Fort Lauderdale’s best new hotels

While Miami and Palm Beach gobble up the best hotel brands, benefiting from a seemingly never-ceasing bevy of five-star openings, Fort Lauderdale often felt like an afterthought. 

Yes, there’s already a Ritz-Carlton and a W Hotel, and in 2022 an oceanfront Four Season debuted. But for the so-called “yachting capital of the world” these were relatively slim pickings, compared to its neighbors north and south. 

Now, finally, the city is splashing out with fresh rooms that will tempt the world’s wealthiest. Even JSX, the charter air carrier that sells individual seats and has become a popular way for tony New Yorkers to zip from Westchester to Miami and Palm Beach, just added Fort Lauderdale to their routes.

The 32-acre resort at Pier Sixty-Six, originally built by the Phillips 66 oil company, has undergone a multi-billion-dollar, eight-year resurrection. 

Reimagined by Tavistock and unveiled in January, it sits on one of the largest superyacht marinas on the eastern seaboard and has a revolving lounge at the top that offers views of the ocean and skyline and does a 360-degree turn every hour.

The property’s 325 rooms are bright, with a mid-century style.

It also sports 12 different dining spots, including a high-end restaurant inspired by the French and Italian rivieras, and two casual poolside cafes.

The hotel’s Zenova Spa is a big draw, with a dry heat room that is infused with aromatic essential oils, sound therapy and Sauna Meister-guided rituals.

In case you are missing winter, there is also a snow room kept at 14 degrees Fahrenheit that cools the body down, boosting metabolism, improving circulation and alleviating soreness. 

Just across the water, an 801-room Omni Hotel will be part of the Broward County Convention Center’s overhaul. It’s still waiting on a precise opening date, but when it does welcome guests, it should appeal to pre- and post-cruise visitors.

It also hopes to transform business travel in the area, feeding off the convention center. To that end, it will have expansive meeting rooms, all within a short drive of the airport.  

“When these projects are complete, the destination will be at a whole new level and totally unrecognizable.’’

Ina Lee, president and owner of TravelHost Fort Lauderdale

There is a lofty attraction here, too, in the form of a rooftop terrace and lounge on the 29th floor overlooking Port Everglades, the ships and beach.

The Mokara Spa has a full hammam, complete with rituals, and the gym has Pelotons, but the more adventurous can take a hotel bike and explore the area. If you want to practice your game off the greens, there is a Topgolf swing suite and a large, resort-style outdoor pool on the 10th floor, with private cabanas. Six dining spots offer varied options, from a Caribbean-accented coastal restaurant to a sports bar. 

“When these projects are complete, the destination will be at a whole new level and totally unrecognizable,’’ said Ina Lee, who serves on multiple tourism boards in the area and is the president and owner of local publication TravelHost Fort Lauderdale.

Even hotels that are already operating are continuing to upgrade and expand their offerings. The Four Seasons has introduced new wellness programming including group high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and beach yoga classes, as well as therapies like Reiki sound bowl healing.

Meanwhile, a newly renovated salon allows guests to create their own bespoke scents. The hotel’s restaurant, Maass, earned a Michelin star this year, and its other restaurant, Evelyn’s, received Michelin recognition.

Over at the Ritz-Carlton, the pool area has been reborn as the Sea la Vie Sundeck with a new cafe.

It’s new Lallier ocean-view cabanas come equipped with lounge chairs, champagne, water, a tropical fruit plate and snacks like crudités and tuna poké tostones, along with sunglasses, baseball caps, sunscreens and games. There is also now beachside service, and a separate Shirley Temple bar for the pre-teen set. 

Still more properties are on the horizon. A high-end St. Regis Resort Bahia Mar and Residences is being designed by Arquitectonica on the bones of the old Bahia Mar hotel, while ultra-luxury boutique hotel, the Whitfield, and Hotel Indigo are due to open next year.  

Once upon a time Fort Lauderdale may have drawn a spring break crowd — now, with a five-star everything ecosystem under construction — they’ll just have to find somewhere new to descend on.