I visited Fort
Lauderdale for three days in late December 2017. Initially, I was supposed to
visit Deerfield Beach for a whole week, but my plans changed and I had to
shorten the trip. (I couldn’t cancel entirely because I had purchased non-refundable
tickets, and would have lost much of their value due to rebooking fees.) Because
I really only had one full day, plus two partial days, I decided to stay in
Fort Lauderdale so that I wouldn’t waste valuable time in transit. I had two
free nights from Hilton HHonors points, so I chose between the three most
suitable properties: the Doubletree Bahia Mar, the Hilton Marina, and the
Embassy Suites 17th Street. I had stayed at the Embassy Suites
previously, so I was familiar with that hotel, and it has a nice pool. I liked
the Doubletree because it was on the beach, although it would mean contending
with the 17th Street Causeway drawbridge on my way to and from the
airport, and I didn’t want to waste any of my precious time sitting in traffic.
So I decided on the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina because it looked more
resort-like than the nearby Embassy Suites. My stay was successful and
relaxing! Other than a late lunch at the Quarterdeck, I ate at the hotel’s
Waterway and G Bar restaurants. Although it was a quick trip, it was nice to
see sunshine and palm trees for a few days in the middle of winter.
Hotel:
Restaurants: