Flow Fort Lauderdale Hotel

The door wouldn’t stay locked with the deadbolt engaged. It opened when the handle was turned, so we couldn’t be sure our kid wouldn’t get out. We asked the front desk for a latch lock or a room with one, but heard nothing for hours. When I texted again for an update, they said they couldn’t fix the door or move us. We had to block it ourselves to keep our kid from opening it. There’s also a hanger that seems to signal you want room service, but nobody came even when we put it outside. The only good thing was plenty of hot water. At over $300 a night, I expect trash pickup, fresh towels, and beds made at the very least. If I wanted to pay a cleaning fee and make my own bed on vacation, I’d have booked a VRBO. Never staying at this glamorized dump again. Avoid it. Lesson learned.

I was nervous after reading some reviews, but I’m glad I booked anyway. I took a solo trip to Florida with an early flight and got into my room early in the morning without any trouble. The place is beautiful, has lots to do, and felt like my own apartment. I especially liked the pool. I could walk to bars, restaurants, and shops from the great location. There’s security outside late at night, which made me feel safe walking back. My room faced the tracks, but the trains weren’t too loud for me, and I slept like a baby every night. The reviews definitely overstated the noise. I’d happily stay again, no complaints.

We stayed two nights and three days, the two of us with my dog, and had a great time. It was very pet-friendly, and we loved the room. I was worried after seeing the low Google rating, but the stay pleasantly surprised me. Our room faced the train, though it wasn’t loud or frequent enough to bother me. I’d definitely come back!

The location is a real plus, close to the Riverwalk and good restaurants, but that was about the only part of the stay I enjoyed. The train runs right behind the building and is extremely loud. I didn’t see that made clear during booking, and light sleepers should know it can ruin a night’s sleep. Getting around the west tower was a hassle too. A building over 30 floors high has just two elevators, and we often waited more than 10 minutes. Other guests were clearly frustrated. The lobby escalators barely worked, so hauling luggage, bags, and golf gear was difficult. Our key cards also stopped working a full day before checkout. On our second-to-last morning it took about 30 minutes to get back into the room, including roughly 20 minutes spent going up and down in the elevators. The service didn’t feel like hotel service. There was no automatic housekeeping or room service, and staff were rarely around. We called the help number for housekeeping and fresh towels and got snarky replies without any action. After waiting more than six hours for towels that were already five days old, we asked the front desk and were told housekeeping only came by request. We requested it again, but it still wasn’t done the next day. Instead, we got a rude message saying to come downstairs for towels if we thought service was too slow, and that fresh bed sheets would cost $150 USD. That directly conflicted with what the front desk had told us. The next morning I raised the issue before leaving the room. After being out all day, we came back to find the bathroom door locked. It felt unprofessional and retaliatory, and left us uneasy about our privacy. We were told at checkout that we’d be accommodated and taken care of, but nobody there seemed to know what had happened. There were other basic shortcomings: no safe for passports or work laptops, no full-length mirror, and no balcony furniture. I had to carry a kitchen chair outside to sit. The garage costs about $40 USD a night plus tax, while parking meters away at 151 SW 2nd St is roughly $10-12 a day. They never mentioned that cheaper option, even when we asked. We also paid an extra nightly fee that offered little value. This place feels more like an apartment building with Airbnb-style units than a higher-end hotel. The service, amenities, and guest support didn’t match the price or expectations. I wouldn’t stay again, ever.