Hey Fort Lauderdale Experts,

We have one night in the city on the way home from Costa Rica and since we have never been, I was wondering how to best maximize the time. We arrive at FLL at 4:35 p.m. and have to catch a plane out the next morning at about 9:30 a.m.

Of course the most practical thing is to stay near the airport. But does anyone have any other suggestions for a fun evening? We will have to be at the airport pretty early in the morning, but it would be nice to have a good dinner and see some sights. We could even rent a car...

We will be there July 31, which is a Friday. Any ideas?

Not much fun to stay by the airport. I would get a room on the beach at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort. It's a 10 min ride by taxi to and from the airport so you won't need a rental car. You can walk from the Marriott to fun restaurants and nightlife at the Beach Place center and at the hotel enjoy a great beach and pool.

We stayed in FLL recently at The Pillars Hotel.

http://www.pillarshotel.com/

Loved it!!! The location on the waterway was beautiful as were the rooms, and wonderful service. There is a beautiful pool and the beach is a very short walk up the street where many restaurants are located. We liked the hotel so much we extended our one-night stay to three nights.

You can take a cab to Las Olas which is an area with lots of shops and wonderful restaurants. It's our first choice for dining options. YOLO is excellent serving fish, great salads, and steak items.

http://www.yolorestaurant.com/home.html

Also, Johnny V is excellent as well.

http://www.johnnyvlasolas.com/

The cab to the airport was a short 20-minute ride. We will stay there every time we come through Ft. Lauderdale now. It makes a great stop on the way home.

If you can get a good rate at the Hyatt Pier 66, jump on it. Beautiful pool and grounds. Nice rooms. Short taxi or shuttle ride from the airport. We stayed there for one night pre-cruise and got a great rate through travelzoo.com. Would happily stay there again.

Thanks for all the great suggestions, everyone. I will check them all out... I love Fodors!

I had a wonderful stay at Hyatt/Pier 66 on A1A in Ft Lauderdale. It is near the airort and both the hotel and the service are incredible. I am a former hotel manaer so I am trained to see issues and this hotel I used as an "Airport in" hotel and it was beyond what I hoped for. Please look on all the travel sites and you will find deals on it!!

Looks like the Hilton at the Marina is only $69 that night, and it's a nice area to walk around/ dine etc.