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.
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.
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.
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 |
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.
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.
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.
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