They are (from South to North): 17th St. Causeway, Las Olas Blvd, Sunrise Blvd, Oakland Park Blvd, Commercial Blvd and Atlantic Blvd.
There are clusters of hotels, restaurants and shops near each of these main streets both inland and at the coast.
The more expensive and better known hotels on Fort Lauderdale beach (which is usually where every body wants their hotel to be located) are on the A1A, also known as North Ocean Blvd, and are located between Las Olas and Sunrise. You'll find the Ritz Carlton, W Hotel, and the Hilton (among others) here. From there, the further North you go along the coast, the more affordable the hotel—that is not to say that they are cheap—they are just likely to be less expensive than the ones south of them.
While there are a few hotels directly on the sand, the majority of the beach hotels are located just across the street on the A1A/North Ocean Drive so you still get to hear and see the ocean from your hotel room.
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| Ritz Carlton Entrance at Fort Lauderdale Beach |
Because there's been a tremendous amount of development in this town over the last decade competition is pretty fierce and deals can be found.
When deciding on hotels in Fort Lauderdale here are some things to consider…
The first thing is location. Are you renting a car? If not, then you likely want to be within walking distance of the beach, restaurants and shops so that you don't need to hop in a taxi every time you want to go somewhere.
The next is price. If you're on a tight budget, think about coming down here in mid- or low-season when most hotels are offering super specials on their room rates. Like most resort cities there is a high and low season and occupancy charges are in line with the seasons and can vary quite dramatically.
If that doesn't work for you, consider saving some money by seeking out hotels farther away from the beach. The good news is that Fort Lauderdale is long and narrow so no matter where you end up the beach won't be very far away.
Finally, what amenities are you looking for?
Is this a business trip? If so, make sure you have all the facilities that you need on-site like a business center or meeting rooms.
Is this a family vacation? If so, check out the hotels for family-friendly policies and specials, and make sure that it has the amenities to keep your little rascals occupied. Although more expensive, any of the hotels on Fort Lauderdale beach are perfect for families because the kids always have a giant sandbox to play in directly across the street if the hotel's pool area leaves them feeling restless.
Are you single and looking to party? Then you need to make sure that you're near some of the hot-spots near Las Olas so that you can stumble back to your hotel on foot after having one too many cocktails at one of the many Fort Lauderdale clubs and watering holes.
The best way to find a hotel in any city is to ask a local, and as "locals" we are often asked about hotels in Fort Lauderdale by friends and relatives looking for a good deal, better value, or a specific type of location. I know that if I was coming to your town, I'd ask you where to stay and probably find some hidden gem. So check back often to see our latest recommendations.
What you'll find when looking for hotels in Fort Lauderdale Florida is lots of choices and often terrific deals if you know where to look and how to find them.
Or go to the Fort Lauderdale Tips Home Page
My daughter and I are flying into FLL November 15th and staying for 2 days before cruising out of Miami. Since we're in Wisconsin and not renting a car, we definitely want to be on the beach. What are your thoughts on the Hollywood Beach Resort, Ocean Manor Beach Hotel? I'm trying to stay under $100, or VERY CLOSE to it, and still have a nice stay and be on the beach. Free airport shuttle would be a bonus :) Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Brian,
ReplyDeleteWe actually know the Ocean Manor fairly well...It's just down the street from us at the other end of the Mile. But to be clear, it's not in Hollywood--it's on the Galt Ocean Mile between Commercial and Oakland Park in Fort Lauderdale.
The hotel itself is acceptable and you'll have a nice stay. Some rooms are quite nice while others really need to be updated. The outside and common areas were recently updated. We're actually surprised you found a room there at that rate in November--If you did, we say jump on it!
They have a nice pool area with a Tiki bar directly on the beach and provide lounge chairs on the beach for their guests.
There is another hotel right next door (Ocean Sky--less recommended) that rents Jet Skis if you enjoy that type of thing. They are the only 2 hotels on the Galt Mile and directly on the beach--the rest of the buildings on the beach are all residential condos.
It's a great area if you aren't looking to be right in the middle of nightlife. Everything you would need is within a few minutes walk or directly on the Mile. Groceries, drugstores, restaurants...all conveniences.
North of the hotel on Commercial between the A1A and the beach there are quite a few restaurants, a couple of bars, and it's about a 10 minute walk from the hotel..(you can get there from the hotel by the beach or street).
In terms of airport shuttle though, we're pretty sure you are out of luck --but contact the hotel just in case. A "shared ride shuttle service" from the Airport will be about $16 each (that was a while back) and a taxi will run you around $35 so for two of you we would suggest a taxi.
However once you are there, you won't need a car...as we said everything is close by. And if you want to head out to the Galleria Mall or Coral Ridge Mall.. there is a free Sun Trolley that serves those routes from the Galt Mile--they only operate during the day on M-W-F.
The only other place we might suggest in the area is the Sea Lord Hotel on El Mar Drive--it's more like a motel but also directly on the beach and closer to Commercial. It's a small (nothing-fancy) place but clean and may be cheaper. The Ocean Manor is much more of a resort-style hotel.
If you want more of a "hotel" experience and you can get it at the right price we would stick with the Ocean Manor.
Hope this helps....
April 2013 Update:
ReplyDeleteA friend recently stayed at Ocean Manor on the Galt Mile and although the exterior of the hotel is renovated, the place is a dump.
His room was expensive and a disaster, with broken faucets, holes in the wall and chipping paint everywhere--just to name a few of the issues with the place. He even had to call the front desk for towels since there were none left in his room.
As we passed the front desk we could hear numerous complaints from other guests about their rooms.
It seems to us, that management takes advantage of the fact that they are one of the few hotels on the beach and really doesn't care about the quality of service or the product they are offering.
We will definitely not be recommending the Ocean Manor in the future.