Fort lauderdale hotel - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Forum, Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

craigers · 08-09-2008, 06:22 AM

Cruising from Fort Lauderdale March 2009

Any suggestions for a good pre cruise hotel for 1 night......

Preferably
1. Reasonably close to cruise terminal
2. Wife wants to shop at Victorias Secret....so I guees we should be close to shopping mall
3. 4 or 5 star
4. Close to where "the action" in Fort Lauderdale is to get us in holiday mood.

According to location maps, the FL Hilton seems to fit the bill. Any others ?

MD11F · 08-10-2008, 06:20 AM

Holiday Inn Express, Embassy Suites, Renaissance Hotel, Ft Lauderdale Grande(Hilton property), Hyatt Pier 66, Sheraton Yankee Clipper, Marriott Harbor Beach, Comfort Inn Suites.

From any of these hotels, you can get the Route 40 bus to the Galleria Mall for your wife.

jsme · 08-10-2008, 02:48 PM

I vote for the Embassy Suites.

We loved it there. They have a very nice free breakfast and a nice manager's reception at night. We walked to lunch and had a water view at a local joint and after the manager's reception we went across the street to a pub. The hotel was pretty.

sk8erguy1978 · 05-28-2009, 03:23 PM

Has anyone stayed at the Comfort Inn Airport/Cruise Port South...

I am booked for the Oasis Jan 10th and thought for sure I was going to book the Best Western Oceanside, but as I looked on this site (as I always do for this stuff ... plug hee hee) I found this post and was checking out some of the hotels MD11F has suggested...

So, found that above hotel and it seems to have the best of all worlds.. Car Rental, Free Breakfast, Free Coffee, pool, laundry, shuttle to/from Airport and Cruise Port, and much more.

So, I guess I am asking two questions, is this hotel as good as it seems and how does the on-site car rental work... Advanced reservations?

OH - side note, My G/F and I would get more enjoyment sightseeing over the beach and the beach front shopping - but we did not want to bother renting a car, returning a car, finding a ride to port afterwards, so that is why we were going to stay Oceanside and just chill on the beach... Now that we see this, we are very interested.. Oh and the price is very good too.

Cruise leaves the 16th of January we are getting to Ft. Lauderdale on the 14th of January, so we have the 15th of January to hang out and do stuff.

Thanks, Dan

MD11F · 05-29-2009, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk8erguy1978

Has anyone stayed at the Comfort Inn Airport/Cruise Port South...

I am booked for the Oasis Jan 10th and thought for sure I was going to book the Best Western Oceanside, but as I looked on this site (as I always do for this stuff ... plug hee hee) I found this post and was checking out some of the hotels MD11F has suggested...

So, found that above hotel and it seems to have the best of all worlds.. Car Rental, Free Breakfast, Free Coffee, pool, laundry, shuttle to/from Airport and Cruise Port, and much more.

So, I guess I am asking two questions, is this hotel as good as it seems and how does the on-site car rental work... Advanced reservations?

OH - side note, My G/F and I would get more enjoyment sightseeing over the beach and the beach front shopping - but we did not want to bother renting a car, returning a car, finding a ride to port afterwards, so that is why we were going to stay Oceanside and just chill on the beach... Now that we see this, we are very interested.. Oh and the price is very good too.

Cruise leaves the 16th of January we are getting to Ft. Lauderdale on the 14th of January, so we have the 15th of January to hang out and do stuff.

Thanks, Dan

Dan, I have not stayed at the Best Western Oceanside, but many cruisers do stay there. It's next to the Sheraton Yankee Clipper Hotel and near the port. Glad the price is right. Can't vouch for the property being as good as it seems, and having stayed at hotels with onsite car rentals, you don't need advanced reservations, though, that may be a good idea.
The Comfort Inn South cruise port is much further away from the port on Sheridan St near the I-95 Freeway and south of the airport. I've heard many negative comments of that property, although I can't imagine they are that bad.

You really don't need a rental car if you stay at any of the hotels near Port Everglades or the beach. Public transportation is easily available, from taxis, the Sun trolley, and the public buses(Broward County Transit) Route 40 Galleria Mall passing along the beach on the way north to Sunrise Blvd, returning the same route from the Mall as Route 40 Lauderhill Mall via the beach to the hotels and past the port. Fare is $1.25 per person each way. You can purchase a One Day Pass on the bus for $3.00 per person cash only. Exact fare is required as no change is provided.

You can walk or take the route 40 bus further north from the Best Western Oceanside hotel to Hall Of Swimming Dr. or Las Olas Blvd, get off there to shop and sightsee at the beachfront stores, and eat at the many restaurants with sidewalk dining or dine inside. At night, there is live music to entertain you. The Water Taxi is a great way to see Ft Lauderdale by water and see the million dollar homes and yachts.
Take the bus(Rte 40 Lauderhill Mall)from the hotel past the port and get off at Cordova Dr, you'll have more shopping opportunities in that area.
At the galleria Mall, there is upscale dining at Seasons 52 and Capital Grille Restaurants, PF Changs, and the upscale Bar, Blue Martini. Click the link below for the Galleria Mall, Broward County Transit and the Water Taxi websites.

Galleria :: Home

Need a Ride? Just Wave, We'll Pick You Up.

Broward County Transit - BCT

Water Taxi - "More than just a boat ride!"

sk8erguy1978 · 05-29-2009, 04:11 PM

I thank you for the really great reply and review of area.

We were considering the BW Oceanside at first, until we saw the Comfort Inn.

After you said you heard negative stuff I checked reviews on hotels.com - and some of those reviews are things I worry about when planing a trip somewhere LOL...

I think I might spend the extra money for the BW or similar, in the end it seems like it will be well worth it...

Thanks again!