Cheap Hotels

By Patti Roth
When  traveling to the Fort Lauderdale area, it’s nice to save room in your budget for things like bikinis, key lime pie and palm tree paperweights. To keep your wallet loaded with cash for such extras, the region offers plenty of lodging venues for bargain-seeking travelers.Some of the lower-price hotels also offer attractive perks. Pools. Free parking. And, yum, free breakfasts.

After sifting through the wide variety of resorts, inns,  B&Bs, hotels and motels, here are our Top 10 Budget-Friendly Broward Hotels. Rates were accurate at the time the story was published (October 2010).

Near the Slots

Quality Inn & Suites Hollywood Boulevard, 4900 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 954-981-1800.

This Quality Inn is a good choice for folks interested in visiting the Seminole Hard Rock Casino without the resort pricetag.  The hotel also draws folks going to Port Everglades and football games at Sun Life Stadium. Various restaurants are in walking distance.

Amenities include free deluxe continental breakfast and heated outdoor pool. Rooms are well equipped with such useful amenities as DVD players, refrigerators, microwaves, coffee pots and ironing equipment.  Some rooms feature whirlpool bathtubs.  Discounts include AAA, AARP and weekly rates.  Rates range from $69 to $139.

Near Great Outlet Shopping

La Quinta Inn & Suites at Sawgrass, 13600 N.W. Second Street, Sunrise, 954-846-1200.

This La Quinta Inn is  about a mile to an especially hot South Florida attraction — Sawgrass Mills mall.  Also in the area are Ikea and the  BankAtlantic Center for concerts and Florida Panthers hockey.

Amenities include a pool, free breakfast and free wi-fi.  Book reservations at least two weeks early to snag the best rates. Discounts include AAA, AARP and weekly rates.  Rates range from $45 to $104.

Snooze Before a Cruise

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 1150 W. State Rd 84, Fort Lauderdale, 954-828-9905 or 877-859-5095.

This hotel is recently renovated and offers travelers free shuttles to and from the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades for cruises.  The hotel is conveniently near major highways, I-95 and I-595.

Amenities include heated outdoor pool, fitness room and  free breakfast buffet. Refrigerator and microwaves in rooms.  Discounts include early bookings, AAA and AARP.  Rates range from $69 to $199.

Hampton Inn & Suites & Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport, 2500 Stirling Road, Hollywood, 954-922-0011.

This Hampton Inn offers free shuttles to Port Everglades and to and from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The hotel is about a block from a bustling shopping plaza, with a movie theater and restaurants.

Amenities include heated pool, in-room coffee makers and irons, and some rooms feature refrigerators and microwaves. Discounts include AAA and AARP. Rates range from $69 to $209.

 Near the Beach, North Broward

Dolphin Motel, 3215 NE Seventh St., Pompano Beach,  954-941-7373.

The Dolpin Motel has 20 units — hotel rooms, efficiencies and apartments — between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. Walk to the beach or enjoy the pool, the bbq and the shuffleboard court.

Amenities include  high-speed internet access, and units are equipped with refrigerators, toasters and other accoutrements.  Rates range from $60 to $137.

Near the Beach, Fort Lauderdale

Best Western Oceanside Inn, 1180 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-525-8115.

The Best Western Oceanside Inn puts you about 100 yards from the surf and sand.  Also in the area is the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic center for diving and swimming.  In addition to shops and restaurants along  the beach, you’re not far from the  shops, restaurants and galleries on Las Olas Boulevard.

Amenities include free breakfast buffet, a cocktail lounge, pool, and free wi-fi.  Rooms are equipped with refrigerators, microwaves  and ironing supplies. Parking is $5 a day, and discounts include  AAA, AARP and airline employee rates.  Rates from $69 to $269.

Estoril Paradise Inn, 2648 NE 32nd St., Fort Lauderdale, 954-563-3840.

The Estoril Paradise Inn is an award-winning boutique hotel with emphasis on lush tropical landscaping. Outside, enjoy a heated pool, tiki bar and gas barbecue. Walk to the beach or hop on a free trolley. Shopping, restauraunts and a movie theater are within walking distance.

The inn offers a selection of accommodations, from hotel rooms — for the best rates — to luxury suites. Occassional deals, such as 35 percent off for a 7-day stay, are on the Estoril Paradise Inn website.  Rates range from $77 to $330.

Summerland Suites, 700 Orton Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 954-564-3205.

The Summerland Suites is part of a complex with four pools,  bbq facilities, shuffleboard and bocci. Walk about two blocks to the beach, or about five blocks to hop on the water taxi.  Las Olas Boulevard is about a mile away.

Amenities include free parking and wi-fi access.  All units include refrigators, coffee makers and microwaves and some have full kitchens. Rates range from $55 to $150.

Near the Beach, South Broward

 

Shell On The Beach Motel, 326 Minnesota St., Hollywood, 800-547-0044.

Shell On The Beach is steps from  the beach and merchants on The Broadwalk. The motel offers rooms and  efficiencies with kitchens.

Amenities include a bbq and picnic area. The same others also own another venue that is a bit less expensive and farther from the beach. Rates range from $59 to $135.

The Shell Motel, 1201 S. Federal Highway, 954-923-8085, offers a selection of  rooms, efficiencies and apartments.  Rates range from $49 to $170.

Near Downtown Hollywood

Richard’s Motel, 1219 S. Federal Highway, Hollywood,  is part of group of venues in South Broward offering a variety of units from economical singles to two-bedroom apartments.  Popular with French Canadians, this motel group features two pools and organizes occassional shuffleboard tournaments in the winter. The motel is within walking distance to shops and restaurants, about 12 blocks from downtown Hollywood and about a mile and half from the beach.  Also in the area are the Mardi Gras and Gulfstream casinos. Rates range from $39 to $219.