Courtyard Fort Lauderdale SW/Miramar

I’m Marriott Platinum. That means I spend a lot of nights in Marriott hotels. It also means Marriott attempts to provide better service/​accommodations for me, when possible. So, I check in here (as I often do for work because it is on the top of the «compliant» list), and the send me up to their «penthouse» floor.
First, the «penthouse» room I was placed in was being cleaned. Carted all my stuff back down to the front desk and got another room. This one smelled like cigarettes, but I stayed as it had already been a long day and I didn’t want to go back down again. Next, I notice the faucet in the shower dripped continuously. Then, I notice the shower curtain rod sagged, so I’m constantly stepping on curtain. Next, some type of pool party going on until 1 am. Complained, as curfew is 11pm for pool. No change. The party moved next door and finally at 4:30 am I called again. The noise coming in from next door stopped, and then moved to hallway right outside my door.
End game, the staff does nothing to accommodate the comfort of return customers. I will be doing my best to ensure my company (local to this hotel area) will be contracting with a different hotel chain in near future.

No real point in staying here unless you have meetings nearby as there isn’t a ton to do in the area. The hotel is pretty cheap and has a decent enough gym (two treadmills, weight rack and a pulley machine). The rooms are sizable and the beds are comfortable as well. Main complaint is that the walls are ridiculously thin, so if your neighbor and their kids wake up at 6 AM, you’ll be up too!
Other tips: rooms have a refrigerator and a microwave. Strong water pressure. Decent channel selection for tv. Don’t pay for Internet because the free version is pretty fast on its own.

We were surprised to find that not only was there no breakfast buffet but the lobby ‘restaurant’ (counter service only) charged $ 12 for a simple scrabbled egg breakfast (no coffee or juice) and the hotel did not even provide free coffee in the lobby.
Service in the ‘restaurant’ was well below par. There were only 6 customers there when we arrived. Of the 4 couples in our party, they lost half of the first couple’s order and all of the third couple’s order. We were there an hour before everyone finally got their breakfast (and only got it then because we made numerous trips back up to the counter). Oh, no refills on the expensive coffee and then they ran out of coffee.
If the Courtyard ‘lobby restaurant’ concept is a Marriott experiment, it is a failure in our opinion.
Keys to our room malfunctioned twice and one of only two elevators was broken.

Only appropriate that I start 2016 on Unilocal with exactly where I woke up to start the new year.
And, for the record, without a hangover.
This was my second stay at this property in the last few years on my drives down to Miami for various sporting events.
I was rather happy to reserve this property for my overnight stay after the Clemson-​Oklahoma Orange Bowl Game because of its tremendously convenient location.
Not only it is perfectly located right off Interstate 75, but it also provides an excellent and quick entrance/​exit to the stadium if you known the neighborhood streets to use. (If you need the secret route from this hotel for a Dolphins or Hurricanes game, you can send me a direct message and offer a modest bribe for the info.)
There are plenty of good lunch and dinner options just on the other side of 75… such as one of my favorite sports bars in South Florida: Bokamper’s.
I’d like to offer particular thanks to an outstanding employee of this hotel named Zaida. She seemed alone at the front desk on a very busy afternoon for the hotel dealing with people coming and going, yet she was extremely nice to us when we arrived early in handing our check-​in and special requests.
As a Marriott snob, I really enjoy all the renovated Courtyard properties and this one offered everything we expected and needed to fully enjoy our college football New Year’s Eve in South Florida.

BYOC Bring Your Own Coffee…
When the shut down the café, about 10 – 10:30 — they do not even leave coffee out for guests.
Things like this, makes me appreciate the hospitality at Hilton properties.

This Courtyard was just what we needed for our brief stay in the Miami area. I always look for proximity to major highways and this hotel is located near I-​75. Checking in was a quick process and the young woman at the front desk was polite, courteous and professional. The lobby is modern and it offers a Starbucks like most Courtyard’s I’ve stayed at.
The room was clean and comfortable as was the king size bed. The room did have a sofabed but we chose not to use it. Marriott does offer PPV movies for all ages and my son made me buy The Penguins of Madagascar which is still in theatres, so I paid $ 16.99 which is cheaper than buying three movie tickets.
The courtyard and pool area were smaller than other places I’ve stayed but it was relaxing and quiet nonetheless. The pool itself was decent size along with the jacuzzi which I wasn’t able to enjoy this time around. There are plenty of places to eat in the surrounding area and you don’t have to drive far, just Unilocal it! There’s a Walgreens within walking distance in case you forget your toothbrush.
Most importantly, the rates were low and that’s the main reason I chose this particular location. Lately, the closer you get to Miami, the more expensive the hotels get and quite honestly, I prefer to be out of all the chaos. I will definitely consider this hotel in the future.

Stayed here for a business trip. The nicest Courtyard I have stayed at in the Miami area. Rooms were clean, was quiet, and hotel had all the amenities you need.

ZERO STARS
Nightmare at check-​in
Nuria was no help. Rude and snobby.
Hair on the shower wall.
Wouldn’t stay here ever again.
Will be looking for a new hotel chain to deal with.

Last week we stayed 3 nights at this hotel. It was very comfortable and the customer service was wonderful.
Zaida Stern at the front desk was very helpful and customer friendly.
She understands customer needs and is willing to walk an extra mile.
Thanks for such a great service.
Will definitely return and highly recommend.

The hotel room was really nice and clean! I stayed in the 1 King bed guestroom with a sofa bed that was an ADA unit by the elevator on the fifth floor and it was very spacious and a lot of natural lighting. While laying in my bed with my curtains open I would gaze at the humongous Hilton sign across the street. Being by the elevator can be a little loud but the AC usually drowns out all the noise.
On the second night I stayed in a guestroom with two queens on the second floor. The room seemed like downgrade compare to the first unit. The natural lighting was not that great since it only half a window… which sucked for us because we were doing hair and makeup for an event that day in that unit.
My only complaint is that housekeeping would come bang on the door around 8 AM and will continue to do so despite checkout time being at 12PM. Don’t they have a checkout list of what units were early outs? Their cable is through satellite so when it rains there will be no TV which was a disappointment during the Wolrd Cup games.
Overall tip would be to stay in the the ADA units by the elevator if they’re available. They are a lot more spacious.

Every thing was perfect, excellent service.

Nice clean business friendly hotel just off the Sawgrass expressway. The staff is very nice and the rooms spacious. I’ve stayed here several times and they are very consistent. Something to count on when you are on the road more than half the year.

Stayed here last week and loved it. Customer service from all staff members was perfect. Hotel is clean. Restaurant/​bar area was very nice. I recommend this place completely.

For the price, this hotel is worth it… always availability… rooms very clean and well-​maintained… the front desk team remembers who you are if you visit multiple times… starbucks coffee in the lobby… tv didn’t work one day, but came on the next. not TOO big of a deal.
overall, 4 star (again, for the price)
definitely recommend

Thank you Miguel! You and your establishment have gone out of your way to resolve my complaint. Its very refreshing to see that customer service is still number one to big businesses such as the Marriott. I do look forward to my next stay. Thank you once agian.

Very nice stay. Alysa, the Manager was incredibly nice and helpful as I got lost driving from Key West to Miramar (she even offered to stay on the phone and help guide me get to the Courtyard). Typical Marriott stay, clean, quiet, comfortable rooms and a very professional, accommodating staff. Thanks Alysa for making my stay so pleasant! Super hospitality!

Love this hotel– been here a few times an they always are on point. Juan the bartender always remembers your name and any other patrons that have been sitting there longer than 5 minutes. Also, the manager, Alisha is great and customer service oriented. I even checked in tonight and unfortunately they were out of King Bed rooms, but Cecelia gave me a room with a balcony, and 2 free breakfasts for my stay. Thanks! Will be back for sure

Pretty good hotel. Not situated right off a major road like 95 (so you don’t get car noise), and not huge. In a complex with a couple other hotel/​motels, seemed pretty clean and people were nice.
They had a eating area on the 1^st floor which I didn’t try, and a very small bar (same deal, didn’t get a chance to try). Lobby itself was pretty normal, although they had a neat thing where they had fresh popped popcorn for you for free when you were coming into the hotel in the afternoon/​evening, which was a really neat pick me up.
Again, nothing too crazy, but rates seemed reasonable and would consider it if I was going to be in the area again. Also pretty close to the shops at Pembroke Gardens, which a lot of people seem to like (see our other reviews for feedback on them).

This is a nice enough hotel, reasonably priced for the area. The wi-​fi is free (and actually works), the rooms quiet, and the beds comfortable. I’m not really a fan of the overpriced breakfasts, but I have to admit, the selections are really pretty decent and more varied than in most hotels even if overpriced.
The staff is helpful, efficient, and actually pleasant. That’s a nice change from some hotels I’ve stayed. Someone, it seems, actually understands the concept that hotels are service providers and have trained their staff accordingly. In fact, this is probably a three-​star hotel in the scheme of things, but I gave it a fourth star for the front desk staff.
I was having problems when the room key stopped working, three times in a row, and then with the lobby computer that wouldn’t print out a boarding pass, but in all instances, the front desk staff rescued me from what could have become an unpleasant situation (at least on my part).
The one negative, and its a minor one, this chain has the skimpiest selection of in-​room toiletries for those who travel light, but Courtyard makes up for it with the refrigerator and microwave in the room.

This is a good hotel to stay at for a business trip. Though this is one of the few Courtyards that charge you for breakfast– it’s usually free. There’s free internet (both wired and wireless) and they gym is a good size for the hotel. The staff here is really attentive. There’s lot of restaurants nearby and a Publix and Walgreens making your stay conveinent.