ft lauderdale hotel precruise

Margaritaville is sold out the night we need it.

Our travel agent recommended:

Renaissance Ft Lauderdale Cruise Port

Galleria One

Crowne Plaza airport

Which site had bad reviews for Galleria One? i just checked a site that had recent rave reviews....

What are your dates? I just booked Hyatt Place tonight for next April 2018, peak period, using purchased Hyatt points and only had to pay $144 for 6,000 points and got a 30% bonus.

See, we have a Hyatt Gold Passport card, it is free, and we never accrue many points, but by having that card you can purchase points, which I just learned a few years ago, so I always wait for a 30% bonus sale, which they are now having until 5/23, and it allowed me to buy the bare minimum, so every 1,000 ports is regularly $24, and it costs 8,000 points per night OR 4,000 points with $55 combo. So I purchased 6,000 points today and got a bonus of 1,800. I had 687 point jets left over, and points post to your account immediately after purchase.

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Crowne Plaza was nice but not convenient to much. However, it usually is on Priceline Express deals. I won it last year in May for this past March (10 months in advance) for $139 a night, with taxes , 170 total. On Crosn Plaza's on web site they were asking $220, and the price went up to $249 ultimately.

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We are cruising next February.

Unless the hotel itself has enough to keep the kids busy (pool etc) we want to be near attractions of some sort but still close enough to the port that it isn't too expensive a ride or too long of one either (my older son gets very car sick (but not sea sick luckily!!!))

We have stayed at a few different hotels when staying in Ft. Lauderdale. Couldn't pay me to stay at the Hyatt Place again. Hilton Marina is really nice with a great pool area. Embassy Suites is WAY overpriced. We started staying at the Doubletree Galleria a few years ago and now won't stay anywhere else. Gorgeous views right on the waterway and lots of places to walk to. There is the Galleria Mall a block away that has many stores and nice restaurants. There is also a Publix and Starbucks across from the mall. Last Minute Travel often has this hotel at a great price!

Thanks for the info, several folks have recommended the Galleria Doubletree.

We are cruising next February.

 

 

 

Unless the hotel itself has enough to keep the kids busy (pool etc) we want to be near attractions of some sort but still close enough to the port that it isn't too expensive a ride or too long of one either (my older son gets very car sick (but not sea sick luckily!!!))

Since it is February, the beach hotels might be more fun [emoji4]

Embassy Suites has a nice pool. Hyatt Place is a postage stamp pool.

Hyatt Pier 66 has a nice pool, but the rooms are kind of dumpy if you look at the Trip Advisor reviews. Lago Mar seems very nice, right on the beach, nice pool.

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Ok, just reviewed everyone's comments and made a synopsis - if possible please review and tell me if this is about right:

Walking distance to shopping and restaurants near cruise terminal:

Hyatt Place on 17th - big rooms, small pool, don't pay more than $200 (US?), great to book with points or on value trips.com, $2 per rm shuttle or approx $12 cab fare to cruise terminal

Embassy Suites - huge rooms, big pool, renovated

next to cruise terminal (not sure if walking distance to places though) - Renaissance - decent pool

Holiday Inn Express on 17th

Not convenient location

Crown Plaza - nice rooms, book on price line express, 3.5 stars in the downtown cruise port area with shuttle

Riverside - no shuttle, small pool (on Price line express it is 3.5 stars no shuttle, superior city view)

Holiday Inn Cruise Terminal on 84th - near good German restaurant

Beach location:

Lauderdale Beach - Bahia Mar (has anyone stayed here?) - next to where the pirate ship thing docks

Hollywood Beach - Margaritaville (sold out for my dates) - great for families

Hilton Marina (location?) - nice hotel great pool but allows smoking

Doubletree Galleria (location???) - right on waterway, lots of places to walk and shop, book via last minutetravel website

Riverside Hotel on Las Olas in tower section - location?????

Lago Mar - location???

Hyatt Pier 66 - location???

if price was no issue, which of the above would you recommend?

if price is an issue in that why waste money when money need not be wasted, which of the above would you recommend?

Has anyone stayed at Lago Mar?

has anyone stayed at bahia mar?

Ok reviews for Bahia are terrible! But I like the location. Has anyone ever stayed at the http://www.bwfortlauderdalefl.com/

Lago mar always gets good reviews, particularly due to its location on the beach, and it has a nice pool and free parking, too, I believe, if you rent a car. Bahia Mar, not so great reviews. The Riverside pool is not what I'd call small. More medium, and unique in that it is on the river itself with nice atmosphere. I don't believe the Embassy Suites had been renovated. Renaissance rooms most recently renovated though as well as lobby.

I still think for a family, ES would be pretty good or Hyatt Place.

If you really want the beach, then Lago Mar sounds good, but it isn't walkable to much. I would just stay somewhere and make a plan to Uber everywhere.

I personally wouldn't make the beach or pool a priority, as it could rain and not be good beach weather anyway. Every time we have gone to Ft Laud, be it March, April, or Dec, we've always had rain

Renaissance is closest to the port with a small, nice pool with highway noise, but from there you could walk a block or so to catch a water taxi and many places are within walking distance.

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7 of us stayed at Bahia Mar in March during spring break. Location is nice but hotel is just so-so, not worth the money.

has anyone stayed at bahia mar?

Yes we have and loved it . A little pricey but would go there again . Usually stay at Hyatt Place Nice Hotel Nice location

Ok, just reviewed everyone's comments and made a synopsis - if possible please review and tell me if this is about right:

 

Riverside - no shuttle, small pool (on Price line express it is 3.5 stars no shuttle, superior city view)

Riverside Hotel on Las Olas in tower section - location?????

I have stayed at the Riverside several times, the pool is large and deep, transportation is available via taxi and van.

I just used my points for a Feb 2018 Panama Cruise.. staying the IHG on 17th street.

Booked United airport parking.. parking is at the Embassy Suite (right next door) $5.00 per day and they will transfer you and from the pier.

I know on the transfer back I will take a taxi back; quicker and easier

My travel agent recommended the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Hotel - but we have IHG points, so I was hoping to hear something good about Holiday Inn Express? Anybody have any input on these?

I booked the Best Western Plus Oceanside online (I can cancel for free)....it is on Seabreeze.

it got good reviews- has anyone stayed there?

1) Our wedding was at the Bahia Mar. They were able to accommodate us last minute b/c we were supposed to get married on Marco Island but a hurricane came through the day before and cut the power. However that was 13 years ago when the hotel was a Radisson, it is now a Doubletree. I have not been there in years but would guess the comments about being a little dated are probably accurate. It is however in a great location hear the beach.

2) Doubletree Galleria is probably 20-25 mins. from port depending on traffic. I have never stayed there. Galleria Mall is nice.

3) Riverside is on Las Olas, very close to restaurants, nice walking area, etc. I have never stayed there either but it is where I tell out of town business people to stay. Having said that if the rooms are small as someone else said it might be cramped w/4 people, and Las Olas while walkable and nice is not exactly kid friendly (more bars and nightlife).

5) I have never stayed at any of the17th St. hotels but the Embassy is close to the three restaurants I'd recommend to anybody, Southport Raw Bar, Kelly's Landing or Quarterdeck. You can also go to the Harbor shops, there is a Duffy's there, good food and kid friendly. Only issue on 17th Street is traffic, be careful crossing the road.

6) Likewise I have never stayed at any of the hotels on SR 84. It is a little more of an industrial area and not as pedestrian friendly. That being said you can find anything/everything you need along there and it is closest to the port. Lester's Diner might be a good breakfast spot before you leave, it's a '50s style diner that's been there forever.

Edit: There is an IMAX movie theater at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Science if you need something to do w/kids.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

My travel agent recommended the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Hotel - but we have IHG points, so I was hoping to hear something good about Holiday Inn Express? Anybody have any input on these?

We stayed there several years ago (17th Street) and liked it. Nice room, decent price, good breakfast. At that time, shuttle from the airport was free and shuttle to the port was inexpensive.