Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort Reviews & Ratings

We rented from Frank Davis Jan 2008. All I can say is that Frank is the BEST!!! Everything went smooth as planed. The timeshare was on the 10th floor with a great ocean view as promised. The condo was fantastic with everything new and spotless. The staff was also great. Anything you needed they were there to get it for you. We had a great week! Will stay there again. Thanks Frank!!! John Porada Saugatuck, Michigan

Our trip started out on the wrong foot when guest services got a hold of us. For a $20 deposit they guaranteed us a gurmet breakfast and we wouldn't be sold anything. Liar, liar. Breakfast consisted of onion bagels, donuts and coffee whitener. When we got up to leave the staff of Vacation Village was quite annoyed with us because we didn't give them a chance to sell us anything. Recommedation to all new comers-stay away from guest services. If you happen to stay on floors 3-7 you will really be disappointed and the rating will drop to a 2 star. Those rooms are really dumpy. The bathtub has permanent stains in it, the silicone around the sink is peeling, the paint on the mirror is peeling, the toilet makes noise, the pull out couch won't close properly, the chair has too many stains to mention and you don't get a cut in the rate.

We stayed in unit 1810 during week 33. We had a wonderful time. This unit was beautiful and owners Tom and Greer Ellis are extremely helpful. We had children with us that ranged in age from 7 years to 22 years and we were never at a loss of things to do. This resort is very nice and located close to everything you could need. We did have a rental car but would not have had to have it, as there are many things to do within walking distance.

My Sister and I stayed at Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort in March 2007. We loved everything about this resort. The staff were very friendly and helpful! The units we stayed in were a 1 bedroom with an attached studio. Both units were very clean and we felt right at home. The view from our balcony was breath taking, morning, noon and night. The planned activities for the guests were all so much fun. Both of us are planning to stay here again next year and I am hoping that my husband and I can go together sometime soon. Location was great!

Stayed here Jan 2007. Good resort being fully updated original apartments were very good the refurb makes them excellent'.In a superb position fro the beach ,water taxi ,state park and Gallerea Mall the higher you are the better the views The rooftop panorama is superb I travel 4,200 miles to stay here and will be booking for next year very soon.

WAS HERE 2 YEARS AGO,WAS DISAPPIONTED THE RESTURANT IS STILL NOT OPEN AND CONSTRUCTION AROUND THE POOL STILL NOT COMPLETE.EVERYONE WAS VERY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL.THE ROOMS LOOK THE SAME AS BEFORE(NEW CONSTRUCTION?)

After the renovations, this resort is looking like a brand new place! It is a wonderful resort in a wonderful location! It is simply beautiful! I stayed there two weeks ago and found it to be an exceptional value! I paid $100 per night and split it with 4 other people. The five of us were extremely comfortable and the views from the resort are breath taking. The staff is extremely friendly and there is plenty to do! The weather was awesome! This place is great! While prior to 2006 it may have seemed older, it is redone now as if it is brand new! I would be surprised if anyone that stays in this resort since 2007 would be less than extremely satisfied! It is great! And, one block to the beautiful beach! Look for a rental on RedWeek.com and you may find an exceptional value! I am sure that once you stay here, you will come back every year!! I plan on going at least twice a year if possible!!

As an owner at FLBR, I take exception to the previous posting as it has nothing to do with the quality of this property and everything to do with this owner's dissatisfaction with the termination of the Exchange Program. Additionally, the comment that the current renovation project will "make an old building look a little better" is negated when one takes the time to look at flbeachresort.com to see exactly what is happening to the property.

During some thirteen years of ownership we have seen numerous management companies do not a whole lot with FLBR -- some painting, new bedspreads, etc. The 100% makeover that is currently underway is long overdue. Yes, the assessment was high, especially when you own multiple weeks, but this is not the forum to discuss fees and exchange programs that have been terminated.

FLBR remains a good value for the weekly rental of an apartment as compared to the cost of a hotel room Ft. Lauderdale.

We purchased several units at FLBR (Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort) after receiving printed info in their newsletters and other FLBR documentation promoting a great Internal Owner Exchange Program that allowed owners to trade usage weeks using their In-House (Home Resort) Program.

FLBR’s In-House Exchange has worked well for us in past years but the resort recently (2006) stopped the in-house exchange leaving us owners holding low value units with an empty promise that we made our purchasing decisions on.

Regardless of what some sellers have advertised/listed, the tax/maint. bill is approx $800 per year and significantly increasing each year.

FLBR is not too bad to rent if you can't get reservations in one of the nice resorts, but it is far from a 4 or 5 star resort. FLBR started a renovation project that will make the old building look a little better in a year or 2. As listed on website TUG2.net , FLBR owners are being over-charged for renovations in additional billings over and above the regular yearly tax/maint bills.

The location is good for getting to the beach (1 block away). The posted weekly rental prices are good if you can’t find anything at Marriott Beach Place Ft Lauderdale or the other resorts in the Miami / Ft Laud area. We will now use Interval International and Redweek to trade our FLBR units for better resorts when we see them listed on these and other exchange services.

If we were informed that FLBR would stop the In- House exchanges, that the yearly fees would increase so much and owners would be over-charge for renovations, we would not have purchased units at FLBR. We did not expect to get less in services when the tax/maint charges are increasing so much each year. As you can tell we are very disappointed with the resort. Your advance and thorough due diligence is much required if you are considering buying a FLBR unit. Look at sale prices and ratings of FLBR units on Internet web sites such as Timeshare Users Group (TUG2.net) eBay, BidShares, Google, etc.

I stayed in a 1 Bdrm 1.5 bath newly renovated unit on the 17th floor with Intercoastal/City view during the week of Dec 23rd, 2006. My rating is based on my experience in that unit. My unrenovated other unit would get a lower but still acceptable rating. The top 3 floors are now redone with the remainder of the building planned to be finished by early 2008. The refinished floors look like a totally different resort inside. The hallways are done in neutral shades with nice new carpeting. The unit I stayed in has a King bed in the bedroom, a comfortable Queen Murphy bed and Queen sleeper sofa in the living room. The floors are light stone and all the counter surfaces are Granite. The balcony has an incredible view of the city. All furniture and appliances are new. Covered parking is free and I never had a problem finding a space. The master bathroom is on the small side, but workable. The half bath off the living room is perfect for the privacy of overnight guests. I own 2 winter weeks at this resort. Granted, the maintenance fees are on the high side, but I checked the price of the Holiday Inn next door to the resort for the dates I was staying. It was $213/day for a standard room, plus 8% tax plus parking charges. For about $100/day in Maintenance fees I had a 900sq ft One Bedroom Apartment with balcony, a large safe, and free covered parking. Quite a bargain when you compare prices this time of year in Ft Lauderdale. Your opinion of the resort will probably differ depending on whether you are in a newly redone unit. This will never be the Marriott, but the redecorated unit rivals some other Gold Crown properties I've stayed at. It will probably earn RCI Silver when the construction is complete. I'm glad I own here, especially with the renewal, I use my units every year rather than exchange them.

I came here for my first visit and in spite of the recent hurricane, I have to give the resort an "A" all around. 1. It was just steps to a gorgeous beach. 2. They had lots of free/ inexpensive and fun activities for the residents. 3. The rooms were big and mine had a terriifc intracoastal view! 4. Everyone at the resort was friendly and frankly, some went beyond the call of duty to answer our questions. 5. You are 2 miles from Las Olas Blvd, which is not to be missed, and there is plenty of shopping and restaurants within a short drive or a ten minute walk. Have breakfast at Shula's (if you get the chance) 6. My only gripes (minor) is that the pool could be a little bigger and there is no coffee shop on the premises.

If you like the beach way of life, this is a great place to visit. I'll be back often!

I will add to my review to state my displeasure with the amount of the new assessment they are charging us. Its too much to charge at one time. Like some of the other owners, I know we need some updating but an entire overhaul is too costly and I do not think the Board of Directors were particularly careful with our money. Obvioulsy, if someone now buys a week, they can get a good deal because of this assessment. Thumbs down to our Board of Directors. I own several timeshares and this is the biggest ripoff I've encountered!

Stayed here with hubby and toddler daughter the week before Memorial Day. We had deposited our week at the Westin St John 2 years ago and were running out of time to make the exchange. We wanted to be in the Miami area and this was all that was available. When I think of the value of my home resort vs this, I cringe.

It was clean but rather downtrodden and shabby. The carpeting in the hallways was worn, the lighting and trim outdated. One of the tables in the elevator vestibule had a large hunk chipped off and the fact that no one has removed or replaced this speaks volumes about the level of caretaking at this so called "resort". And that is another thing - when I think of a resort I think of a large place that has many laid out amenities. This place, which was more like a condo-hotel, would not qualify. The location, a short block away from the beach, was good. There is no restaurant on the premises although you may purchase continental breakfast items from a cart in the lobby in the morning. We had a powder room in our unit that was larger than the fully functional bathroom, where the door hit the toilet. The walk-in closet was a nice size and I, like another reviewer, utilized and appreciated the large safe which held both my and my husband's laptops.

All in all our stay was pleasant but for the value of our exchange and the type of accommodation we are accustomed to (Ritz, Four Seasons, boutique upscale properties, etc.) this was quite disappointing. We will not be back.

I do own two weeks in this Resort it is always great . well within walking distance to the Beach a short 2 blocks The staff here is always very friendly and happy to accommadate any needs, such as heaters blankets ect. I have stayed in a lot of these timeshare resorts But this one is perfect size large enough and small enough. Nice people friendly attitude great pool and sundeck with live Monkeys to feed that come to pool area. Walk over bridge to wild oats for lunch at their by the pound salad bar . or just grab a sandwich and a cold beer at the world famous Parrot lounge just out the front door and don't miss the pizza place on corner by the slice or hamburger with coleslaw and fri's on it You can take a cab from airport or bus and don't really need a car here at all everything is in walking distance or short cab ride water taxi close and bus . Don't Miss the Thunderbird Flea market while here right on sunrise abot 5 miles also two casino's in Hollywood Great Steak at Shulla's right on the beach about ten blocks up so much to do wow

I own week #1 in room #303, and have since 1997. I have always enjoyed myself on every visit to Florida. The staff at the resort are all great, especially Felipe. I bought this unit when I was still single, and had tons of fun with my friends over the years. Since then I have married, my wife and I have enjoyed a few vacations alone until we had a child and he came right along with us. I've been there long enough to see my maintanance fees raise, new patio doors installed (which were well needed), the room has been redone once since I've owned my room(I don't think the room looks 70's, but more tropical).Granted it needs some updates(my unit could use a new dishwasher), but all in all everything works and it's a lot better room than your going to get at the Super 8 and don't forget, you get your free paper evey morning. I would recomend anyone to stay here.

But after today I don't think I would recomend anyone to become a Owner. I received a payment book in the mail today for room Renovation Assesment. At a cost of $1081.83 payable in one lump sum, or you can make 11 payments of $88.66 with a 25% down payment of $270.46. It's great that there charging us Owners $159.49 intrest for improvements on our own property. This current board is trying to get eveyone to give them a proxy vote to allow them to make all decicions without regard to Owner views. I stated previosly, my room has been redone once since I've owned it. And this was done with an increase in maintenance fees. I'm not against improvements, but I am against unresonable increases with out any say in the matter. If any other Owners would like to respond with their views, I would love to hear from them.

P.S. I would tend to beleive that some of these responses are plants, and these reviews are an insult to the members who pay our membership to this site for accurate and honest reviews.

Exchanged in 1/21/06-1/28/06 and had a wonderful time. Great staff and many activities (much more than most resorts). I'll recomend to others and will plan to go back as often as possible! And they do furnish free laundry and supplies AND they have mid-week linen and bed change. We only needed the car three times the whole week. I will even say it is nice to have the newspaper delivered to your room each morning.

We were there Dec. 23-30, 2005. We were disappointed with the units and had to move twice. They are old, rusty, and worn. If you like being close to the beach and don't mind a 1970's place then stay there. The staff is friendly and washing is free. I hope to never stay there again!

I resent the rater above saying my review is bogus. He probably works for the resort or is trying to sell his resort and does NOT want the truth to be known!

Not sure where the last 2 reviews stayed, but it sounds like they may have been camping out in their car in the parking lot instead of staying in the resort. This resort is not a 5 star like the Marriott, but it is still a very nice resort and is in the process of getting better with the renovations that have been done so far and those planned. You can't beat it's location and the management and staff are excellent. I would hate to see someone pass-up this resort because of a couple bogus reviews, so try it, you will like it!

Extra charges, gone downhill, not worth it unless you're desperate.

Just purchased my unit this year and was pleasantly surprised by how nice this resort is. Our unit is updated with designer furnishinings and a tropical ambiance. The kitchen was huge with all the amenities. We have an awesome view from the balcony on the 14th floor of the intracoastal waterway as well as the city of Fort Lauderdale. The staff is very friendly here. There is lots to do in the area and the beach nearby is great. On this stretch of beach there are no oceanfront hotels or timeshares because Fort Lauderdale keeps it public and no building allowed so the location was fine. Lots of restaurants and shops on the next block. Feels a little like Key west in this area. Galeria mall is just over the bridge with upscale shopping if you desire. Also the water taxi is just over the bridge and takes you all over Fort Lauderdale. I had a great time in this unit. Considering it is an older resort, they keep it pretty nice. No musty smells but everything is clean, clean, clean and updated. I live in Miami, FL

8/5/05 Didn't have much luck exchanging on this site so decided to use my week. Glad I did as I had a great time. The resort is redoing a part of the parking lot so parking was sort of in short supply but the rooms are still in great shape. They had a nice bartender this year out by the pool serving $1.00 pina coladas and wine/beer. Also had pizza for a buck or 2. Was nice and there were lots of people taking advantage of this down by the pool. Everyone is still very nice on the staff. No complaints except the parking. Visited Bonnet House next door which was a nice diversion to the sand and beach. Worth a visit. The beach had lots of red flag days while we were there due to dangerous sea life so we didn't go in much. Also the water was rough due to the hurricanes out there stirring. Good thing you don't need the beach to have a great time at this place.

Just got back from a weeks vacation with our family. Had a great time at the resort. Lots of activities and staff is wonderful. Look forward to going back next year.

Ellen

We enjoyed our stay at the resort. Great location and fun activities. I highly recommend it.

First, a declaration of conflict of interest...we own four weeks at this resort. We visit at least 2 weeks every year, and thoroughly enjoy the location, near the beach, yet very quiet and relaxing, and convenient to most everything. Saw some other reviews, a little dated, so want to give some updates. The Homeowners Association had a meeting while we were there last week. The restaurant has now been leased out, but the City is slow in giving them a new liquor license, but that was expected soon. The homeowners assn is soon to announce a modernization of the rooms to all new designs, carpeting, appliances, furniture. This will probably mean a moderate increase in fees, but their is a temporary tax increase fee that will be going away probably about the same time (2006). The resort is very well maintained, the staff very responsive, and the VRI management group is doing a good job, especially compared to the earlier Sunterra management. The elevators were just replaced, and the exterior of the building is being repainted now (Feb, 2005). We are presently looking to buy another week, as we expect to continue to visit this location every year for the foreseeable future.