Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ft. Lauderdale Airport West by IHG

For cruise travelers, this is a handy spot for a night or two before or after a sailing. The hotel can arrange a ride to the cruise terminal through a third-party shuttle for $15 per person. That works well for a small group, though a larger group might find Uber cheaper. There’s also an airport shuttle, but call this hotel’s front desk after picking up your bags. Several Holiday Inns are nearby, so don’t board a random one’s shuttle. The building is old and simple, but clean, and the room was spacious. Breakfast is basic, with bread, cereal, and a few hot protein choices. Desk staff seemed overwhelmed and weren’t especially warm, though they did eventually get us what we needed. They don’t provide bottled water, but there’s a Wawa right next door.

Mila welcomed us at the front desk and was so sweet and professional. The room was clean and very nice, and breakfast was really good. Hasina greeted us with a big smile and was helpful and kind, then Dee gave us the same pleasant, helpful welcome at checkout. Kudos to the hotel and to Mila, Hasina, and Dee for excellent, professional service. Thank you all, and God bless!

The outdoor pool was well kept and inviting, even just for relaxing beside it. The airport shuttle was great, too, both ways. The hotel staff were amazing. I can’t remember the name of the gentleman who picked us up, but he deserves recognition. I saw him hustling around late into the evening, and he was helpful about local places and made us feel welcome as our vacation began. Highly recommend this place.

Our room was clean, but the rest of the stay was frustrating. The pool is small for the number of guests, parking is very limited, and there aren’t any restaurants or green space nearby. We had to wait 3.5 hours before any kind of room was available, despite early check-in being advertised. They also say at the front desk that they’ll hold luggage, but they don’t. Staff weren’t helpful, gave us no estimates or information, and even got travel details around the city wrong. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who wants to do anything with their vacation time beyond sit in the lobby.