Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel Marriott

Review: Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Marina Hotel

To the point Here is our review of the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel owned by the Marriott Group. A well-situated hotel located at the marina.

During our stay in Florida this winter, we stopped at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale hotel located at the marina, a comfortable hotel with a nice outdoor pool.

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Location

The Renaissance Fort Lauderdale hotel is located about 10 minutes from the Fort Lauderdale International Airport in a more commercial area with several stores, restaurants, and cafes. It is particularly well situated if you need to take off on a cruise or take a taxi boat.

Booking

The Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Marina Hotel offers stays starting at $170 USD per night or 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. As always, we recommend that for this type of stay, you pay with the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card or the Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express® Card, or use your points.

Booking

Ask for a room facing the marina. The hotel is located near a busy road.

In addition to the great welcome bonus on both cards, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on all purchases and 5 points per dollar at Marriott locations. And each year, you’ll earn a certificate for one free hotel stay (35,000 point value) as well as 15 Elite nights toward your Marriott Bonvoy status.

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Hotel details

Parking

Paying $30 USD/day or $5/hour

Valet $35 USD/day

Breakfast included No
Swimming pool Yes, heated outdoor with whirlpool Room with balcony No
Spa No Room with kitchenette No
Fitness room Yes Executive Lounge Yes
Restaurant Yes USB sockets in the room No
Accepts animals Yes, 1 pet of 25 lbs. for $50 USD/room per stay Smart TV No
Mobile card Yes Shower/Bath Bathtub Shower
Bike rental Yes Convenience store Yes
Meeting space Yes Dry cleaning service Yes
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Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Hotel Reception

To park at the hotel, you must pay the hotel’s parking fee. There is a parking lot in front of the hotel for restaurants, but a sign prohibits hotel guests.

The reception hall is large and bright with several cozy spaces to get settled in. A beautiful staircase leads to the conference rooms upstairs. The decor in shades of blue and beige is soothing. We went to one of the two reception desks to check in.

The Renaissance Fort Lauderdale offers 7 room types:

  • Room with 1 very large bed
  • Room with 2 large beds
  • Corner room with 1 king size bed
  • Room on Club level, high floor, 1 king size bed
  • Room on the Club level, high floor, 2 large beds
  • Spacious junior suite, 1 king size bed
  • Larger suite, 1 king size bed

We got a traditional room with two large beds as we were with the kids.

Bedroom

On our floor, I ccouldn’t help but notice the plaster on the ceiling. Too bad it gives an old-fashioned look to the hallway.

The room is standard with two large beds, a desk with an adjustable chair, a cabinet with a mini-refrigerator and a flat-screen TV. The telephone could have been changed to a more modern version, along with the yellowed electrical outlets. We found a small corner to settle in near the window.

No bottled water was offered in the room. Marriott members are not taken seriously, I guess.

As for the bathroom, it’s classic but would benefit from an upgrade. Individually-sized body care products are available.

Dear Marriott Group, when will you standardize your hotels to limit the single-use, individual packaging of hygiene products?

Services at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Hotel

The Renaissance Fort Lauderdale has on the first floor, the Bistro 17 kitchen for breakfasts, the La Colombe café, or the R lounge for light meals.

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For breakfast, we had the choice between the free continental breakfast offered to Elite members (cold dishes) or paying (hot dishes). The staff paid attention to detail and greeted customers promptly.

If your room has access to the Club Lounge, you can enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and desserts as well as breakfast for two adults. Alcohol is charged. The salon is normally open from Sunday to Thursday in the evening and from Monday to Friday in the morning.

If you have drinks at your hotel’s bars and restaurants, don’t forget to charge these expenses to your room bill, earning up to 17.5 points per dollar based on your Marriott Bonvoy status!

When you check out, pay with your Marriott Bonvoy® Amex®* card to earn 5 points per dollar!

Available from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm, the outdoor pool is very pleasant with its tropical atmosphere and its cabanas. It is heated which was a must when we came in February. There is also a whirlpool on the premises. The only drawback is its location near the road, less relaxing.

The fitness room is not very large but offers a variety of equipment. It is open 24 hours a day. It gives direct access to the pool.

Finally, the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel provides guests with a computer centre, an ATM, and a gift shop offering general merchandise and necessities.

My general impression of the hotel

This Renaissance hotel is pleasant because of its facilities. However, I would have liked to enjoy the Club Lounge or at least a classic breakfast with hot dishes without having to pay extra, especially being with family. It remains a good pick for a short stay because of its location.

Continue reading our other Marriott Bonvoy articles:

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4.8 Milesopedia Rating
Audrey
Mother of two young children, pharmacist, travel hacker's wife and frequent traveller, Audrey shares her advices and destinations recommendations on milesopedia.

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