The Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Inns Beach Resort was the perfect place to unwind from our business trip. I would have expected to pay much more than the $80 a night (which included my AAA discount) we were charged, even if we were there in low season (mid-May). It is an older property, but the rooms are clean, comfortable and well decorated. (They were also just beginning to renovate some of the rooms when we left.) In addition to the typical amenities (coffee maker, hair dryer, iron), our standard room came with a microwave and a refrigerator.
Dishes, glassware, and silverware were also supplied, making it easy to reheat some of the "doggie bags" we brought back from the restaurants we sampled. The property is ideally located just across from the beach and within easy walking distance of many of the shops and restaurants along Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard (also known as A1A). The room comes with a free continental breakfast. Be forewarned: It is just a basic continental breakfast—coffee, tea, juices, bagels, fruit, and sweet rolls—not the expanded version you find at some of the hotels these days. Nevertheless, you’d be hard-pressed to beat the ambience of the dining experience. My bagel and cream cheese became a gourmet treat when consumed at one of the tables on the Inn’s large, covered front porch, which reminded me of a porch of an old Southern mansion. The view was incredible and the ocean breeze provided the perfect accompaniment.
Free high-speed Internet access is available in the lobby and on the covered porch. There is a computer available for public use in the lobby, or you can use your own laptop. The hotel’s pool faces the beach, so you can still capture the beach experience if you tire of the sand but still want to play in the water. This property is owned by the same people who own the Fort Lauderdale Oceanfront Hotel right next door, and we were able to use that Hotel’s exercise room, bicycle rentals, and other amenities had we chosen to do so. The staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful—which is why we decided to stay here for three more days rather than moving on to Miami as we had originally planned. I would have preferred a room with an ocean view, but only the suites had that view, and they were, of course, more expensive. For more information, visit their website at www.waterfrontinns.com. Phone: (800) 543-2006.