Review of W Fort Lauderdale in Fort Lauderdale for Family Travel
Especially nowadays, flights are not always reliable to get you to your destination at the exact time you want. That’s why I always recommend if you are going on a cruise, plan to arrive to your port destination a few days early. It’s a great way to extend your vacation. For our last cruise, we decided to arrive in Fort Lauderdale two days early and have some fun on the beach. Beachfront properties are wonderful but often the most expensive. For the first time I used Costco Travel and it was fantastic! Not only were we able to book a cool 2-bedroom suite at the luxurious W Fort Lauderdale hotel, but they even picked us up from the airport in a luxury sprinter van which accommodated all of our suitcases perfectly. I was even able to purchase travel insurance through Costco to rest easy if we run into any issues. Luckily, we didn’t have to use it, but the covered amounts offered with this highly-rated insurance company were very generous and our cost was less than I’ve ever paid. It was a great experience using Costco Travel and our stay with the W Fort Lauderdale on this gorgeous beach was top-notch. We can’t wait to go back again!
Accommodations at W Fort Lauderdale
We booked a "cool" 2-bedroom suite at the W Fort Lauderdale hotel. It had 2 bedrooms, both with king beds along with queen-sized sofa bed in the main living room. By the W Fort Lauderdale website, the room sleeps 6 people and it's 1283 sqft (huge, right?) In the master bedroom, it offers a whirlpool tub and a full bathroom. Keep in mind, the tub and bathroom is literally in the middle of the bedroom, as you can see by the photos below. Admittedly, it took some time getting used to, but it actually wasn't so bad and the spaciousness was nice to have. There is a balcony right off of the master bedroom as well, this is also where the washer and dryer was located. When we first arrived, I thought, how nice, but we are leaving shortly on a cruise so I don't think I'll be needed it. Well, after a spill on a nice shirt at dinner the first night, along with lots of visits to the pools, somehow I ended up doing quite a few loads of laundry. It was fantastic to have!
If you want to stay connected, the WiFi is fast and you can watch any of the 3 televisions in the suite. But we loved being outside in the perfect spring Florida weather (one of our favorite seasons to visit this hot humid state) and enjoyed sitting on the balcony peeking at our stunning aqua blue water view.
King master bedroom has a spacious balcony with chairs to soak up the view
Second bedroom in the "cool" suite
If you need more laundry detergent, just call! They'll bring it.
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Huge bathroom in the master bedroom of the suite
View from the kitchen through the living room to the balcony
It's a fairly narrow balcony but very long. They provide chairs and tables.
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The cool blue hues and chrome accents in the kitchen entice you to use this well stocked space. With a pantry area, refrigerator, mini-refrigerator, stovetop, oven, microwave, dishwasher, dish cleaning supplies, silverware, dishes and glasses, and a dining room, this is a perfect area to have a late night dessert or a quick breakfast in the morning. I could have easily cooked a meal in here if we were staying longer.
LOVE this kitchen!
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Dining table in our suite. They have everything!
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Dining at W Fort Lauderdale
WetDeck at W Fort Lauderdale
This was a surprising gem! The food was DELICIOUS and the perfect spot to first unwind after a very early travel day. Definitely peruse the cocktail menu and you'll find something you like. They also have suggested shots to top your drink off if you really enjoy your alcohol. I can highly recommend the chicken caesar salad (the dressing is so good) and my son loved the grilled chicken sandwich. He even ate the avocado, which almost knocked me off my seat! All of the servers were very enjoyable and we went here two days in a row for lunch.
WetDeck Bar
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Frozen Bellini (yum!)
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Steak 954
Steak 954 is located in the W Fort Lauderdale but is a special occasion restaurant all on its own. Gorgeous restaurant with amazing service and delicious food. You can sit inside in traditional steakhouse-style elegance or dine outside under prettily lit palm trees with an ocean breeze. The highlight is the glowing blue tank inside filled with very cool jellyfish! Even if you are not staying at the W, it's definitely a place to come celebrate an occasion or just enjoy a relaxing lunch.
I love a good steak, but often the appeal of traditional steakhouses for me are the sides! The selection of decadent sides are wonderful at Steak 954.
The have some unique themed dishes here. The 954 Cheesesteak is fabulous. For $75, you'll be treated to american wagyu, truffled cheese whiz on a fresh baked brioche roll, served with Laurent Perrier Brut. Since my son is under 21, they graciously brought the champagne to me.
To start, they serve the most delicious popovers I've ever had!
Seared Sea Scallops
Truffled Potato Gratin
Roasted Baby Beets
Freshly Baked Cookies To Go (These were a highlight since we could bring them back up to our cool suite for a snack later on in the night!)
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Laurent Perrier Brut is served with the 954 Cheesesteak
Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail
French Fries
Key Lime Baked Alaska
What a water feature! The jellyfish are so fun to watch and offer brilliant color in a dark steakhouse
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Activities at W Fort Lauderdale
W Fort Lauderdale has great activities to choose from! With two large pools with different views on their rooftop (one with an amazing feature that leads back into the hotel from the pool), there is always a spot to cool off. Depending on the season you are visiting, they have fabulous events including themed parties, poolside live music and more.
If you are in the mood for pampering, I highly recommend the spa. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to have a treatment but it's on my list for the next visit. However, I did fall in love with the wonderful skin regimen bath products from Italy provided in our bathroom. The skin regimen facial cleaning soap is amazing - it smells so good and thoroughly cleans your face. They were very helpful in the spa when I went to purchase a large size of the products to bring home with me. They even loaded me up with samples to enjoy on our upcoming Celebrity Equinox cruise.
Whatever you choose to do, kids and adults will always have a terrific time.
Enjoy 2 chairs and a beach umbrella included in your resort fee
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Surrounded by water as you descend back to the W Hotel
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