Located just minutes from the Fort Lauderdale airport the Fort Lauderdale Grande is a newly remodeled hotel offering quality found in hotels usually double the price. There is no need to rent a car when staying at this hotel as it is close to the airport and beach. A cab from the airport should cost no more than $15 so if you see the meter approaching $20 then your cab driver is taking you for a ride.
Having not visited this hotel before the renovations I can’t say how improved the hotel is – what I can say is that the quality is there. When staying at a hotel there are certain elements I look for that signify the quality and thought put into the amenities.
First for the lobby. It is very well appointed and modern featuring a huge circular carpet and trendy upscale bar area to the side of the entrance. There’s lots of outdoor seating visible through the large glass windows lining the back of the lobby. Everything is brand new and they definitely did not spare any expense in making the hotel look top notch.
The reservation staff was very friendly on check-in and let me know right-away that the hotel is part of the Hilton HHonors rewards program. As a frequent traveler I’m a big fan of Hilton HHonors as it allows you to earn hotel points as well as points on your favorite airline.
The rooms are where things really get good. First off, there is one feature in the rooms that is a first for me – large LCD HDTV being fed an actual HD signal. I’ve stayed at plenty of hotels with HDTV’s however none that I have encountered are being fed a true HD signal. As a basketball fan watching the playoffs on this TV was an absolute joy.
I’m pretty picky about beds, particularly the thread count of the sheets and pillowcases. At home I have all 600 thread count sheets and the Fort Lauderdale Grande offered a familiar feel. Brand new high-thread count duvet cover with a comfortable down comforter inside is a great addition to the cushy bed supported by a feather down top cover. The feather pillows were great and altogether this was one of the most comfortable beds I have slept in at a hotel.
Through a door towards the back was a beautiful balcony overlooking the swimming pool, canals, and adjoining yacht harbor. The balcony had two chairs and a small table making it the perfect place to have a nice breakfast and enjoy the beautiful Florida mornings. An advanced in-room coffee-maker made a mean cup or coffee or tea depending on what you prefer. The room also had an empty refrigerator which is great for travelers looking to save some money and store some snacks or breakfast food. We stocked-up on bagels and cream cheese which made for a quick and easy breakfast in the morning.
The bathroom is also well-appointed with a rain shower coming from the ceiling. This is very rare in hotel and I can’t tell you the number of Four Season and Ritz Carlton hotels that don’t have this luxurious shower option. The sink has a designer look to it and the entire bathroom is very classy and elegant – it just feels good to be in this hotel bathroom. My only critique is that there was no bath mat and instead just a bathmat towel. The shower has a frosted glass wall that doesn’t reach quite far enough leaving the bath towel completely soaked with water each time you step out of the shower. This was a definite oversight on their part as it’s a less-than-elegant experience getting out of the shower and stepping onto a soaking wet towel – but all-and-all the bathroom still gets an A-grade.
The swimming pool was fantastic and temperature perfect for swimming during the day or late at night. A variety of pool-chair options lets you relax by the pool in style. My main complaint about the pool area was the service. They oftentimes ran out of towels leaving you to dry-off with a freezing cold wet towel – yuck! The servers would only offer menus and drinks to a portion of the guests sitting by the pool. I am yet to figure-out how they decide who to serve. On day we received service right-away, the next we say outside for two hours while people all around us were offered food and drinks and we were ignored. If this hotel wants to maximize their income it would make sense to offer food and drinks to all of their guests.
The location of the hotel is on it’s own private Yacht harbor between several beautiful canals that line “millionaire row” in Fort Lauderdale. There is shuttle that goes to the beach every hour but it stops running at 6:05 so expect to take a cab back from the beach if you want to spend the day there. The beach is about a thirty minute walk if you want to make the journey on foot but the Florida heat will leave you dehydrated and exhausted once you get there so I’d suggest taking the shuttle or a short cab ride – about 10 minutes.
My only main complaint about the hotel was the concierge. We were traveling to Miami from Fort Lauderdale and wanted to know the best way to get there. I asked the concierge about a cab and she indicated it would cost at least $120. She suggested I take a shuttle company she knew that would take us for just $95. When I went outside to talk to the valet guys they said the concierge had lied to us because she wanted us to use a company that gave her a kickback. They negotiated a flat rate of $70 for the cab and we were on our way to Miami. This is definitely a problem if you can’t trust the concierge so I would really take everything they say at this particular hotel with a grain of salt. Most hotels I’ve stayed at the concierge is on your side, with this blatant lying it was easy to see that all she cared about was making money herself.
