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I’m back home again, just long enough for a few more hours of work. Then it’s a return trip to my lovely hotel for the rest of the week at the beach. Tough life, huh? Ahhh, if only I lived this way all the time. But my backyard vacation with Gwendolyn is giving us both a much-needed chance to relax. And the opportunity to check out some of the new things along the Fort Lauderdale beach. I mentioned two of these in my previous blog: the St. Regis Hotel and the Hilton. But I really feel I should tell you a bit more about these properties, even though I’m not staying in them now. Because they are important additions to this city – top-flight hotels with big names, sitting directly on the seafront. And because I am genuinely impressed with each one.
At the new Hilton, I toured two rooms, looked around the pool and checked out public spaces. I’ve stayed at some wonderful Hiltons in this country, including in Hawaii and midtown Manhattan. The Fort Lauderdale Hilton compares favorably with these – and the exterior layout even reminds me a bit of that New York City Hilton. Here, though, the pretty bar sits beside the pool, several floors off the ground with a great view of the Atlantic Ocean. The lobby and other common areas are spacious and tasteful. And the rooms I saw are great. The standard room is spacious, really more like a small suite than anything, with a pleasant balcony that looks out on the sea. But the larger suite is amazing. It includes a full kitchen and sit-down bar, a wraparound patio with ocean views and enough space that I could live there quite comfortably, thank you.
At the St. Regis, the standards seem even higher. As a travel writer, I’ve enjoyed enough truly great hotels around the world to recognize a luxury property when I see one. The St. Regis makes that kind of grand statement. From the marble pillars to the rich wooden tables in the lobby, from the elegant oceanfront restaurant with outdoor seating to the wonderfully memorable bar, this hotel is a distinct jump into the ultra-luxury market for Fort Lauderdale. On Monday night, after a terrific dinner at the Casablanca Café, Gwendolyn and I drifted around the beach for a while before ending up at the St. Regis for drinks and dessert. We sat facing a $100,000 mural painted behind a lighted oversize bar, sipping cocktails made from coffee and liqueurs. We shared a chocolate marquise, a deliciously rich and beautifully presented confection. And I thought, So this is the new Fort Lauderdale, with a hotel worthy of the best area in any major city on the planet. And I thought something else too – I could get used to this.
At the new Hilton, I toured two rooms, looked around the pool and checked out public spaces. I’ve stayed at some wonderful Hiltons in this country, including in Hawaii and midtown Manhattan. The Fort Lauderdale Hilton compares favorably with these – and the exterior layout even reminds me a bit of that New York City Hilton. Here, though, the pretty bar sits beside the pool, several floors off the ground with a great view of the Atlantic Ocean. The lobby and other common areas are spacious and tasteful. And the rooms I saw are great. The standard room is spacious, really more like a small suite than anything, with a pleasant balcony that looks out on the sea. But the larger suite is amazing. It includes a full kitchen and sit-down bar, a wraparound patio with ocean views and enough space that I could live there quite comfortably, thank you.
At the St. Regis, the standards seem even higher. As a travel writer, I’ve enjoyed enough truly great hotels around the world to recognize a luxury property when I see one. The St. Regis makes that kind of grand statement. From the marble pillars to the rich wooden tables in the lobby, from the elegant oceanfront restaurant with outdoor seating to the wonderfully memorable bar, this hotel is a distinct jump into the ultra-luxury market for Fort Lauderdale. On Monday night, after a terrific dinner at the Casablanca Café, Gwendolyn and I drifted around the beach for a while before ending up at the St. Regis for drinks and dessert. We sat facing a $100,000 mural painted behind a lighted oversize bar, sipping cocktails made from coffee and liqueurs. We shared a chocolate marquise, a deliciously rich and beautifully presented confection. And I thought, So this is the new Fort Lauderdale, with a hotel worthy of the best area in any major city on the planet. And I thought something else too – I could get used to this.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 9:03 AM
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