We love reader questions. This one is from Pat:
What is your experience, if any, with Marriott Vacation Club or Marriott hotel properties in Ft. Lauderdale for pre- & post-cruise stays, please.
Marriott is one of our two favorite hotel brands when working on the road, and we’ve used Marriott Rewards points to stay in a number of Marriott-affiliated hotels around the world.
Since we like to take cruise vacations, and we always try to arrive a day before the cruise departure, we do have some experience with using Marriott properties in Fort Lauderdale for pre and/or post cruise stays.
Here’s a look at three different Marriott hotels that we’ve used for before or after a cruise in Fort Lauderdale, Florida:
1. Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa
We’ve stayed at this beach resort Marriott several times before and after a cruise. The photo above was taken from the balcony of our room during one of our post cruises stays, as we watched the ship we had debarked from that morning sail away without us.
In addition to a terrific beach, this Marriott resort offers a large lagoon pool and a variety of water sports. Our favorite amenity is to dine at the hotel’s upscale 3030 Ocean Restaurant with terrific seafood and fantastic service.
The only downside to this hotel: it is a complete beachfront resort; and often we are arriving into Fort Lauderdale the evening before our cruise, and cannot really take advantage of all that the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa offers. If you have time to add a few days for a true beach resort stay before or after your cruise, this is a good choice.
2. Hollywood Beach Marriott
For a different dazzling South Florida oceanfront vibe, we have also stayed at the Marriott Hollywood Beach hotel on the Broadwalk, located six miles from the Fort Lauderdale airport between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. The picture above was from our room taken the morning before our cruise.
The Hollywood Beach Marriott offers guests easy access to explore the world-famous Broadwalk just steps away, with fabulous café dining, shopping, and nightlife.
The photo of the pool was also shot from our hotel room at the Hollywood Beach Marriott. This hotel is located south of Fort Lauderdale and is eight miles from the Port Everglades cruise ship terminal.
This hotel seemed to be a much longer taxi ride from the airport when we arrived the night before our cruise compared to others. The Hollywood area provided a nice early morning walk, and plenty of last minute shopping opportunities before our cruise. The Hollywood Beach Marriott hotel is generally less expensive that the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, and is nice but not quite as luxurious. The hotel restaurant was overcrowded during breakfast, no doubt with lots of folks trying to eat before they headed to the cruise ship pier.
Again, we found this hotel comfortable and pleasant, but a bit inconvenient for just a night before a cruise.
3. Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel
This hotel is our favorite pre-cruise Marriott property in Fort Lauderdale. From the Fort Lauderdale airport, the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel is only a 12 minute, $15 taxi ride from the airport, making it perfect for an overnight stay prior to a cruise departure or after a return.
This hotel is also conveniently located to the cruise port, and to numerous dining and shopping options within walking distance. We could see the cruise ships from the window of our room. Shuttle vans deliver you to the cruise port in about 5 minutes for a fare of $6 per person.
There is a first-floor restaurant and separate bar that also serves food.
Since this is also a business hotel, there is an executive lounge on the 12th floor for evening appetizers and breakfast for platinum level Marriott Rewards members, guests that purchase a room rate with executive lounge access. See more details in our post on the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel. This hotel offers the best combination of value, location and convenience for a pre-cruise stay.
Are you looking for a hotel in Fort Lauderdale? Find today’s hotel deals in Fort Lauderdale on TripAdvisor!
What’s your favorite pre or post cruise hotel in Fort Lauderdale? Please share in comments below.
Follow us on Twitter or interact with us on Facebook
Or, check out our boards on Pinterest and/or our photos on Instagram.