Oceanfront Paradise Found! Fort Lauderdale's BEST Kept Secret (Residence Inn Review)
Oceanfront Paradise Found! Fort Lauderdale's BEST Kept Secret? (Residence Inn Review – Oh, Boy, Where Do I Begin?)
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because I’m about to take you on a rollercoaster ride through my recent stay at the Residence Inn in Fort Lauderdale – the one that supposedly holds the key to “Oceanfront Paradise.” Let’s just say, the key almost fit perfectly in the lock. This review thing? Gonna be a bit messy, like my travel journal after a week of sunshine and… well, let’s just say “adventures.”
SEO & Metadata Stuff (Gotta Play the Game, Right?)
- Keywords: Fort Lauderdale Hotel Review, Residence Inn, Oceanfront, Accessible Hotel, Beachfront, Free Wi-Fi, Pool, Spa, Restaurant, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Family-Friendly, Cleanliness, Safety, Accessible Amenities, Florida Hotels.
- Meta Description: Unfiltered review of the Residence Inn in Fort Lauderdale – discover the good, the bad, and the hilariously awkward moments from an actual guest. Is it truly Oceanfront Paradise? Read on and find out! (Spoiler alert: it's complicated).
The Arrival: Expectations vs. Reality (and a Touch of Panic)
Landing in Fort Lauderdale, the Florida sun felt like a warm, boisterous hug. My luggage, however, felt more like a grumpy toddler I had to drag everywhere. The Residence Inn promised an easy escape, and the online photos… well, they’re always so perfect, aren’t they? The entrance was… spacious. Yay for Accessibility! Immediately noted: the hotel features Facilities for disabled guests. That’s a big win right off the bat.
The Check-in/out [express] was a breeze, which was great because I was desperate for a shower. I’m already dreaming of the Air conditioning in public area, because I arrived drenched in sweat. The lobby was pretty slick, too. I also enjoyed the simple Elevator, it was convenient.
Rooms: My Temporary Oceanfront Fortress (with a Few Hiccups)
Okay, the room. Beautiful, right? I was thrilled with the Window that opens. I am a sucker for natural light and ocean breezes. The Air conditioning blasted a welcoming arctic chill, a stark contrast to the Florida heat. The Blackout curtains were a godsend for sleeping in… which I definitely needed after the long flight.
Details, details… Free bottled water was great. And the Refrigerator was a lifesaver! The Coffee/tea maker was a godsend first thing every morning. Seriously. The On-demand movies could have kept me occupied for days. I also loved that a Mirror was available. I liked the Desk if I needed to work. The Safe/security feature was great.
But here’s where the cracks started to show. My initial reaction to the room decor was meh. But after a few days, the overall look and feel really grew on me. The Extra long bed? Heavenly. However, the Internet access – wireless… ugh. It could be touch and go sometimes. Then the Alarm clock was way too loud. I might have accidentally woken the whole floor a few times. A minor gripe, sure, but hey, nobody is perfect, right? And, honestly, the Soundproofing wasn't amazing, a couple of times I heard someone’s TV from next door and I thought I could hear the doorbell.
Internet: Yay/Nay/Ugh?
Let’s be honest, we all need the internet. Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! – a major selling point. And, initially, it was a dream. Then, it became a fickle beast. Sometimes lightning-fast, other times… well, let’s just say I spent a lot of time staring at loading circles. Frustrating, especially when trying to upload those Instagram-worthy sunset pics. The Internet itself was also available.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: Food, Glorious Food (Mostly!)
The Buffet in restaurant in the morning was great. I had Western breakfast, with the typical eggs, bacon, and pancakes. The Breakfast service was pretty efficient. The Coffee/tea in restaurant was delicious. The Restaurants themselves were very inviting, with a view of the ocean. The Poolside bar was a dream. I also was very happy there was a Snack bar! I think I ate too many chips! I enjoyed a Bottle of water.
Things to Do & Ways to Relax: Beach, Bliss, and… Well, the Fitness Center
The Swimming pool [outdoor] was the star of the show. That view! I spent hours floating in the water, gazing at the ocean. Pure bliss. Oh, and there's a Pool with view!
The Fitness center? I admire the effort, but it felt a little… cramped. I definitely considered the Sauna, Spa/sauna and Steamroom, but didn't end up using any of them.
I thought about getting a Body scrub, a Body wrap, and a Foot bath, but I never got around to it. There was nothing that would have made me want to use the Spa, but I could see its allure. The Massage was a nice way to relax.
There was a Terrace! Perfect for a sunset cocktail, a bit of reading, and contemplating life (or, you know, just people-watching).
Cleanliness & Safety: Feeling Safe, Mostly…
The Residence Inn clearly takes cleanliness seriously, especially in these post-pandemic times. Anti-viral cleaning products, Daily disinfection in common areas, Hand sanitizer, and the whole nine yards. They also have the Rooms sanitized between stays, and Staff trained in safety protocol. They even have Sterilizing equipment. I felt comfortable, and assured that they were doing everything to keep people safe.
Services and Conveniences: The Little Things That Matter
24-hour front desk, nice! Daily housekeeping, also a lifesaver. They had the Laundry service and Dry cleaning, if you need it. The Luggage storage was super convenient. Concierge was useful.
For the Kids: Family-Friendly or More Like “Family-Adjacent”?
I didn’t have kids with me, but I did notice some families. They had the Kids facilities. The Babysitting service was available.
Accessibility (Digging Deeper):
This hotel is a good choice for guests with mobility problems. The Elevator was helpful.
The Verdict: Paradise Found… With a Few Caveats
So, is the Residence Inn in Fort Lauderdale “Oceanfront Paradise?” Well, it’s definitely a strong contender. The location is amazing. The rooms are comfortable (for the most part). Cleanliness and safety are clearly a priority. The swimming pool is stunning. But there are a few little things that need to be addressed.
The Wi-Fi can be spotty. The decor could be a little more exciting.
Overall verdict: I'd recommend it! It's a solid choice for a beach getaway. Just be prepared for a few hiccups, and you'll be fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go book my next trip… and maybe pack a better portable Wi-Fi router. ;)
Luxury Lyndhurst Escape: Courtyard Meadowlands' Unforgettable Stay
Okay, buckle up, buttercup. This ain't your grandma's itinerary. This is my (possibly disastrous, definitely hilarious) attempt to conquer the Residence Inn Fort Lauderdale Pompano Beach/Oceanfront. Let's see if I survive… or at least, emerge with some decent tan lines and a story to tell.
The (Un)Official Residence Inn Pompano Beach Pilgrimage - AKA "Me, My Swimsuit, and the Atlantic"
Day 1: Arrival, Ocean Panic, and Questionable Pizza
1:00 PM: Landed in Fort Lauderdale. The airport, surprisingly, didn’t spontaneously combust. Score! Uber’d to the Residence Inn. Oceanfront, baby! My inner child shrieked with glee. Now, the lobby… it's clean. Kinda… beige? Okay, I can handle beige.
2:30 PM: Checked in. The front desk lady, bless her heart, seemed to be running on about 4 hours of sleep. I get it. That Florida sunshine is a siren song, and the tourists… well, they're spirited. Got my key, and the room… Yep, ocean view. Not directly oceanfront, but sideways-ocean-view-ish? Acceptable.
3:00 PM: Suitcase explosion! Unpacking. Okay, deep breaths. Swimsuit? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Giant, ridiculously oversized beach towel that I probably won't use? Check. Wait. Am I missing a hat? Dammit!
3:30 PM: Down to the beach. The ocean! The actual, real-life, blue, vast, terrifying ocean. I’m a landlubber, okay? I dipped a toe in (brrr!) before retreating, muttering about jellyfish and unseen horrors. This is where I admit I'm a chicken. A very, very pale chicken.
4:00 PM: Found a chair. Successfully deployed myself onto said chair. Read half a chapter of my book. Realized I hadn't eaten.
5:00 PM: Ordered pizza. From… well, let's just say the reviews weren't glowing. The best I can say is that it was… edible. And I was hungry. Desperate times, people. Desperate times.
6:00 PM: Sunset. Absolutely gorgeous. Ate the pizza. Regretted the pizza. Watched the sunset while fighting off a rogue seagull that clearly wanted my pizza crusts more than I did.
7:00 PM: Hit the hotel bar. Ordered a cocktail. My inner monologue: "You deserve this." External monologue: "This is fine."
8:00 PM: Back in the room. Watched TV, felt slightly sunburned, and began to wonder if the pizza was actually going to kill me.
Day 2: Poolside Shenanigans, Crab Leg Craving, and Questionable Decisions
8:00 AM: Breakfast. The free breakfast at the Residence Inn. Hmmm. Okay. The scrambled eggs looked… suspiciously yellow. The coffee, however, was surprisingly strong. Fuel for my day of epic adventures!
9:00 AM: Found a prime spot by the pool. Sunscreen application round two. I am now officially a lobster. Already.
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Pool time! Floating around, pretending to be a graceful water nymph. In reality, I’m probably closer to a slightly-less-elegant manatee. Watched a family attempting to build an elaborate sandcastle. Admired their tenacity. Briefly considered joining in. Decided against it. Too much sand.
12:30 PM: Lunch at a nearby cafe. Ordered a fish sandwich. Okay, it was good. Actually, it was really good. Florida is redeeming itself.
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Back to the pool. More sun. More floating. More internal arguments about getting in the ocean. I am a work in progress.
4:30 PM: CRAVING. CRAB. LEGS. The ocean air apparently triggered some primal urge. Googled "best crab legs fort lauderdale". Found a place. Called. They had crab legs! Victory!
6:30 PM: Crab leg feast. Yes. Just. Yes. So much butter. So much cracking. Shell fragments everywhere. Worth it. Absolutely worth it. The only regret? Not ordering more crab legs.
8:00 PM: Walk on the beach at night. The waves sound so much different. Actually… it's very serene. The world is quiet. Then a dog starts barking. Nevermind.
9:00 PM: Back at the hotel. Feeling delightfully full and slightly crabby. Started mentally picking out my outfit for tomorrows beach bonanza. (and maybe even the ocean again!)
Day 3: Ocean Defiance, Souvenir Scramble, and Pre-Departure Panic
8:00 AM: The dreaded hotel breakfast. Same questionable eggs, same strong coffee. But today is different. Today, I FACE THE OCEAN.
8:30 AM: Took a walk on the long boardwalk. I saw a man walking the opposite way, and I smiled at him. He didn't smile back. I think he was probably deaf.
9:00 AM: The beach. The ocean. I put on my swimming suit. I walked near the edge of the shore. This time… I will DO IT! I dipped a toe in (still brrr!). I took a deep breath… I ran straight into the water and actually fully submerged this time. I swam. I survived. I conquered! (Okay, it was only a few strokes, but still!) Triumph!
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Shopping for souvenirs. Seashells? Too cliché. T-shirt? Too touristy. I ended up buying a ridiculously oversized, bedazzled flamingo keychain. Hey, I didn't come this far to not buy a souvenir.
12:30 PM: Lunch near the hotel. A nice little burger joint. The food was good! I'm on a roll today.
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Back to the ocean. More swimming (yes, actually swimming!). Spent the rest of the afternoon with the sand and the waves.
4:00 PM: Pre-departure panic. Did I buy enough sunscreen? Pack enough clean underwear? Remember to tip housekeeping? The usual.
5:00 PM: Packed (mostly). Watched the sunset one last time. Feeling a strange mix of exhaustion and contentment.
6:00 PM: Dinner. Ate some delicious seafood at a restaurant not far from the hotel. I got some more yummy crab legs.
8:00 PM: At the hotel lounge taking my last cocktail. Thinking about my wonderful experience.
9:00 PM: One last walk in the beach. The moon is gorgeous tonight.
10:00 PM: Bedtime.
Day 4: Departure (and the Aftermath, Likely Involving Laundry)
- 6:00 AM: Wake up, pack the remaining stuff.
- 7:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. (I am now an expert on the scrambled eggs).
- 8:00 AM: Checkout.
- 9:00 AM: Uber to the airport.
- 10:00 AM: Landed back home.
- 11:00 AM -… forever: Unpack, do laundry (and probably mourn the loss of crab legs). Start planning the next trip. Because, well, the ocean is calling… and I think I might actually answer next time. Maybe.
So, yeah. That's my (un)official Residence Inn adventure. It wasn't perfect. It was messy. It was probably sunburn-inducing. But it was mine. And that, my friends, is all that matters. Now, let's see if I can find that flamingo keychain…
Boulder's BEST Kept Secret? This Residence Inn Will Blow You Away!
So, is it REALLY a "Secret," or just… a Residence Inn?
Okay, let's be real. "Best Kept Secret" is a *bit* of a stretch. It's a Residence Inn. You know, the home-away-from-home chain? BUT… and here’s the big BUT… it's a Residence Inn *on the freaking ocean*. And the ocean, my friends, is indeed a secret weapon. I mean, who doesn't love the ocean? Does anyone not? I arrived completely exhausted from a hideous flight delay, you know the one that always involves a toddler’s meltdown and a screaming passenger. And then… BAM. Ocean. Immediate zen. Suddenly the screaming kid felt like a distant memory. (Okay, maybe not, but it was *better*.)
The room… was it… clean? (Because, you know, hotels.)
Alright, let's get down to brass tacks. The room was… decent. Let’s be honest. It was clean-ish. Like, "clean enough that I wasn't immediately reaching for antibacterial wipes" clean. I did find a rogue stray hair in the bathroom the first day (ew), but honestly, after a day at the beach, a single hair felt like a minor inconvenience. The bed? Comfy enough that I didn't wake up feeling like a crumpled map.
Tell me about the breakfast! Is it the usual hotel breakfast misery?
Oh, the breakfast. Okay, the breakfast *mostly* redeemed it all. They had… well, the usual. Scrambled eggs (questionable provenance, let’s be real), sad little sausages, and the continental breakfast staples. BUT… and here's where the Residence Inn pulls a rabbit out of its hat… they had an omelet station some days! And the omelet guy (yes, he earned a name) was *legendary*. He was fast. He remembered *everyone's* order. And more importantly, he was CHEERFUL. Like, genuinely happy to flip eggs at 7 AM. That, my friends, is worth its weight in gold. (And also, free coffee all day. Bless.) I went back every single morning. Seriously, I think the omelet guy might have been the highlight of my entire trip.
The beach access… is it, you know, easy?
Okay, this is where the magic really happens. YES. Easy access is an understatement. You literally walk out the back door, and you’re practically *on* the sand. I’m not exaggerating. It was… glorious. No long treks, no crowded paths. Just… sand, sun, and the endless ocean. I spent hours just sitting there, staring at the waves, and pretending I had all the time in the world. I even saw a dolphin! Okay, maybe it was a shark. I don't know. I'm no marine biologist. But it was MOVING. (And probably a shark, I'm sure).
Was there a pool? Because a pool is important, right?
Yes, there was a pool. It was… fine. Nothing spectacular, but clean and refreshing, and sometimes that’s all you need. I preferred the ocean, but hey, options are always good. It was usually filled with kids shrieking with joyous abandon, which, as someone who came in wanting to be in a bubble, wasn't ideal, but hey, they were happy. Good for them.
Any downsides? Let's get real here.
Oh, there were downsides. The internet. It was… spotty. Prepare to be frustrated if you need consistent Wi-Fi for work or Zoom calls. The elevators were also, shall we say, *enthusiastically* used – you'll find yourself waiting. And the "free" parking? Expect to fight for a spot, especially during peak hours. One night I had to park so far away I swear I walked a mile! And the noise. Oh, the noise. While the ocean is soothing, the street noise and the loud neighbors could occasionally be a bit much.
Would you go back to this "best-kept secret"?
Okay, let's be honest. It's not perfect. It's a Residence Inn. But… that beach access. The omelet guy. The fact that I could literally roll out of bed and into the ocean? Yeah, I would go back. Especially if someone else is paying. Look, for the price, the location is hard to beat. It's not a five-star luxury resort, but it’s got heart. And sometimes, that’s all you need. And I definitely would be more prepared for parking next time.
Anything else?
Oh, one last thing! The sunset. Make sure you see the sunset. Because it was amazing. Every single night. Okay, that’s all. Go enjoy the beach. And tip the omelet guy. Seriously. He deserves it.
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