Hi. I'm a long time reader but first time poster. I've found the information you provide on here very helpful and even overcame my fear of using priceline.com by reading some of your posts!

Myself and 3 girlfriends are heading to Fort Lauderdale for 8 days at the end of May 09. I used to live there so have good ideas on where to go and sites to see, etc. I'm just not sure about accomodations for all 3 of us.

Here's our criteria:

-$300US per night, however would love to get something for less than that. Would like this pricing to include any parking fees.
-looking for a room which can accomodate all 4 of us. Preferably 1 bedroom suite with two queen/double beds and a separate eating/sitting area with minimum of mini fridge/microwave/coffe maker. Outdoor balcony/patio is also a must.
-Preferably Fort Lauderdale beach area. If not waterfront would like to be within walking distance to beach. Would also consider Hollywood, Weston or really any other area close to Fort Lauderdale attractions if it had nice accomodations & pool for a good price. Will have a car.

I have been doing some research and would like any feedback or info you may have on the following:
-Pelican Grand Beach Resort
-Gallery One,Doubletree next to Galleria Mall
-Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort
-Marriott's Beach Place Towers
-Crown Plaza Hotel Hollywood Beach Resort

Have ruled out:
-Tropic Cay Beach Resort Hotel
-Avalon Waterfront Inn
They have the accomodations we are looking for at very reasonable prices, but most of the reviews were really bad. Doesn't sound like it would be very safe accomodations for 4 women.

Have looked at the vrbo.com website. I'm nervous about using it though as you have to deal directly with the owner. I don't want to get ripped off. Also, it seems they want you to pay in full up front and I'm looking for an unrestricted rate as it's still 5 months away. If anyone has any specific info on accomodations through vrbo I'd be very interested to hear about them though.

Sorry this is so long. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if I've left anything out.

Thanks,
Sadie

I don't know anything about Ft. Lauderdale, but after several girls trips, I'd look at getting two rooms, so you have two bathrooms and each have your own bed.

You might not be able to find a property with sitting areas for this price, but find a place with nice sitting areas outside and you'll be set.

I really think eight days and four women in one room is a giant headache, no matter how close you guys are.

Thanks for the info. We are going to try and make a go of it in the one room. If we can at least have one bedroom we can have separation from living/sleeping area. That way if someone needs a nap/wants to turn in early, etc then the rest of us can stay up without bothering that person. We're not young girls so I'm sure it will work out for us. My only problem is if any of the girls snore! Drives me crazy when hubby does it.

Does anyone out there have any info on or used vrbo.com? Looks like there are lots of options for two bedroom accomodations such as condos, homes, townhomes, etc. I'd just feel a lot better if someone stayed at a specific property there or dealt with a specific owner and could provide some positive feedback.

Thanks again for any help you can give.

Sadie

We've stayed at the Pelican Grand Beach Resort and liked it very much. I don't think they'd have a room that would accommodate all four of you though. What I mean is that they probably have rooms with two double beds but there may be limits on how many adults can stay there.

We were booked at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort for the vacation we just had to cancel because of my MIL's illness. It looked very nice and the rates were good. In fact, I'd booked at $278 a night but just a few days before we were supposed to leave, I noticed that the rates had dropped so I called and they gave me the lower (by far) rate of $161 for the first 5 days of our stay. They were also very kind when I had to cancel. They asked me the reason and when I told them, they waived the cancellation fee of one night's stay.

Sadie, there's an Embassy Suites in Fort Lauderdale but it's not on the beach. There's also one a little north in Deerfield Beach. It's not as fancy but it is on the beach and it's not a far drive to either FL or Boca. You could have a two room suite with a convertible sofa in the living room. Last I checked, Embassy Suite rates had gone up quite a bit but it might be worth a look. The price includes a BIG breakfast, made-to-order.

Get earplugs for the three girls who don't snore as a little travel gift.

The Pelican Grand Beach Resort does look beautiful. I would most likely be booking directly with the hotel when I do book so whichever one I pick I can make sure they have the appropriate accomodations. Sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what you're getting in the room from the description on the website.

Out of all the ones I listed the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort was probably my favorite just from what I saw/read online. The pricing is the main holdback and the parking fee. It's something to keep in mind though that they may honor a lower rate if one came up between now and our stay date. I was planning on booking an unrestricted rate anyway so that if we coud get a really good deal within a couple of weeks of our stay (at the same hotel or another one) then I could cancel my confirmed booking and book the hotel with the better rate. The economy may dictate any deals the hotels are willing to give even though I think Fort Lauderdale is one of the destinations that will stay busy. Our only save may be that we're not going at a really high time.

I'm going to go look up the Embassey Suites right now. Thanks!

It's true that the parking at the Hilton is outrageous -- $27 a night! But once I got that lower rate, I was smiling because it more than covered our parking and would take us out for a nice dinner.

The thing that sold me on the Pelican was that photo of the white rocking chairs on the porch!

Well our budget has been given a little bit of a blow. The girls got to talking and they want to try and keep the cost to max of $200 per night for accomodations. Makes it much tougher to find something for all 4 of us but I have found a couple of options.

Vacation Village at Weston & Bonaventure, and Mizner Place at Weston Town Centre both have 2 bed/2 bath condo style accomodations for about $180 or so a night. They both have balconies, full kitchens and pools. Both are located in Weston.

I've found them both on Expedia but cannot find any link to contact or book with either of these properties directly. I think they are actually timeshares that are rented out. The Expedia website will only confirm accomodations for 2 people at a time so I don't know how that would work if I wanted to confirm the pricing for 4 of us.

Has anyone heard anything about or stayed at either of these places? Does anyone know if it's possible to contact either of the hotels directly?

Hi Sadie,

You didn't give your May dates, except to say the end of May. You should be able to get a decent deal that late in the season.

Did you look at the Courtyard Marriott? While I haven't stayed there, I recently looked at it when we were in FLL for a vacation. It is located within walking distance(very close) to the beach. This is a fairly new property and it might meet your requirements.
You can get a 2 room suite for 238 a nite ( I used random dates at the end of May) with a AAA discount.