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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