skim

It is new hotel(Luxury Collection) that is opening in June 2004. The rates that are listed in spg.com are >$700/nt for Feb 2005.

Since it was listed as a Cat 4 hotel & I tried to redeem for 1 night; spg.com says there is no availability even though 6 different room types were available when you try to book this hotel with cash.

I tried calling SPG "Gold" hotline and received no assistance. They said it's new hotel and they do not know much about it. When I asked about why is it listed on spg.com the only answer I received that it is not their(phone group's) problem & that I should keep on trying !!

LH738

Ft. Lauderdale's first Luxury Collection hotel opened 15 June, 2004 according to the latest SPG newsletter.

mauld

Question for those who may have already stayed here. Is this property really 'on the ocean'?? From the pictures and map it doesn't appear to be. Also, if it is does it have a beach? The Diplomat Resort & Spa (which is on the ocean) really doesn't have one, except when the tide is out and you count that tiny sliver along the coastline.

Rolling Stone

It's as close to on the ocean as you get in the area. It's on A1A across the street from the public beach.

ron mann

Has anyone stayed at the hotel yet?

How does it compare to other Starwood alternatives, particularly The Diplomat?

Thanks.

DCFFlyer

Very nice property. Nice rooms, many overlooking the ocean (which is directly across the street) Pool is especially nice and the gym and spa are also very nice. You will enjoy the Atlantic!

wizzy

This isn't a trip report, per se, but I just got back to my computer and found the following IM from a friend. She's a SPG plat that checked into the Atlantic today, and has travelled domestically and internationally for several years.

Friend: u there?
Friend: i have to tell you...
Friend: this is the NICEST hotel room i've ever been in EVER
Friend: u must come to ft lauderdale to see!
Friend: if anyone asks where i am next week, i've decided to move in

Benjamin

Just returned from a four night stay on the 25% off promotion. As a platinum, I was upgraded to a very nice 2+ room suite with a rack rate (according to the door on the guest bathroom) of $1200/night.

Hotel is great -- kind of W-esque without the attitude and more color. It vaguely reminds me of the Monarch Beach St. Regis, but the staff are not cold. All staff were very friendly and very helpful. Suite had awesome two-person shower and spa tub, great bed, flat-screen TVs, BOSE stereo system, full (and I mean full) kitchen with fridge, over, microwave, dishwasher, etc. You really do not need to leave the room. The gym and pool are also very nice.

Restaurant Trina is good and not terribly over-priced. Valet parking ($24 per day) was attentive and friendly.

Only negatives are that the hotel is set amidst some dilapidated properties, and there is not much around to do, other than hang out at the beach or at the pool. Maid service was average, and the walls at times seemed thin (especially for those who had to listen to my crying kid). Nonetheless, a great property which I would return to. If I went back to Ft. Lauderdale a year or so from now, I would probably pick the Atlantic over the St. Regis (still in construction) based on previous exposure to the St. Regis properties in NY, DC, Monarch Beach, and Aspen. A very nice place. The Atlantic is apparently having its grand opening celebration this Thursday.

Steffo

A few weeks ago, in this thread I promised to write a review of our upcoming stay at the Atlantic. Unfortunately, our stay was cut WAY short by the hurricane, but I want to do a review anyway. I am severely disappointed that I had only just begun to relax and enjoy the Atlantic when we were told we would have to evacuate.

As mentioned by jottoson in his review, the valet service and check in were first class. With 4 of us in the car and MANY bags we really gave the valets and bellman a work out but they were up to it. They ushered us in and sat us down, brought us refreshing drinks and cold towels while the manager and a desk employee checked us in. The concierge also came by and offered her services.

We had booked 2 rooms, one for my mom and one for my wife and son and me. We were given a large corner suite (about 1200 square feet I believe) with 2 bathrooms, one with a large whirlpool tub, full kitchen, large entryway, living room/dining room area, long narrow balcony, etc. It was in the corner of the 6th floor, oceanfront. This suite was larger than our home, and much better appointed. The rate card in the closet said regular rate for this room was $1239/night. Kitchen had full size refrigerator, dishwasher, plenty of dishes for eating and cooking. Bathrooms were ABSURDLY luxurious. Really, I mean ridiculous. In the master bath, there was a shower room that was almost 50 square feet, all in marble, one shower at each end, and you could have put 10 people in there. The whirlpool tub was very nice and had a handheld shower as well. The hall bathroom had another large marble shower. Amenities were as befits a Luxury collection property, and the robes were superior--I bought one for my wife.

As a Starwood platinum since the program's inception, I have stayed in a lot of Starwood suites. None of them come close to this one. Really, it was just stunning.

Beautiful fresh flower arrangements in both rooms, amenities in both rooms, fresh orchids brought in with the turndown service the first night, superior turndown service each night with different amenities, clean towels, chocolates, liqueurs, etc.

We also got the adjoining room for my mom, which was a studio, a very nice room though it did not compare to the suite. The studio room had a microwave, two burner stove, and small fridge with mini bar type items and some room for your stuff. Very nice bath with separate shower and tub, but the tub was not super exceptional. This room was also oceanfront, with balcony, and it was a sort of an interior corner room, with a small window facing south, across the hotel and letting in more light. All the rooms were VERY well lit.

All the furniture was very nice and brand new of course. Surround stereo and DVD player in the living room of the suite. Good flat screen TV's of decent size, though nothing stunning there. High speed internet did not work very well and was overpriced at $14.95. It kept making me sign in over and over again and I found it much slower than the average Wayport or Turbonet services in Sheratons I am used to.

I thought the walk across the street to the beach would bug me, but it was fine. Light takes forever to change so we mostly dashed across against the light.

The pool area is nice, and the view of the ocean from the pool terrace is lovely. The pool is small and very shallow. The hot tub is tiny. At first we did not find it--it turned out to be in a corner just below our room. It is so small that if a couple were in it I would never attempt to join them. All 4 of us did get in, but it was very cramped. We never shared any of the pool facilities with anyone and the poolside restaurant was closed due to the weather blowing in. One night we went down to swim about 9PM and found it closed up an locked. The next day we saw that the pool and spa are only open dawn to dusk. That would be the biggest single drawback to this property for us that would reduce our likelihood to stay there again. We really wanted to go in the pool and hot tub at night, after our son was asleep.

A couple of other things that bugged me I share in hopes that the hotel may choose to correct them. The water pressure in the showers was terrible. But the tub filled really fast--water comes out like a fire hose. So I think they have restrictor plates in the showerheads (which are not Speakmans by the way, and seem inferior) which make the shower experience quite weak. Adding to this, the wait for hot water in the shower was the longest I have ever experienced. So long that one would have time to brush his teeth and read the front page of the paper before showering. I took to going in and turning it on, then coming back after a while to shower.

I think they could easily fix all my minor gripes (high speed internet provider, pool and spa hours, shower pressure and heat up time) and I'd give them a perfect scorecard. The people were all very well trained and helpful. My wife got a lot of help from the concierge, Ginny, and was very happy with her help. I only really interacted with the bellmen and valets and the desk staff at check in and check out. All were super. The bill I was given at check out had the rate that SPG reimburses the hotel at listed as a charge I was supposed to pay on one of the rooms. I asked for that to be taken off, and also requested that I not be charged for the few hours of internet access I had used that afternoon (we checked out at 8 PM in advance of the hurricane). They happily obliged and they also graciously removed charges for some phone calls my mom made to 800 numbers trying to get a flight out before the hurricane. Their phone charges are high so I never used the phone, and the cell service indoors was quite poor so if I had been doing business there I would have found it a challenge,

I am still waiting to see what will happen with refund of my points, some of which were just normal cat 4 award stay points, but I had also used a Cat 4 "Nights and Flights" for 5 nights. We were only able to stay 2 nights before the evacuation, and I am hoping that I get the remaining 3 nights on that award rather than just a refund of the remaining points.

We had planned don having a night out and dining in the restaurant but it did not happen. I love "Thai on the Beach" which is just about 2 blocks walk t the north of the hotel, above Primanti Brothers pizza, a 24 hour pizza place I really enjoy also. For me, staying in the most exquisite suite at a 5 star hotel but being a short walk away from very simple and affordable restaurants is a really great thing. With the kitchen in the suite at the Atlantic and restaurants like these, it really helps make a family vacation very enjoyable. A few blocks farther there is a Wild Oats and a Starbucks, so I did not have to go far at all to get the stuff that I like! I have used the Holiday Inn which is kind of run down but has wonderful meeting rooms on it's top floor for meetings in the past, so that is how I came to know the area and I was really happy with the location of the Atlantic.

I hope we can go back in better weather! I think this property is a real winner. They really do attentive service without being snooty, as I have experienced at St. Regis, etc. With the location, the absolutely incredible suites and the service, this hotel is on my short list of top Starwoods. I hope that they will recover from their hurricane losses and be a great success!

choptliva

Thanks for such a detailed and insightful post! I'm scheduled to stay there in a couple of months (hopefully no more hurricanes), and your post really stirred my expectations. Can you tell me the kind of dress code in and around the property? I'll be going with my two (young) boys, and want to make sure we're not doing anything to diminish the property value or the enjoyment of other guests.
I'm only gold, so not expecting the kind of royal treatment you got. Still, really looking forward to it.
Thanks in advance!

stevens397

Question - on the Starwood website for this hotel, there is a map that does not place it on the ocean, yet you indicated that you had a view of it. Was it from a distance, or is there actually a beach here?

Many thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed report. And thanks to Starwood/Luxury Collection for giving us another great place to use our points!

Steve

Steffo

There were SO few people there it is hard to say. Though there were lots of people at the restaurant. The night we checked in there was some kind of function there which people were wearing outrageous dress for, funny costumes and stuff. We asked the staff what the event was and they said they had been trying to figure out but did not know. Anyway, we never saw any other kids and few people at all. Those we saw were mostly restaurant patrons not hotel guests I think and their dress was casual. Nothing different from any normal hotel--not at all like what you see at the Waldorf or St. Regis, etc.

I like the more casual dress myself. I was in Florida for a conference that my company put on and I had been presenting almost every day and having to dress up, so by the time I got to the Atlantic my dress up clothes were pretty rumpled and I was happy to dress down. We have a 3 year old who was dressed casually too. All the staff seemed to really enjoy him and I never felt judged for how we looked as I have at some places, like the Gritti Palace, but agin there really were no guests around so who knows if this is normal?

You do have to walk across a street and through the lobby ot the beach, so we wore bathrobes over swimsuits for that trek, and also to the pool.

Steffo

Steve, I am glad you mention that. We were also thrown off at first by the Starwood website map (which is mistaken). I asked my concierge if it was ocean front, she assured me that it was, and I can assure you that it is. You just cross the highway (A1A) and you are on the sand. Maybe 150 feet from front of hotel to the waterline? All rooms are ocean view I think except maybe one room on some floors in back (with view of the intracoastal I would guess). Most rooms are direct frontal ocean view (called ocean front) but also there are some that have the view (and balcony) off side of the building and these will be listed as either North or South ocean view, with South probably being a bit preferable (less buildings in view and you can see the entrance to Port Everglades with cruise liners, cargo ships, etc. coming and going.

MIKESILV

It best that all the rooms do have a view toward the ocean because the two properties on either side are charitably described as " awful dumps"

While have no disagreements with the description and service as listed by the OP, I for one am quite hesitatant in returning to this property until the surrounding area has improved considerably.
Especially since the hotel has absolutely no grounds other than that the hotel structure itself.
Therein lies my reservations as to the eventual success of this hotel. On the two ocasions I have been there ( both on weekends) its appears to have had a conspiciously low occupancy.

My thoughts converge on what is the point in staying at nice hotel and have the desire venture nowwhere else besides across the street to the beach. ( Where costs $25 to rent a chair and beach umbrella I might add since none are provided by the Atlantic)

mike

Steffo

I actually feel quite differently about this than Mike does, though I mean no disrespect. I liked watching the way the sign on the Howard Johnson hotel kept having different letters blink on and off spelling different stuff. More seriously, when we arrived at the Atlantic we had just been almost a week at the Doral where my company staged a conference. I was sick and tired of seeing nothing but the Doral with it's high priced (and in my opinion lousy) restaurants. The catered conference food was very good, but I hated the 2 restaurants I tried. And I hated being in a resort with nothing but rich people and huge staffs of servants around, shops that had nothing I would ever want, etc.

The Atlantic is much more my style. I got a luxury suite to enjoy with my family, but at the beach I was just with normal folks. And I loved it that I could walk to a little convenience store that was family run and get a bottle of water and tub of ice cream late at night, rather than being stuck with room service. So everyone has his own different tastes, and the Atlantic totally appeals to me in part BECAUSE it has dumpy hotels next door. I hate Cancun and the syndrome that happens when there is nothing on a beach except fancy hotels. I would way rather look at a diverse neighborhood where luxury and the pursuits of ordinary folks commingle. My wife and I had various interesting converstaions about how hotels age, the way styles and tastes change, etc. that were stimulated by our surroundings at the Atlantic and I really enjoyed that.

Just my 2 cents, and anyone reading this who has a preference for a more sort of homogenous luxury may want to consider another hotel.