Embassy Suites, Really!

We will be staying in Fort Lauderdale pre-cruise the first week next year of May for approx 3 nights...Is this considered a peak time ? First time for us during this timeframe.

Hotel rates usually go down sometime between May 1 and June 1, depending on the hotel.

We will be staying in Fort Lauderdale pre-cruise the first week next year of May for approx 3 nights...Is this considered a peak time ? First time for us during this timeframe.

high season: mid-December to mid-May

low season: mid-May to September

shoulder season: October to mid-December

Thanks so much...royalcruz & Imares1968.

We usually like to stay at ES..so hoping for some decent rates. I've had good luck booking with LMTClub and will start checking as this timeframe opens up.

Good luck with your search! [emoji3]

We are booked at Embassy Suites on 17th pre- AND post-cruise and the rates we got seems about average for Embassy Suites. We stay at Embassy Suites as often as we can when we travel. :confused::confused::confused:

Thanks so much...royalcruz & Imares1968.

 

We usually like to stay at ES..so hoping for some decent rates. I've had good luck booking with LMTClub and will start checking as this timeframe opens up.

I have a free LMTC membership because I used cruise compete for my cruise, and when I checked for the ES, there was no savings compared to hilton.com. Whereas in looking at a couple other hotels in the area, there were significant discounts. Crowne Plaza for example is 120 per night less through LMTC

high season: mid-December to mid-May

low season: mid-May to September

shoulder season: October to mid-December

Actually, our high season starts with the Art Show in October. We get tons of Europeans over here for the fall.

We stay at peak until about Easter.

Our shoulder in the fall has kind of disappeared.

I talked to the GM at The Riverside and his occupancy is way up for the fall.

I have a free LMTC membership because I used cruise compete for my cruise, and when I checked for the ES, there was no savings compared to hilton.com. Whereas in looking at a couple other hotels in the area, there were significant discounts. Crowne Plaza for example is 120 per night less through LMTC

I also have and use my LMTClub membership...and have gotten better rates at ES a few times compared to booking directly and several other sites including Hilton MVP etc.

My dates aren't open yet so I'll just keep checking.

Thanks for your response.

I wouldn't personally pay that much for a hotel just because to me one night or two isn't worth paying that much for location when I could just drive a bit to where I want to go and pay less someplace else. Even with gas cost it would be cheaper looking inland. With that said I understand how some people would pay those prices and would pay more for the type of hotel, brand, and location.

Other things to look at is the fact of the time of year as everyone has pointed out but also what is going on in town. Does the hotel have teams or weddings raising their rate or is there an event in town causing the rate to jump. Here in Cincinnati we have two such weeks Jazz fest week and the Western Southern Open. But hotel rates can vary also depending on the day of the week and other situations.

The best thing to do is to check your options. Contact the hotel maybe ask what is going on so you know if it's local or hotel specific. That way you know if you are going to be paying a bit higher regardless where you go.

Two check to see if there are advanced purchase rates. Most hotels offer these when they are booked in advance, the rate is much lower but at the same time you pay upon booking and they are typically non refundable and cannot be modified. .

Three check third party rates a lot of times third parties will offer lower rates for that hotel for the same dates. However with booking through third parties you are not really guaranteed room type nor preferences. It's a good option for couples since bed preferences do not really matter but for families it can be a pain. If the hotel may sell out they may have to give you room types you did not plan for such as a king for a family of 4.

Sometimes also wait it out. Book a room at a higher rate and price watch. A lot of hotels will price things higher for the first mentioned situations but when people either drop out of the event or the occupancy is not what they expected it to be they will lower it to make up for that cut.

Check also AAA, AARP (which is really no different then AAA) or military if it applies to you. Also if you work for a company with like national standing such as coke, ge or others see if you have a company discount.

Really it's a gamble either way there's not a set way to know if a hotel rate will drop or just get higher. The best thing to do is just book when you need to and check out other options as well as watching hotel bookings... really similar to what we do anyways for cruises with early saver lol.

This is from experience as a hotel employee for over 8 years with top branded hotels. :)

Good luck either way :)

We will be staying in Fort Lauderdale pre-cruise the first week next year of May for approx 3 nights...Is this considered a peak time ? First time for us during this timeframe.

If it helps, we're staying at ES on April 30th; got it for $135/night using the mvp site ($160 using only AAA rate). I did notice that the rates were lower on May 1st!!! Of course, that's this year. Next year could be different but, since you appear to be looking now, maybe booking early will get you good rates. Good Luck!

I wouldn't personally pay that much for a hotel just because to me one night or two isn't worth paying that much for location when I could just drive a bit to where I want to go and pay less someplace else. Even with gas cost it would be cheaper looking inland. With that said I understand how some people would pay those prices and would pay more for the type of hotel, brand, and location.

 

Other things to look at is the fact of the time of year as everyone has pointed out but also what is going on in town. Does the hotel have teams or weddings raising their rate or is there an event in town causing the rate to jump. Here in Cincinnati we have two such weeks Jazz fest week and the Western Southern Open. But hotel rates can vary also depending on the day of the week and other situations.

 

The best thing to do is to check your options. Contact the hotel maybe ask what is going on so you know if it's local or hotel specific. That way you know if you are going to be paying a bit higher regardless where you go.

 

Two check to see if there are advanced purchase rates. Most hotels offer these when they are booked in advance, the rate is much lower but at the same time you pay upon booking and they are typically non refundable and cannot be modified. .

 

Three check third party rates a lot of times third parties will offer lower rates for that hotel for the same dates. However with booking through third parties you are not really guaranteed room type nor preferences. It's a good option for couples since bed preferences do not really matter but for families it can be a pain. If the hotel may sell out they may have to give you room types you did not plan for such as a king for a family of 4.

 

Sometimes also wait it out. Book a room at a higher rate and price watch. A lot of hotels will price things higher for the first mentioned situations but when people either drop out of the event or the occupancy is not what they expected it to be they will lower it to make up for that cut.

 

Check also AAA, AARP (which is really no different then AAA) or military if it applies to you. Also if you work for a company with like national standing such as coke, ge or others see if you have a company discount.

 

Really it's a gamble either way there's not a set way to know if a hotel rate will drop or just get higher. The best thing to do is just book when you need to and check out other options as well as watching hotel bookings... really similar to what we do anyways for cruises with early saver lol.

 

This is from experience as a hotel employee for over 8 years with top branded hotels. :)

 

Good luck either way :)

Thank you for your thorough response. A lot of good info for anyone looking to book a hotel, anywhere.

Thank you for your thorough response. A lot of good info for anyone looking to book a hotel, anywhere.

You're welcome. Until I started working for a hotel I didn't realize how much goes into the pricing and really how much some people would be willing to pay or not willing to pay. Also all the options to ensure that you don't have to pay that much if it's actually avoidable.

Hopefully some people will take some help from it :)

If it helps, we're staying at ES on April 30th; got it for $135/night using the mvp site ($160 using only AAA rate). I did notice that the rates were lower on May 1st!!! Of course, that's this year. Next year could be different but, since you appear to be looking now, maybe booking early will get you good rates. Good Luck!

Thanks so much for your information....a good indicator hopefully for next year during the timeframe of May. We've stayed there during spring break March (Yikes $) and also in October :D. So hopefully May will be somewhere in the middle rates.

Enjoy your stay.

We are booked at Embassy Suites on 17th pre- AND post-cruise and the rates we got seems about average for Embassy Suites. We stay at Embassy Suites as often as we can when we travel. :confused::confused::confused:

You are also cruising in off season. Not many ships in FLL during the summer.

I just booked Hyatt Place 17th street conference center for November through valuetrips dot com. They aren't showing rates for 2016 yet, but you may consider checking them out once the rates are available. I saved almost $100 for the night.

Hi...

I am looking to book in April 2016 also...

Hilton properties are still working on releasing rates for next year...Embassy is only listing the rack rate right now (no discounts are available AAA, AARP/ Gov) ...some properties have not even released rooms yet so they say no rooms available...

Keep checking over the next few weeks and I bet you will see better rates :-)

I am checking too...I will come back and let you if I see the other rates become available...

I have been an early planner and have noticed this pattern with Hilton :-)

This yr we flew into west palm stayed at Best Western there across from outlets right off interstate. In morn we drove to FLL returned car shuttled over and on ship by 11:15. Loved West Palm for a change. I agree about FLL hotels, but they are getting the price they want.

I went ahead and booked the Embassy for next February. Price is 279 for 3 people. I chose this for the "suite", free breakfast, two queen beds, no smoking rooms, able to walk to restaurants and shopping, and close proximity to the port.

It is refundable if I find a different hotel for a better deal. Some of the room catagories are already sold out. (2 queens)

I did the same thing for the same reason.

I booked four rooms from December 26-28, 2015 for a pre-cruise stay $525 total for two nights, so with tax it is $262 a night.

I figure for day after and two days after Christmas, in a cruise port, it isn't bad.

There are 11 of us, 4 children under 21, so complimentary breakfast and drinks both nights if around isn't a bad deal.

You're welcome. Until I started working for a hotel I didn't realize how much goes into the pricing and really how much some people would be willing to pay or not willing to pay. Also all the options to ensure that you don't have to pay that much if it's actually avoidable.

 

Hopefully some people will take some help from it :)

I have a twenty year hotel background. From about mid October until Easter, there really aren't any 'down' periods. You'll pay peak rates. The hotel business in a tourism driven destination is a different animal from a city hotel that depends more on corporate travel.

This yr we flew into west palm stayed at Best Western there across from outlets right off interstate. In morn we drove to FLL returned car shuttled over and on ship by 11:15. Loved West Palm for a change. I agree about FLL hotels, but they are getting the price they want.

I loved PBI airport. We flew in to the there 4 years ago (that long already? wow lol). We stayed in Hollywood but definitely gave thought to staying around PBI as well. On the morning of debarkation, we were at our gate barely an hour after getting into the limo outside the terminal in Port Everglades, and the drive was almost 50 minutes of that. I bet the people beside us outside who were going to FLL probably were still in line when we got to our gate. And the flights were cheaper then (not now lol).

I loved PBI airport. We flew in to the there 4 years ago (that long already? wow lol). We stayed in Hollywood but definitely gave thought to staying around PBI as well. On the morning of debarkation, we were at our gate barely an hour after getting into the limo outside the terminal in Port Everglades, and the drive was almost 50 minutes of that. I bet the people beside us outside who were going to FLL probably were still in line when we got to our gate. And the flights were cheaper then (not now lol).

PBI is my airport; easy in, easy out. But fares change all the time. I have gotten cheaper fares from here than from FLL, but most often FLL is cheaper. Miami OTOH, where folks think they get a bargain, are most often more expensive than PBI.

I would be happy to stay at ES, buy the price is so out of line compared to other properties I have researched. The Hampton Inn near the port is about $250. ES is showing $319, plus the tax levied and we would pay a night's parking. I could see if they were running $50 or so different but I just don't see the early evening reception to be worth that difference.

Starting the thread, I was hoping someone might explain why they are willing to pay over $300 a night for this hotel. jmo

I'm with you. I've always stayed at the Sheraton Airport/Cruiseport Hotel the past few years, and noticed the climb in rates prior to my most recent stay there (early February 2015). Thankfully I had booked months in advance with a AAA rate and had a reasonable price. A friend in our group booked it just a few weeks before arrival, and paid $300 plus. I'm a loyal Sheraton customer, and it's a nice airport hotel, but not for $300. :(

For 2016, I've found something less expensive, yet a nicer property, and closer to the port.

Good hunting !

Until I started working for a hotel I didn't realize how much goes into the pricing and really how much some people would be willing to pay or not willing to pay. Also all the options to ensure that you don't have to pay that much if it's actually avoidable.

 

So true. While working for Marriott in reservations the sold out dates changed constantly. We would be told to say we're sold out if people called on the 800 reservation line, but if they called the hotel direct, we had rooms available.

This was long before the internet...when people called or fax'd for reservations (!)

So true. While working for Marriott in reservations the sold out dates changed constantly. We would be told to say we're sold out if people called on the 800 reservation line, but if they called the hotel direct, we had rooms available.

 

 

This was long before the internet...when people called or fax'd for reservations (!)

omg I couldn't imagine having to deal with all faxed reservations or call ins. The Marriott I use to work for was located near a waterpark so we had a deal with them and only accepted faxed reservations for those booking with the waterpark and a mess was an understatement constant overbookings, missed reservations, wrong rates and so forth. So glad that the location I am at now (Hilton) has nothing like that lol.

And that is another thing for anyone booking a hotel sometimes the hotel property and the reservation lines conflict... and online. So sometimes if one says one rate or sold out try another way to book. Just another tip lol. thanks for mentioning that Boatdrill. :)

Other things to look at is the fact of the time of year as everyone has pointed out but also what is going on in town.

 

Check also AAA, AARP (which is really no different then AAA) or military if it applies to you. Also if you work for a company with like national standing such as coke, ge or others see if you have a company discount.

 

This is from experience as a hotel employee for over 8 years with top branded hotels. :)

 

Good luck either way :)

We booked next year's B2B (for 2016) while on this year's B2B. It's almost a year ahead of time.

I booked a hotel for next year before I even booked the cruise, knowing that I could cancel up till the day before. This year & last year, I got a bigger discount using my AARP card vs. AAA. Glad I checked both way.

I always check before we cruise to see if anything is going on at the time we plan to cruise. A few years ago we cruised a week earlier than we had wanted to book because hotel rates were high (even 8 mo. in advance) and some even had a 2 night minimum. Glad I checked before I booked the cruise.