Fort Lauderdale: Hilton Marina (December 2017)

Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina - Request an Odd-Numbered Room in the Towers
I stayed at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina for two nights in late December 2017. I reserved the room online through the Hilton website, and I remitted Hilton HHonors points for my stay. As someone who plans and reserves way in advance, it is my general practice to monitor the cost of a hotel as my stay approaches. More than with any other hotel, I found the rates at this property to drop as my stay approached, and I was able to rebook for a lesser number of points for the same room. I checked in online the day prior to arrival and selected my room from the available options. Disappointingly, I received the exact room that I selected; I was not upgraded upon arrival despite having Diamond status with Hilton.
The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina is located midway between the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the Fort Lauderdale beaches. It is positioned adjacent to the 17th Street causeway/drawbridge, and some rooms enjoy a view of the bridge and the nearby port with its continuous arrival and departure of cruise ships. (Although you are quite close to the port, it does not seem possible to walk there from the hotel.) The hotel is positioned along the Stranahan River/Intracoastal waterway adjacent to one of the city’s famous canals and near a small marina. In fact, boats are docked on either side of the outdoor G Bar. The hotel is located on busy 17th Street, with lots of restaurants and shopping that stretches west for miles. A Walgreens pharmacy is the closest store (less than a half-mile walk each way), with additional retail nearby (Ross Dress for Less, Dollar Tree, Publix, Winn Dixie, Total Wine). Nearby restaurants (all walkable within a mile) include Market 17, Boatyard (previously the Bimini Boatyard), Bravo Ristorante (NOT part of the chain), and Carabbas (chain), with more casual fast-food options such as Panera, Chipotle, Five Guys, Cold Stone Creamery, Starbucks, Einstein Bagels, BurgerFi, and Laspadas. The property is located across a busy street (but with good crosswalks and directional lights/signs) from the Broward Convention Center; in fact, the hotel was overrun with families of teenage girls who were practicing at the venue for their appearance in the halftime show at the Orange Bowl later that week.

The hotel offers rooms in three locations: the Tower, the East Villa, and the West Villa. To me, the West Villa seemed the oldest, perched atop the hotel’s parking garage, with some rooms overlooking the parking area and others overlooking the small marina. The East Villa rooms could be the most desirable, with pool views on one side and water/river/marina views on the other, although recent reviews say that those rooms could use a refresh. I stayed in a room in the Tower, which seemed more recently renovated. Odd-numbered rooms face the port, drawbridge, and convention center, whereas even-numbered rooms (particularly on the higher floors) enjoy great views of the pool, marina, waterways, and even further out on the horizon to the tall buildings in Downtown Fort Lauderdale. Next time, I would spend the extra money to ensure a better view from my room’s balcony, because in the perfect weather/light conditions, it is stunning! My room (number 622) was spacious, with a large closet (iron, ironing board, electronic safe, luggage stand), modern bathroom (sliding doors, oversize shower with a bathtub, toilet, and large single-sink vanity), large sleeping area (king-size bed with a nightstand on either side, TV console, coffee maker, small round table and two chairs, desk and chair), and long balcony (with two chairs and a tiny table with views of the drawbridge and water taxi stop).
The East Villas contain the small fitness center, which includes a few exercise machines and an outdoor area for yoga; towels and water are available inside. The hotel’s main indoor restaurant, Waterways, is located in the East Villa. (Waterways used to be the now-closed Nanking Asian restaurant.) The G Bar restaurant offers outdoor seating near the pool and marina. The West Villa contains a gift shop that offers forgotten items, clothing, food, drinks (non-alcoholic only), and souvenirs. A small open-air business “center” is located near the main desk, which is always busy with guests arriving and departing. (This Hilton offers a text checkout option so that you don’t have to brave the long lines to check out; also, there is a dedicated Hilton HHonors desk that provides faster check-in service.) The Antea Lobby Bar and Lounge offers grab-and-go food and drink items as well as a full bar and lounge area where you sit and enjoy drinks and snacks. Food delivery (room service) is also available at the hotel. Last but not least, one of the hotel’s best features is its attractive pool, which provides a self-service towel hut. No chair-side drink or foodservice was available at the pool when I visited, although guests were welcome to serve themselves from the G Bar. If the beach is more your style, an external vendor provides a complimentary beach shuttle several times a day; you board the van outside the front entrance near the valet parking stand. It first stops at the Pier Sixty-Six Hotel (previously the Hyatt) located in a similar position to the Hilton but on the other side of the drawbridge, then transports guests to the Doubletree Bahia Mar on Seabreeze/Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd/A1A just across from the Fort Lauderdale Beach Park. (When I visited, the shuttle departed the Hilton at 9:00, 11:00, 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00, with returns from Bahia Mar at 9:20, 11:20, 1:20, 3:20, and 5:20.)
I enjoyed my stay at the Fort Lauderdale Hilton Marina; despite it not being on the beach, it offers a nice pool, great views of the water and boats, easy airport and port access, and nearby walkable restaurants and stores.
















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