Spotlight on The Westin Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort -- A Great Weekend Escape! (Agent Trip Review)

By Cathy Sanchez

Thumbs up to the Westin Ft. Lauderdale Beach Resort for making my weekend family getaway a memorable one!  The resort itself is in a perfect location – walking distance to restaurants, bars and shops.  It’s a 10 minute drive to Las Olas restaurant strip.  No worries if you forget to pack any travel essentials – there is a huge 24 hour CVS a few blocks away.  There is, however, a strong lemongrass aroma throughout the lobby, which at first is a bit overbearing but we eventually got used to it.  The Westin’s service was impeccable.  We were always greeted by name by the front desk staff, the bellmen and the valet attendants.  Whenever we needed anything (crib, extra towels, soap, etc) it was quickly delivered and a few moments later the front desk would call to follow up with a phone call to confirm the request was fulfilled to our satisfaction – very impressed.  “Storm”, the bellman suggested we request a small refrigerator for the room which came in handy with the kid’s milk and juices and it was complimentary. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how family friendly the hotel is.  They have a kids club on site and by the poolside you’ll find toys for the little ones to share. There’s a pool bar and grill that was pretty crowded most of the time – they make great mojito’s there by the way! There’s a Starbuck’s on property and there’s a really convenient street overpass that connects from the pool area to the beach so that there is no need to cross the very busy A1A Street.  I timed it and was only a 3 minute walk from the door of our 9^th floor room to the beach.  Very easy access!   Two beach chairs are provided complimentary per room and again, you’ll find beach toys on the sand provided by the hotel – cute.  The pool is on the small side, but it’s decent enough.

Valet parking is mandatory as there is no self parking on property.  The cost was $20ish per night which is pretty steep, but then again, street parking in this part of town isn’t easy, so they know you don’t have many options.   

If you want a great deal for meals in the area, restaurants.com offers discounts for restaurants in the local area like the nearby Chima Brazilian Steakhouse and 3030 Ocean Seafood restaurant. 

I am glad we chose this resort for our family escape. We will definitely be back!