Where to Stay in Fort Lauderdale

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• Locations Recommended for Staying in Miami
• Where to Reside in Palm Beach
• Where to Reside in Tampa
• Where to Stay in Orlando
• Where to stay during a visit to Key West

The Best Areas to Fort Lauderdale

Just north of Miami lies Fort Lauderdale, principally known for its magnificent beaches consisting of a lengthy Atlantic coastline comprising mainly of barrier islands isolated from the mainland by the Intracoastal Waterway. The key attractions away from the beach are found in Downtown Fort Lauderdale, the region`s commercial and cultural core. While it`s reasonably simple to explore the city center – and individual beach regions – on foot, an automobile is the best approach to rapidly go around the area, though Water Taxis also provide an option in Fort Lauderdale. Greater Fort Lauderdale encompasses all of Broward County in southern Florida – we’ve featured lodgings in the major neighborhoods between Hollywood Beach and Pompano Beach below.

For quieter beaches that offer a taste of old Florida, consider looking into Dania Beach or Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.
• Downtown Fort Lauderdale is the best neighborhood for art, culture, restaurants, and shopping, but it’s easy to zip between here and Fort Lauderdale Beach (which has more accommodation choices) by bus, Uber, water taxi, or vehicle • Boulevard, which runs between Downtown Fort Lauderdale and the beach, is the region’s premier shopping street.

The Best Places to Stay in Fort Lauderdale

• Best Luxury Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
  Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach – Lago Mar Beach Resort & Club – The Ritz-Carlton – The Dalmar – Riverside Hotel
• Best Boutique Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
  Pillars Hotel • Diplomat Beach Resort • Casa Pellegrino Boutique Hotel
• Best 3-Star/4-Star Hotels in Fort Lauderdale
  Pelican Grand Beach Resort • Tropic Seas Resort
• Best Cheap Hotels in Fort Lauderdale

  • Riu Plaza Times Square: This contemporary hotel provides stylish guest quarters, on-site dining selections, and an assortment of modern amenities, all within an convenient location in the heart of the Theater District.

Best Areas in Fort Lauderdale for…

• Best Neighborhood for a Beach getaway: Fort Lauderdale Beach
  Along Fort Lauderdale Beach, it is difficult to find a better location for overall amusement, a wide variety of accommodations, excellent dining establishments, and an extensive stretch of white sand. While staying here, transportation is not necessary – water taxis, rideshares, and buses provide access to Downtown Fort Lauderdale and up and down the strip. Palm trees, bars, shops, and outdoor restaurants line the walkway, and lifeguards patrol during the daytime hours. Beach chairs (with large blue umbrellas) can be rented (approx. $45 per day total) and parking is relatively convenient (on weekdays). Jet skis (from $95 for 30 minutes), paddleboards and kayaks can be rented from Dr. Jet Ski
• Downtown Fort Lauderdale boasts the area`s most vibrant culinary scene with various dining options.

The region`s top restaurants tend to be found in downtown Fort Lauderdale, principally along Las Olas Boulevard. It offers an eclectic, high-quality scene, with a variety of options. Some of our favorite spots are the Asian/Latin fusion specialist Casa Sensei, the high-end seafood restaurant Rivertail, the elegant Harborwood inside the Hyatt Centric Las Olas, Bombay Darbar Indian restaurant, and excellent Italian spot Primadonna. The highly recommended Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery lies just north of downtown

• Best Area for Diving and Sport Fishing: Pompano Beach

Thanks to the many scuba-accessible wrecks located just outside Hillsboro Inlet (at least 18), Pompano Beach is known as the “Wreck Capital” of Florida and a haven for scuba diving enthusiasts (see South Florida Diving or Drift Free Diving). Drift diving along the nearby reef is also popular, and several businesses offer fishing excursions. Just to the south, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea is perfect for snorkelers, with a reef within swimming distance of the shoreline.

• Best Neighborhood for families: Hollywood Beach
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Laidback Hollywood Beach provides a family-friendly atmosphere, with its famous 2.5-mile broad pedestrian pathway bordering the coast packed with street performers, al fresco eateries, and activities ranging from bicycling and rollerblading to kayaking and volleyball. Beach chairs and cabanas can also be rented, and various accommodation options are available locally. Hollywood Beach is conveniently situated between Miami and downtown Fort Lauderdale, with direct highway access via I-95.

• Best Location for Nightlife: Downtown Fort Lauderdale

The largest concentration of bars and live music venues is found in the Riverwalk area on the west side of Downtown Fort Lauderdale, near the esteemed Broward Center for the Performing Arts (not distant from the reputable Hyatt Centric Las Olas). Some of our preferred spots comprise Apothecary 330,Stache Drinking Den and Original Fat Cats. To the south, Tarpon River Brewing is our most favored local craft brewery. Nightlife along the Fort Lauderdale Beach strip isn’t as boisterous as it used to be, but there are plentiful spots here also: Casablanca Café,Lulu’s Bait Shack, historic Elbo Room, and further north Blue Jean Blues, for live blues and jazz seven nights weekly.

• Prime neighborhood for the LGBT+ scene: Wilton Manors

Though there are several gay-friendly hotels in Fort Lauderdale Beach, the most energetic LGBT scene can be found in Wilton Manors, a few miles inland. Wilton Drive is the main promenade, lined with LGBT+ friendly businesses, bars and restaurants. The neighborhood is also home to the Pride Center at Equality Park, Broward County’s LGBT community center, and the annual Stonewall Pride Parade & Street Festival, held every June. Some of the better hotels here include Inn On The Drive,Island Sands Inn and Casa Hermès

• Unsafe Areas of Fort Lauderdale
  Central Fort Lauderdale and the beach districts described below are usually quite safe, yet ordinary safety measures should be taken at night. Flagler Heights, which is evolving into an artistic district just north of Downtown Fort Lauderdale, can be unsafe, especially at night; Dorsey Riverbend, just northwest of the Museum of Discovery and Science has a somewhat precarious reputation. Most regions experiencing high crime tendencies usually are deeper inland.

The 7 Best Neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale for Tourists

1. Downtown Fort Lauderdale

A couple of miles inland from the coast, on the banks of the New River, Downtown Fort Lauderdale is the hub for business and commerce in the region, but it’s also filled with attractions for visitors. Las Olas Boulevard is the city’s premier street for shopping and entertainment, while the Riverwalk makes a pleasant waterside path between several museums and arts venues: Broward Center for the Performing Arts,History Fort Lauderdale, the Museum of Discovery and Science,NSU Art Museum and Historic Stranahan House Museum. Thanks to its many canals, Fort Lauderdale is known as the “Venice of America”, best experienced by Water Taxi or tour boats such as the Jungle Queen.

• Highly Recommended Accommodations: The Dalmar – Element Fort Lauderdale Downtown – Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Downtown/Las Olas – Hampton Inn Ft. Lauderdale/Downtown Las Olas – Hyatt Centric Las Olas Fort Lauderdale – Riverside Hotel

2. Fort Lauderdale Beach

Las Olas Boulevard ends at Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, which runs north-south along the Atlantic coastline. Fort Lauderdale Beach is only two miles distant but feels like another world from downtown, with its fine sandy beach lined with upscale resorts, eateries, bars (the Elbo Room has been open since 1938), paddleboard rentals, T-shirt and swimwear shops, coconut palms, rollerbladers, and cyclists. The primary attraction when it`s rainy is the International Swimming Hall of Fame.The Tortuga Music Festival (a country-music beach party), and Riptide Music Festival take place at the beach each November

• Highly Recommended Accommodations: The Ritz-Carlton – Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach – Lago Mar Beach Resort & Club – Pillars Hotel – Premiere Hotel – Snooze Hotel – Westin Beach Resort – Marriott’s Beach Place Towers

3. Port Everglades (Harbordale)

Port Everglades is a prime maritime terminal, notably recognized for serving as one of America`s biggest cruise ship docks. The port is accessible through the adjoining Harbordale neighborhood, home to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center as well as an abundance of generally economical, no-frills lodging with a couple exceptions as noted below. Remaining here is mostly concerning being near to the cruise port and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, though there are numerous quality places to dine such as 15th Street Fisheries, and Fort Lauderdale Beach is only a mile-and-a-half away.

• Best Hotels: Crowne Plaza Ft. Lauderdale Airport/Cruise • Embassy Suites 17th Street • Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina • Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port • Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel

4. Lauderdale-By-The-Sea

Around four miles north of Fort Lauderdale Beach, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea is smaller and more relaxed than its southern neighbor, with access to more modest lodging options such as inexpensive guesthouses and motels. It’s also a well-liked spot for snorkeling and scuba diving, with a reef and several shipwrecks just offshore (such as the SS Copenhagen, a British cargo steamship that sank in 1900). AQUI Water Sports and Deep Blue Divers provide trips and lessons. The local Anglin’s Fishing Pier is the longest in South Florida. Nearby, Caribbean-inspired Aruba Beach Café is one of our favorite places to dine.

• Top-rated Hotels: Blue Seas Courtyard – Driftwood Beach Club – High Noon Beach Resort – Tropic Seas Resort

5. Pompano Beach

Towards the northern end of Broward County (around 10 miles from Downtown Fort Lauderdale), Pompano Beach is another relaxed beach community with an array of lodging options and a relatively new 900-foot long fishing pier. It’s especially known for its diving scene and sports fishing charters, as well as its Green Market, held November to April on the second and forth Saturday of each month. The seafood eateries are also pretty good here: one of our favorites is Beach House.

• Notable Accommodations: Club Wyndham Santa Barbara • Ebb Tide Resort • Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa • Pelican Grand Beach Resort • Seahorse Guesthouse

6. Dania Beach

Some seven miles southeast of Downtown Fort Lauderdale (and just south of the airport), Dania Beach is one of the least crowded areas of beach in the region. Though the sand space here is narrower than elsewhere along the coast, it’s much less developed and makes for a peaceful alternative to Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood. North of Dania Beach Pier is the blissfully untouched Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, while the community itself is known for its vintage shops, especially inland along US-1. The best place to dine is the Quarterdeck Restaurant right on the pier, though the 1950s-era Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor is advised for sweets.

• Top Hotels:Casa Mint • The Desoto • Ocean Inn

7. Hollywood Beach

Somewhat over 10 miles southeast of downtown Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood Beach is a relaxed family-friendly beach community, with lodging ranging from luxury resorts to low-cost motels. As always the sand remains the major attraction here, but the 2.5-mile pedestrian-exclusive “Broadwalk” along Ocean Drive is also highly enjoyable, lined with eateries, street performers, and stores. The dining scene is particularly good in this area, with everything from seafood specialist Billy’s Stone Crab Restaurant, to no-frills burger joint Le Tub. Beyond the waterfront, the primary attraction is the Anne Kolb Nature Center, a pristine park comprising coastal mangrove wetlands.

• Highly Recommended Accommodations: Atlantic Sands – Casa Pellegrino Boutique Hotel – Diplomat Beach Resort – Hollywood Beach Marriott – Manta Ray Inn – Ocean’s Sound – Walkabout Beach Resort

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