning and the Yahts are great too. Water Taxi stops right there.

 

Thanks, royal cruz & Nana.

 

We had fun taking the water taxi around last time. I'm glad to know the stop is right out front of the hotel. It was very close to the Bahia Mar too. We should be walking as we will be eating more than usual, I'm sure! :D

 

The Walgreen's will do fine for a few 6 packs of water and green tea. I really only use those for the excursions. I bring a small softsided cooler for port days.

 

I will still play w/ Priceline or Hotwire to see what I can find. I can always cancel the Hilton. It's our 25th Anniversary so I thought I'd splurge a bit for the hotel. I'm frugal on these things and think it's still a very good price as we usually pay more to stay in lesser hotels when travelling w/ the kids for sports.

 

Getting very excited for this cruise!

Edited June 3, 2010 by mdmomof7

[cowprintrabbit]

Make sure that your ship is going to be in the first 3 piers if you are going to walk. Even that is almost a half a mile and that's a lot of schlepping. 99% of people take a taxi.

 

Oh wow, thanks! I guess I've never used a cruise terminal that big! Does Princess have a normal slot or is it hit/miss?

 

We are going into Long Beach, CA and they have a website where you can look up your ships berthing assignment ahead of time!

[royalcruz]

Oh wow, thanks! I guess I've never used a cruise terminal that big! Does Princess have a normal slot or is it hit/miss?

 

We are going into Long Beach, CA and they have a website where you can look up your ships berthing assignment ahead of time!

 

Princess usually docks at terminal 2, but they must also use another terminal in case there are 2 ships in port, and I'm not sure which terminal that is. The good news is that terminal 2 is right off of 17th St, so if it is there, it is walking distance. Some people have said that you are not allowed to walk into port everglades, but I don't think that is true. You will need a photo ID to get in either way. The reason that I say that it is several blocks walk is that the Hilton is about a 3 block walk to the entrance and the Embassy Suites might be 4. You have to get to Eisenhower Blvd than walk a block south to the gate. Then once inside the port it is about another block walk to the terminal doors. The Hilton looks like it is right at Eisenhower, but it is down a service road on the water. If you are in shape and can walk for with luggage it won't be a problem. I'm sure I've walked that far with luggage in airports and thought nothing of it, but that is indoors or under shade.

[shelbylook]

We (4 gals, 40-50) will be spending 2 days pre cruise in Fort Lauderdale, July 6-7. We're staying at the Hyatt Place Airport North. If the weather is perfect (anything less than a tropical storm will be perfect), what would you suggest we do for day time entertainment? We're more beach goers than shoppers and we have a vehicle.

 

Would you suggest a trip to South Beach for the atmostphere (and to say we've been there) or just stay around FLL? I was thinking the water taxi would be fun. Or if we were to spend a couple hours on the beach, where would you send 4 women from Michigan who are on an all-girls adventure (joining 10 other gals late on the 7th) to celebrate a retirement?

 

Thanks!

 

Cathy

[shelbylook]

I am so sorry I duplicated this post. I completely meant to start a separate thread on the board. Trying again.....

 

Cathy

[royalcruz]

We (4 gals, 40-50) will be spending 2 days pre cruise in Fort Lauderdale, July 6-7. We're staying at the Hyatt Place Airport North. If the weather is perfect (anything less than a tropical storm will be perfect), what would you suggest we do for day time entertainment? We're more beach goers than shoppers and we have a vehicle.

 

Would you suggest a trip to South Beach for the atmostphere (and to say we've been there) or just stay around FLL? I was thinking the water taxi would be fun. Or if we were to spend a couple hours on the beach, where would you send 4 women from Michigan who are on an all-girls adventure (joining 10 other gals late on the 7th) to celebrate a retirement?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Cathy

 

I'm sure that I answered you somewhere already. You sound like you would really enjoy South Beach so go for it. If you are not up for it spend the day on Fort Lauderdale Beach across from Beach Place so you'll have bathrooms and lunch available. The water taxi or a Carrie B cruise might be nice.

[Nana G]

Hi Royalcruz- We decided on 2 night post cruise at the Marriott Harbor Beach. What do you know about this one other than the beautiful ocean view room??? Anywhere near water taxi? Since we are 10 months out perhaps the price will drop but we got a pretty good package with $50 daily resort credit. You are always soooo helpful! Glad you are here.

[colliercruiser]

My son is dropping us off for our Solstice cruise next Sunday (June 13) and will return to pick us up on June 20. Does he need any special documents (other than his driver's license) to get in on his return? Should he bring a copy of our cruise docs?