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A collection of relatively young luxury beachfront hotels—the Atlantic Hotel & Spa, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, the Ritz-Carlton, the W, the Westin—that opened within the last decade are welcoming newcomers to the "Luxe Lauderdale" corridor. Seriously sophisticated places to stay include The Conrad, Four Seasons, and The Gale, while smaller retro spots are disappearing. You can also find hotel chains along the Intracoastal Waterway. If you want to be on the beach, be sure to ask when booking your room as many hotels on the inland waterways or on A1A advertise "waterfront" accommodations.
Husband-and-wife team Marc and Cristie Furth have run this whimsical Mexican-theme motel in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea since 1971. Across the street from family-friendly beaches, lattice fences, gurgling fountains, and gardens of cacti and impatiens provide privacy for the patio and heated pool. A Mexican-hacienda aesthetic welcomes guests to their rooms with hand-painted and stenciled furnishings and terra-cotta tiles.
This highly rated family-run hotel sits on 300 feet of beachy paradise with plenty of cozy spots, two heated pools, and an atmosphere that keeps visitors coming back for more. Accommodations—poolside or oceanfront—range from standard rooms to efficiencies with kitchens to full apartments with separate bedrooms and one or two baths. Nine rooms have private balconies. There's also a two-bedroom beach house.
Tucked a few blocks behind Las Olas Boulevard in the residential neighborhood of Victoria Park, clothing-optional Pineapple Point is a magnificent maze of posh tropical cottages and dense foliage catering to the LGBTQ+ community and is nationally renowned for its stellar service. Amenities abound at this clandestine retreat, including four hot tubs and swimming pools, hammocks, a gymnasium, and gardens, all showered with touches of luxury and class. Units range from standard suites to individual three-story homes, often attracting the power players of the LGBTQ+ community.
