Renaissance Hotel in Fort Lauderdale - need infor

[cruisingw/mom]

Has anyone stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in Fort Lauderdale? Just bid on priceline and they accepted my bid. Never heard of this hotel and was hoping for the pier 66 or marriott marina.

Is this a nice place? close to the cruise port? close to the airport? Rooms clean and nice? Any info is appreciated.

This is my first time using Priceline and now I am super duper nervous that I did the right thing.

Thanks Shelly

[BurBunny]

Shelly - fear not! You have a terrific hotel. It's a true 4* property right on 17th about 2 blocks from the Marriott Marina. Convenient to the water taxi at the Marriott or to Publix for last minute items you may need. Lots of good restaurants within about 2 blocks either direction.

This is a business-style hotel, rather than a more resort-oriented property. However, it's the newest property in the area (having opened in February 2002), and quite nice. Good service. Be sure to ask for a room facing the port - they're pretty good about accommodating those requests.

You're not far from either the airport or cruise port. The hotel does offer a complimentary airport shuttle, and has a $3/person (I believe) cruise port shuttle as well. If you'd rather take a taxi to your ship, it'll be about $8/cab.

Hope that helps http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

<font face="Imprint MT Shadow" size="5" color="#FFCC00">Amber</font>
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[pamwinn]

We stayed at the Renaissance last summer precruise and the Hyatt 66 postcruise. The Renaissance is extremely convenient to the port. We awakened to a great view of the Grand Princess from our room. Just ask for one facing the port. It is extremely convenient to shopping and good food. There is no need for a taxi or rental car. It is a very new hotel. It's nice and clean. People complain about the location of the pool but I'm not a public pool person so it did not matter to me. The grounds of the Hyatt Pier 66 are much better than the Renaissance, resort-like, but the rooms are not. Our room at the Hyatt was not in the Tower and it was very inconvenient coming and going...quite a hike. Of course, this was post cruise and we were tired. Don't be nervous, you'll be happy.

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[ginak1112]

shelley, please verify that it is the renaissance near the port since there is a brand new renaissance about 15 minutes away.

[Bisous3]

Hi Shelly
Be sure to have breakfast at BonJour bakery- French style. Its at the bottom of the hotel but not part of the hotel. The Renaissance is very nice.

Suzanne
Oceanic '82
Oceanic '83
Century '01
Century '03
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Thanksgiving on the Millie '04

[Hulagirl]

We have stayed at this hotel for our last 3 cruises. It is a nice property and very convenient to the ships.

Want to respond to Amber's comment. There is no shuttle to the ships though (never has been), so don't depend on that. We have used the shuttle from the airport one time, but this time were told that there was none. However, I did see a shuttle pull into the hotel once, so I really don't know if that was this Renaissance's shuttle or the other property. Never saw it again. So a taxi will be what you will be taking, which is so easy.

Have a good stay and a great cruise.

Hulagirl

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[spongerob]

We did the same thing, tried for the Hyatt on Priceline and got the Renaissance 17th St. It's really a nice, new hotel. It's very close to the port, and if you go to the front desk you can sign up for a shuttle to take you to your ship. It was $3pp, plus tip.

There is a shopping center about 5 minutes' walk away, and a new Walgreen's is opening just across the street. It takes about 10 minutes to walk down to the Marriott water taxi stop. We'll be going back.

And definitely, don't miss the BonJour Bakery. You can do some yacht shopping on the way.

Completed:
Sea Princess, Royal Princess, Grand Princess (3X), Caribbean Princess, Golden Princess
Coming up:
Tahitian Princess Oct 14/04
Caribbean Princess redux 6/25/05

[cruisingw/mom]

Thanks Everyone!!

Now I know I made a good decisions. And I love bakeries so....I know where I am going for breakfast before I board the ship.

--Shelly

[merela]

for our 1/23 Star Princess cruise.

I called the hotel and the person who answered the phone said there is no airport shuttle, but there is a shuttle to the port at $4pp. He said the taxi fares from airport to hotel is about $10-$11, and from hotel to port is $5-$6. So I think taxi is the way to go.

[emmy]

merela,

We stayed at this hotel in October and I liked it very much. It is indeed a newer hotel built in 2002 I believe.

We did use the shuttle from the hotel to the pier for a cost of $4.00 person. We simply went to the concierge desk in the main lobby after checking in and signed up for the shuttle. The first time was 10:30 am and that is the one we took. There were four other couples on the shuttle all going to various ships.

Large van type shuttle with plenty of room for luggage.

I asked for a room high up with a view of the ships. If you are going on Caribbean Princess you will have a great view of her. Saw her pull into port about 6:15 in the morning.

EMmy

[Pam in CA]

We stayed at this hotel a couple of years ago when we bought the Princess pre-cruise stay. It's just before the bridge to the port so it's very, very convenient to the port. This time, I got the hotel through Priceline, like you, and I'm very pleased. We liked the hotel when we stayed there before. We'll be there next saturday night.

[lilylakecruzer]

[Did you ask for the room high up when you checked in or did you call ahead of time. Thanks
QUOTE=emmy]merela,

We stayed at this hotel in October and I liked it very much. It is indeed a newer hotel built in 2002 I believe.

We did use the shuttle from the hotel to the pier for a cost of $4.00 person. We simply went to the concierge desk in the main lobby after checking in and signed up for the shuttle. The first time was 10:30 am and that is the one we took. There were four other couples on the shuttle all going to various ships.

Large van type shuttle with plenty of room for luggage.

I asked for a room high up with a view of the ships. If you are going on Caribbean Princess you will have a great view of her. Saw her pull into port about 6:15 in the morning.

EMmy[/QUOTE]

[emmy]

I asked for the room high up with a view when I checked in. I checked in rather early about 11 am.

Emmy

[lilylakecruzer]

Thanks for the info emmy. You answered my next question which was when they let you check in. My plane lands around 11am the day before the cruise. Using FFmiles that was the only time available.

I asked for the room high up with a view when I checked in. I checked in rather early about 11 am.

Emmy

[merela]

Did you all take a taxi from the airport to the hotel? How much did it cost you? I've heard FLL taxi drivers take the long route to get a higher fare.

We arrive FLL around 3:15pm. I figure we'll probably be checked in at the hotel by 4:30pm. Since we are on Westcoast time, we are not likely to be hungry around that time. I've heard about the water taxi and the one-day fare. Should I do the one-day fare that evening or should I do the one-day fare the next morning before we board the ship?

How late does the water taxis operate?

Any ideas what else to do around the hotel that's interesting?

TIA.


Jennifer

[emmy]

Jennifer....

We took the taxi from the airport to Renaissance and it ran us $10.00 plus tip.

We arrived about 11 am had some lunch and spent the afternoon by the hotel pool and then walked to the water taxi stop at the Marriott Marina about 4 pm. Had dinner in the Los Olas area one of the stops on the water taxi. It is only $5.00 per person all day. They put a wrist band on you and you can get off and on as many times as you would like.

Here is a link to the Water Bus site with lots of info.

http://watertaxi.com/FortLauderdale/FLLHome.Asp

I personally like to get to the pier early to be one of the first on board to enjoy the ship so I vote for doing it in the evening.

Emmy

[twocats]

Does anyone know the current bidding price for a 4* hotel in FLL?

[emmy]

When I bid in July for my Oct. 22 stay I bid $80.00 4* Downtown FLL and was successful on the first bid.

Check out www.biddingfortravel.com for current bidding amounts.

Emmy

[chamima]

It totally depends on the date! We had to go up to $125 for Jan. 2. (For a long while I was going up in $5 or $10 increments starting from about $50)

[merela]

But we got the hotel (Renaissance) 3 weeks ago. People booked 6 months ago were able to get the same hotel for $70. I think at the time, if we had put down 4* beach as well, we would have gotten something around $95. It really depends on the dates you'll be checking in and checking out. But if you check the rates on Travelocity or the hotels' own webistes and the rates are $250+, you will not get anything cheaper than $100 on Priceline.

Check biddingfortravel.com for more bidder/bidding information.