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This article reviews the best executive or club lounges in hotels (and at the airport) in Fort Lauderdale (FLL). Fort Lauderdale is not just a drop-off point for many of the major cruise liners. It is a luxury destination in itself with wonderful waterfronts and beaches, as well as a central area with lots of bars and restaurants.
Book a standard room at the InterContinental in New York, Paris, or London, which partner with our luxury travel concierge, and you will get a guaranteed room upgrade and free club lounge access. This free access has got to be one of the best hotel deals in New York, Paris, and London.
Unfortunately, there isn’t an InterContinental in Fort Lauderdale, so we cannot offer free club lounge access via our concierge here, but we can share the best hotel club lounges in Fort Lauderdale, and our concierge will help you get extra free benefits such as free breakfast, free room upgrade and VIP benefits at these hotels.
The most luxurious hotels in Fort Lauderdale include the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale, The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, W Fort Lauderdale, and the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort.
Positioned along the Atlantic Ocean and the beaches of Fort Lauderdale, Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale is an iconic global destination for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and will include 90 Private Residences and 130 guest rooms. The highlight, however, is the pool and beach beyond. The 22-story oceanfront property combines luxury and legendary Four Seasons service for visitors and residents. The Hotel rooms reside on the fourth through the 11th floors, and the Private Residences begin on floor five.
This Four Seasons does not have a club lounge, but don’t worry, book via our concierge, and you will get all our free benefits at all Four Seasons hotels.
When deciding which hotel to choose for your stay in a city like Fort Lauderdale, it is sensible to consider the added extras provided by a hotel club lounge. Offerings usually include complimentary drinks and snacks throughout the day, breakfast in the morning, and evening cocktails with canapés. The evening food and drink offering is often more than enough to replace the need to go out for the evening.
Club or executive hotel lounges provide an interesting environment to work and relax in. Although I find holding meetings in the main lounge more friendly, some lounges also provide dedicated meeting rooms. When I travel on my own for business, I wouldn’t say I like to sit in restaurants on my own. Room service is also a lonely affair.
A club lounge provides the ideal environment to enjoy good food and atmosphere while being completely comfortable sitting at a table for one. The clubrooms themselves are often a little bigger and offer more luxurious facilities than standard rooms, with more space, plus they are often on higher floors with better views.
Finally, executive and club benefits are great for early check-in / late check-out, as you can often stay in the club lounge room with all the benefits in the afternoon if you have a late flight. Conversely, you can use the club lounge and executive facilities from early in the morning if you arrive early and your room isn’t ready.
I have compiled a list below containing the club lounges available across luxury hotels in Fort Lauderdale. I list the ones I consider to be the best at the top. I will be reviewing each of these Fort Lauderdale hotel club lounges in detail in turn so that you know what you will get if you book a room with club lounge access.
Many of the best hotels in Fort Lauderdale are Marriott Bonvoy Resorts. The best in Fort Lauderdale for location, beach, club lounge, and pool? We have outlined the overall winners and reviewed each hotel separately below.
1. Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge in Fort Lauderdale
The Ritz-Carlton club lounge in Fort Lauderdale is easily the best club lounge on Fort Lauderdale and is pictured above. This is our top choice for club lounges in Fort Lauderdale.
The hotel is on the oceanfront, with the beach across a two-lane road fronting the hotel. You can reach it via a sky bridge, which will take you directly from the hotel’s 3rd floor to the public beach. The pool is on the hotel’s 7th-floor pool, surrounded by loungers and palms. The rooms aren’t noteworthy but do all have a balcony.
The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge is an ultra-exclusive space open to guests at The Ritz-Carlton who book the Club Experience. The lounge is luxurious, with a marble floor and large sofas.
Located on the 8th floor, the Club Lounge is often referred to as a hotel within a hotel and includes the following amenities:
- A dedicated Concierge
- Five food presentations daily, including breakfast, lunch, mid-day snacks, hors d’oeuvres, and hand-crafted desserts
- Fine selections of wines, liqueurs, beers, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages
- Access to a relaxed environment with a separate library, TV room, and computer station
- Private balcony with spectacular 180′ views of both the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterways
The food here is excellent and varies depending on the time of day. It includes fresh fruit, cheese platters, hot hors d’oeuvres, freshly baked cookies, as well as breakfast, lunch, and dinner items. We think that the lounge is well worth the expense as it adds another dimension to the experience of being at the hotel. The lounge has a separate sitting area with a large flat-screen television and DVDs for children who might want to watch a movie, along with computer stations.
2. W Fort Lauderdale
This newly renovated hotel, the W Ft. Lauderdale, is a huge, trendy hotel nestled on the beachfront on the corner of Bayshore Drive. 430 modern rooms and residential units connect with infinity pools and live DJs every night, making the hotel feel like an upscale club instead of a luxury hotel.
Worth noting even when paying with Bonvoy points, guests are still required to pay the $25 USD resort fee. The fee includes a beach chair, umbrella, Wi-Fi, two complimentary bicycle rentals of four hours each, and access to a daily fitness course.
This hotel does not have a club lounge but does have live DJ events, so you wouldn’t want to use the lounge if you have come for the nightlife. If you travel with your family, I would opt for the Marriott or the Ritz-Carlton Bonvoy hotels.
Yes, the W has conveniently located a 10-minute walk from Ft. Lauderdale Beach, with an outdoor mall featuring a wide range of boutique shops, restaurants, and entertainment, so ideal for younger guests and couples, but the lack of a lounge and the funky vibe and trendy pool area were less appropriate for a younger family.
3. Marriott Harbor Beach Resort
This family-friendly retreat in the heart of Fort Lauderdale has a lagoon-style swimming pool, water sports, and an inviting beach bar. Marriott Harbor Beach Resort looks directly over the Atlantic, but this property has no club lounge. Instead, several great breakfast options exist, including Riva Restaurant and Starbucks.
Book the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort via our concierge for extra benefits and your usual loyalty and point benefits.
4. Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach
The new beacon of luxury on Fort Lauderdale’s exclusive North Beach is Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach, ultra-elegant hospitality (not part of Bonvoy, the Conrad is part of the Hilton chain). Offering two distinct collections of Luxury and Premium all-suite accommodations, Luxury Suites feature peerless design, a gourmet kitchen, an Italian marble bathroom with a deep-soaking tub and separate shower, as well as an exclusive balcony or terrace, the ideal retreat for a long weekend or quick getaway. Premium Suites appeal to discerning guests looking for the ultimate luxury experience. Each of these exclusive suites highlights striking views and expansive living areas.
There is NO club lounge here, but the 6th-floor Sky Deck is quite something, offering jaw-dropping panoramic views.
Worth Knowing: Which Airline Has Best Airport Lounge FLL?
If you like a club lounge in your hotel, you will probably like to use an airport lounge before your flight too. FLL airport is a collection of 4 separate terminal buildings. None are connected. AA flies into and out of terminal 3. There are no airline clubs in this terminal for any airline.
Terminal 1 has a lounge for UA, and Terminal 2 has a lounge for Delta. Unfortunately, neither the Delta nor the United Lounge gets excellent reviews. The 5,000 ft² Fort Lauderdale United Club is located near gate C1. This smallish lounge offers a poor food and drink selection along with Wi-Fi. There’s a small buffet of light snacks and soups, but the food is minimal, and only two wines are on offer.
The airline has more than 50 United Club lounges worldwide. Lounges are available to United premium-class passengers on international or transcontinental flights, Star Alliance Gold members, United Club members, active-duty U.S. military members in uniform, and premium-level Amtrak and Air Canada travelers.
There is also a Delta Sky Club in FLL airport, but it doesn’t get good reviews either and is described as “cramped with bad lighting and terrible views.” Plus, the staff are meant to be “rude and inefficient.” Food on offer is very limited to things like hot dogs and buns, no soup, not even any plates, just napkins.
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