Best Western Oceanside Plus Inn on Ft. Lauderdale Beach

How close is the beach from the Best Western Oceanside Plus Inn in Ft. Lauderdale? And how close is it to Ft. Lauderdale Beach Park.

Are there any good restaurants in walking distance? We would be interested in a good steakhouse, sea food, and maybe Italian.

How far away is the Sun Trolly and Water Taxi?

We are planning to stay there for 4 nights in June prior to our cruise. We will not have a car, nor do we want to rent one.

Also, those of you who have stayed there, were you happy with the hotel? What did you like, and what did you not like.

It's a great hotel, a block or two from the ocean. Short walk, great pool, recently renovated.

I haven't stayed there but visited people staying there.

Water Taxi Stop at the Bahia Mar across the street.

Trolley you just flag down, no stops.

The park is a short walk down A1A.

Restaurants

Seafood:

Coconuts

Casablanca

Casual:

LuLus

Hooters

Park & Ocean (Uber or taxi)

Steak:

Steak 954

There are also a ton of good restaurants on Las Olas but that would be an Uber ride.

This is very helpful for us as well. We are booked here for our Jan 2019 stay both pre and post cruise. Had the best rates I could find in the area, included breakfast and gets really good reviews. They do say on their website that the beach is right behind the hotel...you don't have to even cross a street, how accurate is that if it's a block or two from the ocean? Thanks for your personal experience...makes us feel more sure of our decision to book with them.

Cathy

January 2018, I stayed 5 nights and January 2019 will stay again 5 nights at the Best Western Oceanside.

They do not have a shuttle to/from airport/port. I took a taxi (around $25 includes tip) to the hotel and Uber (someone else paid I think around $20) to Port.

January 2019, our cruise is out of Miami. Shuttles services posted on CC, charge more for pickup from beach hotels, Best Western Oceanside, said they have a shuttle service they use that only charge $25/pp to MIA Port.

They have a great breakfast - make your own waffles, cereal, yogurt, juice/tea/coffee/milk, bread/bagels/muffins, fruit, cheese, deli meat, scrambled eggs, each day a different hot selection - ham/sausages.

They have a bar that also sells small selection of hot food. They have washer/dryers, bikes to rent, with loungers round the pool and tables with umbrellas, pool towels at pool, room had small refrigerator, microwave, safe, iron/board, ice machine in hallway.

To get to the beach, exit the front door, turn right, pass the next hotel, at the beach. Or, elevator down to parking, turn left, walk to the corner, turn left, pass the back of the next hotel, at the beach entrance. This year, there were some picnic tables and a few wooden chairs, volleyball nets at this end of the beach (main beach area do not have chairs/tables).

You can exit the front door, turn right and walk along the sidewalk and walk the oceanfront (ocean on one side and stores/restaurants on the other).

You are so close to the beach but not paying oceanfront prices.

The regular bus (cash) have stops in front of the hotel. The Sun Trolley runs in front of the hotel, just have to flag it down. It is $1(cash)/pp/each time you exit also has an all day price. It runs roughly every 20-30 minutes, I think they stop around 6pm so make sure what time the last run is.

The water taxi, is maybe a block or two away on the opposite side of the hotel. Buy the tickets (cash, credit) onboard. They have different routes (3 I think). Make sure you go at night. We spend all day, switched routes, and had dinner at Cheesecake Factory.

The hotel next door has a restaurant. Best Western has a small hot selection of food from the bar. I saw people eating and it smelt and looked good. We have walked along the oceanfront to different restaurants. We have used the Sun Trolley to get restaurants along the oceanfront, the 17th Street restaurants, and the water taxi. We took the Sun Trolley to Coconuts (street behind oceanfront), we always go Kelly’s Landing (off 17th Street). There are a lot of different restaurants in the 17th Street area, a few grocery store, liquor store. The Sun Trolley depot (start spot) is in a shopping plaza that has a grocery, liquor, other stores, Five Guys, Duffy’s Sports Bar.

The staff are very friendly and made us welcome. This year while we were there, they stream cleaned all the hall/room carpets for our floor so they were keeping the hotel well cared for. You can get free water bottle at the front desk.

Thank you Phabric for all this great info. Will make note of the restaurant recommendations from both you and Blue Herons for our upcoming trip!

I have another question. Can you see the ships departing in the evening from the Best Western beach area?

I have another question. Can you see the ships departing in the evening from the Best Western beach area?

You will be able to see them once they pass through the channel (about 2/3 mile south of the beach near the hotel) into the ocean. They are so big I can see them in the distance from my condo 12 miles up the beach! The ship parade begins with departures around 4 pm and ends by 5:30 usually (obviously dependent upon the number of ships).

Yes, you'll have a great view of the ships from the beach.

Thank you Phabric for all this great info. Will make note of the restaurant recommendations from both you and Blue Herons for our upcoming trip!

Yes! Such good info from them.

Thank you much!

This is very helpful for us as well. We are booked here for our Jan 2019 stay both pre and post cruise. Had the best rates I could find in the area, included breakfast and gets really good reviews. They do say on their website that the beach is right behind the hotel...you don't have to even cross a street, how accurate is that if it's a block or two from the ocean? Thanks for your personal experience...makes us feel more sure of our decision to book with them.

Cathy

When are you going in January 2019?

We will be there January 13-19, 2019.

When are you going in January 2019?

 

We will be there January 13-19, 2019.

We are staying one night precruise from the 3rd-4th, embarking Reflection on the 4th then disembarking the cruise on the 18th and flying back to Toronto on the 19th. Do you have your flight booked for the 19th yet? I got a really good deal on Choice Air and we're flying back with Air Canada on the 1:20pm flight.

Cathy

This is such great info as we recently booked this hotel for 3 nights in February for our "in between" two cruises. We've booked the Riverside pre-cruise for 2 nights as want to try different locations. Have stayed before at GalleryOne which we like but again wanted to try different hotels.

Thanks to all for your info-sure helps.

We are staying one night precruise from the 3rd-4th, embarking Reflection on the 4th then disembarking the cruise on the 18th and flying back to Toronto on the 19th. Do you have your flight booked for the 19th yet? I got a really good deal on Choice Air and we're flying back with Air Canada on the 1:20pm flight.

Cathy

We are flying on Air Transat on January 13 and 27.

Does anyone happen to know if this hotel offers day rates/early check in? Might be flying out day after cruise because of better prices.

I arrived before noon and they had a pool view room ready for me. My sister arrived a few days later before 10am and no room ready so they held their luggage and they sat at the pool.

If the room is not ready, they will hold your luggage.

You can call the hotel and ask.

I arrived before noon and they had a pool view room ready for me. My sister arrived a few days later before 10am and no room ready so they held their luggage and they sat at the pool.

 

If the room is not ready, they will hold your luggage.

 

You can call the hotel and ask.

Great! Thank you!

This hotel is very popular now. I am on the Allure and I booked for 10/13/18, however, I tried to book for post cruise on 10/21/18 and it was full. Now I have to find another hotel.

This hotel is very popular now. I am on the Allure and I booked for 10/13/18, however, I tried to book for post cruise on 10/21/18 and it was full. Now I have to find another hotel.

By all means make a reservation elsewhere so at least you have something but I'd keep checking the BW site...ever since I booked I've seen them either with vacancies or full...for the same dates that we've booked. I'm sure people book and cancel all the time. You still have time before your cruise.

This hotel is very popular now. I am on the Allure and I booked for 10/13/18, however, I tried to book for post cruise on 10/21/18 and it was full. Now I have to find another hotel.

I would call them to see if there are any available for your date and I would mention your other stay. I have found them very friendly to work with.

For Italian in Fort Lauderdale:

http://www.angeloeliapizza.com

http://www.angeloeliapizza.com

and a new one that just opened a few months ago:

https://www.mymidici.com

I just booked this for our April 2019 cruise. When I first looked the prices were really high, so booked something else. The price dropped a lot so we booked.

Will be there for one night end of next week. Will try to remember to post when return from cruise.

Will be there for one night end of next week. Will try to remember to post when return from cruise.

I hope you remember-would be nice to hear your opinion and maybe photos?

Enjoy your cruise!

I hope you remember-would be nice to hear your opinion and maybe photos?

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks and yes, I will try. :)

Does anyone know if there are any grocery stores that are walking distance from hotel