HotelChatter

Tags: AAA Hotels / Hotel Awards / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / Hotel News / Five Diamond Hotels / → All Tags

The Only Luxury Hotel in Fort Lauderdale That Lives Up to the Hype

If you haven't heard already, the new AAA Five Diamond list is out and while the usual suspects are on the list, there is one notable addition for 2010—The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale.

While Florida is well-represented by a number of Ritz-Carltons, this is quite the milestone for Fort Lauderdale, which is still trying to do-away with its Spring Break reputation. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been to Fort Lauderdale recently, however. Have you seen the size of those yachts tied up on the Intracoastal?

Even more interesting is that this honor comes just over a year after the property joined the Ritz-Carlton family. Prior to August 2008, it was a St. Regis—and even then only for a year. So maybe Ritz-Carlton should carefully consider their restructuring strategy.

more ›

Tags: Budget Hotels / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / South Beach Group / Hostels / → All Tags

South Beach Goes Hollywood, Budget Hollywood

No, no, the SoFla folks aren’t coming west, just heading north. The self-described “hip hotel group” The South Beach Group has just announced a new property in Hollywood Beach, Florida. But don’t look to their Miami Beach boutique hotels—Catalina, Riveria South Beach, Whitelaw, et. al—for clues to the new digs: this baby is a two-in-one, the Hollywood Beach Hotel + Hostel.

more ›

Tags: W Hotels / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / Hotel Packages / → All Tags

The W Fort Lauderale Wants You To Visit Their Water Wonderland

The W Fort Lauderdale's Terrace Bar

Yes, summer in Florida is sticky and sweaty. But the still-new W Fort Lauderdale is trying to woo you down to the Sunshine State with its “W Presents Wonder on the Water” promotion.

According to the hotel’s website, here’s what you get:

· VIP Living Room table with two Coastal-politans
· W beach towel, two lounge chairs & an umbrella on the beach
· Bliss® Hot Cream Manicure $25
· Chef-guided kitchen tour with wine at Stephen Starr’s signature restaurant
· Unbelievable room upgrade!

more ›

Tags: Snapshot / W Hotels / Hotel Bars / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / → All Tags

Which View Do You Prefer at the W Fort Lauderdale: Ocean or Speedos?

Looks like the W Fort Lauderdale is starting to find its groove. The hotel finally opened on April 30th and Flickr member Tom Barnes dropped this snapshot into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool of the W's terrace bar.

The terrace is part of the hotel's living room where you can drink and snack on light fare from 11am to 2am. But if watching the action outside on Atlantic Avenue is boring for you, you can relax on "mattress-inspired" seating under the hotel's pool which has portholes for you to spy on the swimmers.

Board games, free internet and a pool table also round-out the amenities but um, we'll settle for some speedo-watching instead.

Room rates for this weekend start at $309 a night.

Tags: Hotel Openings / W Hotels / Florida Hotels / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / → All Tags

W Fort Lauderdale Finishing Up For April 30 Opening

Ready for another W Hotels grand opening? They have been on a roll as of late, first debuting the W Hoboken last month and now prepping to reveal their first two Florida properties within several weeks of each other.

Due to finally debut (after a delay from a previously-announced April 2nd date) is the W Fort Lauderdale on April 30, with the W South Beach riding its hype coattails on June 2. Let's focus on the Fort Lauderdale property for now at least, as it's got a hefty size to it: weighing in at 346 hotel rooms and 171 condo-hotel apartments, this will be the largest W resort to date. As the first W in Florida, it will be bringing a few other firsts of its own to the scene, including the first Stephen Starr restaurant and whiskey bar in the state.

Thankfully, all signs point to "yes" for an on-time April 30 opening. Hotels.com is already taking reservations for that night, ringing up rooms at $289 — though rates appear to be coming down significantly to $215 in the middle of May. Not bad, especially since there wil be liquor flowing downstairs and a beach on which to bake outside. Count us in.

[Image: W Fort Lauderdale]

Tags: Hotel Delays / W Hotels / Hotel Woes / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / → All Tags

W Fort Lauderdale Needs a Little Bit More Time

Right now, we're humming our favorite go-to karaoke song which is "Hold On" by Wilson Philips. If you aren't familiar, allow us to lay down the lyrics right here:

Dont you know?
Dont you know things can change
Thingsll go your way
If you hold on for one more day
Can you hold on for one more day
Thingsll go your way
Hold on for one more day

Well, we certainly hope that things will go their way for the W Fort Lauderdale. Tipster Tony pointed us to this Sun-Sentinel article which said the hotel is now opening four weeks later on April 30. The hotel blames the delay on the delay in getting a certificate of occupancy from the city.

Our advice for W Ft. Lauderdale? "Yeah, I know that there is pain but you hold on for one more day and you break free, break from the chains." And oh yeah, you better open on April 30. We've been waiting long enough!

[Photo: Mike Stocker, Sun Sentinel]

Tags: W Hotels / Hotel Openings / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags

W Fort Lauderdale Will Open in April, Seriously

While today is the day that W Hoboken opens its doors (but not its guestrooms), there's some news that the long-awaited W Fort Lauderdale, which should have opened this month, is now going to finally open on April 2. Hallelujah!

The W will have 346 hotel rooms and 171 condo-hotel units along with the standard W amenities like restaurants, lounges, pool, shops and a spa. The Sun-Sentinel reports on what's inside:

The new resort can't be confused with traditional luxury, as in doilies or white-glove service. Its design is playful and witty - more South Beach and urbane than usually found in Fort Lauderdale. The lobby area, for example, is dubbed The Living Room and features lounges, bars, billiards, games and music. Visitors can look up through a beamed, see-through ceiling into the main swimming pool. Or they can stroll onto an oceanfront balcony, warmed with a fire pit. Disc jockeys will play Tuesdays through Sundays to help create a relaxed, party atmosphere that welcomes locals, said sales and marketing director Chris Tompkins.

Uhoh we hope the neighbors are cool with the DJ during the week. Remember W Scottsdale?

more ›

Tags: Hotel Deals / Marriott Hotels / Bill Marriott / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / → All Tags

Sleep Where Bill Marriott Slept and Get the Third Night Free

We know that Bill Marriott and his wife like to spend half of January at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, but could that rate-free stay be affecting the hotel's business?

Why else would they try to lure guests with one of those "stay two nights, get the third night free" promotions, as well as one of those increasingly popular recession drink specials at the hotel's restaurants? Oh yeah. Maybe it has nothing to do with Bill and everything to do with the downturn in the economy.

Whatever the reason, it works in guests' favor. Through April 1, you can save up to 33 percent with the buy two, get one free promotion (rates start at $369 per night) and through March 31, get 50 percent off drinks at the resort's three restaurants.

Mr. Marriott, might we suggest similar deal-inducing extended stays chain-wide? You may be aware of how this country is in a bit of a recession? Of course you are. We know marketing didn't come up with that drink special all by themselves.

To secure the deal, call 800-222-6543 or book online using promo code B4F. For the recession drink special, just saunter up to the bar and ask.

Tags: W Hotels / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / Hotel Woes / → All Tags

W Fort Lauderdale Has Some Advertising Issues

Every once in awhile we come across a hotel which never seems to have good news coming from it. We hate picking on hotels like this, but sometimes they make it so easy. Like the W Fort Lauderdale Hotel & Residences.

We're picking on this W Hotel not because of the usual culprit (construction delays), but because of the way they are advertising their residences. In a recent story from the Sun-Sentinel:

"You may be in violation of the terms of your site plan approval," city Planning and Zoning Director Greg Brewton warned in a Dec. 15 letter to John Yanopoulous, CEO of developer DYL group.

The hotel, at 3101 Bayshore Drive, was approved in 2002 as the Capri. Advertising literature for the W is not clear about how long "owners" can inhabit the units. But Brewton's letter alleged the units were advertised as "year-round."

Apparently, year-round homes are not permitted on the beach in that part of Fort Lauderdale. A year-round home is one where the owners are able to live there 365 days a year.

We just visited the W Fort Lauderdale's sales website and while it doesn't explicitly state anywhere that you can live there year round, it also doesn't say that you can't. Not only that, but the site is filled with blurbs like "Home Sweet Home" and the "Legal" section contains every disclaimer known to man except that you cannot purchase a condominium unit as your primary residence.

Sales agents probably weeded out all those primary residence purchasers before they made a commitment, but that's not the point. This sounds like false or misleading advertising, not what we'd expect from a hotel with the W name on it.

Tags: Escape the Economy Hotels / Marriott Hotels / Hotel Cocktails / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / → All Tags

$5 Recession Martinis at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort

It turns out the holiday season is not the only cover-up for drinking ourselves into oblivion--the recession is another great excuse to defend your penchant for drinking a little more than usual.

Americans are cutting back their spending on seemingly everything but the mortgage and the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale has recognized that by offering their Down(turn) & Dirty Martini for only $5. The drink usually costs $11.

Designed for those who don’t want to forgo their evening cocktail ritual, the budget-friendly special allows guests and the local community to mix and mingle while adhering to their budgets. Available at the hotel’s Riva restaurant and poolside Cascades bar, the Down(turn) & Dirty Martini is available now through March 31, 2009.

We love it. You don't even have to be a guest to partake in this recession cocktail. But if you did want to get a room that night (who knows how many martinis you will imbibe?), rates start at around $289 a night.

Tags: Ritz-Carlton Hotels / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags

The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, Formerly the St. Regis, Now Open

As promised the one-year-old St. Regis Fort Lauderdale stopped operating on August 11th and a Ritz-Carlton has slid in and taken its place.

From the official press release:

The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale opened August 11, 2008 as the Gold Coast's newest oceanfront luxury hotel and the 10th Florida hotel for the company named by The Luxury Institute as "The Most Prestigious Luxury Brand."

Envisioned by legendary architectural firm Arquitectonica and hospitality interior design leader Hirsch Bedner Associates, the 24-story, dramatically tiered and glass walled hotel has sweeping curves that are reminiscent of a grand luxury liner.

Pretty much everything else in the 192-room hotel has remained the same, minus the St. Regis branding everywhere. Even the Cero restaurant, the Wine Room and the spa are still intact. Only thing missing? The St. Regis butler service.

Rates are currently starting at $259 a night.

Tags: St. Regis Hotels / Ritz-Carlton Hotels / Hotel Closings / Fort Lauderdale Hotels / → All Tags

Photographic Evidence that St. Regis Fort Lauderdale, Soon to Be a Ritz, is Not On the Beach

Yesterday when we announced that the St. Regis Fort Lauderdale was to become a Ritz-Carlton on August 11th, one of the noted concerns was that the property was not actually located "on the sand" but rather across the street. And despite this, the Ritz would probably have higher prices than a sister Marriott property that is on the beach. Booo.

A few commenters wondered about the photograph that we used, saying the shot looks totally deceiving. So we had to dig up a better shot of the hotel to prove it was not on the beach.

more ›