Ft Lauderdale Grande ~~~ we're back!!!

[booze brothers]

Stayed at the Grande 1/13/07 pre cruise. We paid $139.+ Everything was great. Nice room, clean, friendly staff. The free shuttle to the port can take 12 people at a time. We arrived about 5:30 pm and were too late to sign up for an early shuttle to the port the next day. 2:30 was the only one available and that was just too late for us. We took a taxi. The lines are very long and slow getting past security. Crabby taxi driver didn't want to spend his time waiting so things were a little tense. We arrived at the ship about 11:30 and went right on.

 

The Grande is about 7 blocks from any decent shopping. There is a great strip mall, total wine, publix market and restaurants right behind the Embassy Suites. We walked but there is a trolley, 25 or 50 cents, that travels up and down 17th st. I was told it wasn't very reliable by the hotel staff (whatever that means) About 2 blocks from the Grande and across the street from the Renaisance Hotel, there is a Walgreens. There is a small strip mall a short distance from the Renaisance. which had a Starbucks and a (forget the name) little restaurant for breakfast.

 

The Grande is a great property and when the renovations are finished, it will be beautiful. We arrived 5:30 Sat. and left 11:00 Sunday ~~ no noise at all. We saw lots of machinery and workers but whatever they were doing, it didn't affect us.

 

We were on the 3rd floor over looking the pool. They do have a restaurant on the property but we did not us it.

 

If the price was right, I would stay there again.

 

Mimi

[mumofsons]

Thanks for this info - we are staying at the Grande on Feb 19th and I was wondering about a Walgreens and a place where we can get some bottled water to take with us. Do you know how early the shuttles started? Our plane lands at 1130 so we should be at the Hotel no later than 1230 I would think. Any restaurants close besides the one in the hotel for dinner? It doesn't have to be expensive - in fact something like Applebee's or similar would be fine - we aren't fancy.

[booze brothers]

I know they have a 10:45 shuttle but don't know if there is anything earlier. Why not call the evening before and see if you can sign up for a shuttle . Can't hurt to try. There were some small restaruants, pizza. maybe chineese, but no chain restaruants that I saw. We walked to the publix food store and got a sub. Took it back to the hotel to eat. If you decide to go to the publix shopping cntr. ~ buy your water there, it's cheaper.