Rodeway Inn & Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port

We used this location for long-term parking during a seven-night Caribbean cruise from Port Everglades. Booking online was easy, the price was fair, and it included the complimentary shuttle to the port that we needed. The hotel was a reasonable distance away. At arrival, the lobby gave us a permit for our dashboard and directions for where to leave the car. The driver and ride to the port were great. Getting back was a letdown. After collecting our cruise luggage, we called to say we were ready to return for our car and were put on hold for more than 12 minutes. Once we finally reached an employee, we were told pickup at the port would take an hour. That wasn’t what we expected, so we paid an Uber driver $22 plus a tip to take us back to the hotel. It seemed like the company had more customers and return-day issues than it could handle. We were glad they had customers, but after the trip we wanted to head home, and waiting outside for an hour fell short of expectations. We’ve taken over 50 cruises from Port Everglades and used long-term parking services, but this was our first time here and it didn’t meet our expectations. Our car was safe, and the people were polite and respectful.

Our cruise layover meant we reached the hotel at 9:56am, with check-in at 10am, but the room wasn’t ready until 11:40am. We paid for the full eight-hour stay and only got about six hours in the room. Once we finally got a room card, finding the room was like a scavenger hunt, with nobody giving us more directions. The place felt disorganized, and some staff seemed unprofessional. The lobby was full of people waiting a long time for help. There is a shuttle to and from the cruise ship or cruise line, but the announcer was extremely pushy. The whole experience was frustrating and at our expense. Come at your own risk.

The pool was heated and clean, with plenty of loungers. Isaac also kept the cruise port shuttles organized, and we left when we were told and got to the port in good time. That was much easier than taking an Uber, and they dropped us right at the luggage porters. The free airport and cruise port shuttles were the best part of this motel. Service at the desk was a letdown. There were three people at the counter, but nobody seemed in a hurry, and the lobby smelled so strongly of incense that I could barely stay long enough to check in. Our first room before the cruise was clean and sufficient, with comfortable beds. Breakfast was very crowded the next morning, though that may have been because so many ships were leaving that day. We had a late flight, so we came back and bought a day room. After waiting about an hour at the cruise dock, we got the free ride back. Even though we’d already bought the room, the second check-in took even longer. It was an economical choice if you want an afternoon by the pool and some more sun before your flight, but our second room wasn’t as good as the first. The shower pan was damaged and water leaked into the bedroom area, which looked like an ongoing problem. For management, I’d suggest cleaning and painting the elevator, removing the overpowering lobby incense, and keeping up with room maintenance.

The room was clean, breakfast was good, and there’s a convenient bar and restaurant next door. I chose this hotel for a comparatively cheap Friday night before driving to the Gulf Coast the next day, and for that purpose I’d recommend it. Expect crowds and some chaos, though. With many cruise passengers getting ready to leave the next day, check-in was unusual and could take a while. The line was tightly managed, desk agents were behind glass, and some people had to use a remote kiosk to reach a call center. I’ll give credit to the employee, possibly a manager, who ran the line and directed people. He had a tough job with some difficult customers, but seemed to care. If you can handle that, the rest of your stay should be fine.