My husband and I left Toronto, and had arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on the Saturday. We were to stay at the Vistamar Villa that evening and then travel to Miami where we were going to be taking a seven day Caribbean Cruise.

Upon our arrival to Vistamar Villa, we discovered that my husband had mistakenly given John (the owner) the wrong date of our arrival. He expected us the next evening. He immediately started searching for an alternative and once found, walked us down to the other motel, helping with our luggage. John went a 'cut above' in the service department and it was much appreciated.

We left on the Sunday to travel to Miami to board the Carnival Victory Cruise Ship for a seven day excursion of the Western Caribbean where we visited Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios. Upon our arrival back to Miami, we rented a vehicle and drove to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The weather was great. Sunny and blue sky.

My husband and I were really looking forward to our stay at the Vistamar Villa (2901 Vistamar Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, FL33304). I had never been to Fort Lauderdale, and this was going to be a very exciting trip for us both. Our plan was to enjoy the second week of our vacation enjoying the area's beach, golf and shopping options.

We booked our time at Vistamar based on their website and felt sure that we would not be disappointed with our stay.
The accommodations, customer service and amenities were as we expected ... comfortable, courteous and without the stuffiness of higher priced accommodations. We could not have asked for a more relaxed atmosphere. John and Mary were very friendly and allowed us the use of their personal cell phone when the phones went out during a storm . By the way John, if you are reading this, I noticed that my Visa has not been charged for those calls as we discussed.....thanks !

The heated swimming pool and surrounding area around the pool was very well kept and clean. There was always enough lounge chairs for everyone to sit on around the pool.

We thoroughly enjoyed using the BBQ for some of our evening meals. It is provided free of charge, well maintained and a great way to enjoy the night breezes under the stars.

This is what was so amazing about Vistamar Villa, they really made you feel very comfortable like you were at home.

We very much enjoyed our room that we stayed in for the week. It was very clean and well furnished with everything that you would need. We always had clean towels, and tea towels for the kitchen. The kitchen was was well equiped with everything from having a kettle, and coffee maker, toaster, full fridge and stove, dishes, cutlery, glassess, pots and pans etc.

During our stay at the Villa, we enjoyed waking up in the morning to birds singing, and little monkeys chattering away, waiting to be fed. These monkeys were quite amazing. They would come over to the fence and hang upside down from the trees and take the peanuts right from your hand. That was quite the experience.

We can't say enough about Mary and John, the motel owers of Vistamar Villa. Their hospitality towards their guests was second to none. They really went our of their way to make sure that your stay at the Villa was an ejoyable stay, and it truly was.
We have shown all our family and friends our pictures of Vistamar Villa and the wonderful time we had while staying at Vistamar.

We will always think back to our holidays with great memories.

We are planning a return visit next Feb March and will be staying with John and Mary again....we can't wait !

Booked this hotel based on reviews on trip advisor and the hotels nice website. Very surprised at how badly the hotel is kept. Duct tape holds the carpeted stairs, the grass is unkept and the pool had rusting spots.
Our room was plain, old and just uncared for. The taps in the tub were partially falling off, the tub had many chips in it and there was a lot of caulking over cracked tiles.
The rooms were clean but in extreme need of maintenance.
Their website is very deceiving. I had to check it when I came home because I could not believe that I had chosen such a bad place. We even had bugs coming out of some cracked tiles that we complained about and were told it was because of the rain that we had. No apology - nothing
Our view from our room was a pile of old dumped material.
As for the claims that there are monkeys and igaunas? Did not see one.
Management did not offer us towels or anything for the beach. Forgot that they would even have any until I reread the website.
Unforgettable and very regrettable stay.

We spend a very comfortable 5 days at Vistamar Villa. The description in Tripadvisor for the villa is 100% correct. Our one bed room suite was clean, spacious and very quiet. The beds were very comfortable. The kitchen facilities came in handy for preparing breakfasts and dinner (when we purchased stonecrab claws and fresh Florida Shrimps from the Sunday Farmer's Market on Las Olas Blvd. to eat in).

The owners (John and Mary) were very helpful in making sure we had a comfortable stay. The website for Vistamar Villa provides accurate information e.g. rates, layout etc. and pictures so we will not repeat them here.

The Villa is located centrally within walking distance to many sights and activities. We had a short walk to the beach, and restaurants along AIA. We walked to the boat "Catch My Drift" located at Las Olas Blvd. and AIA to go drift fishing on a reef off shore (you will see the expensive homes and Port Everglades outbound and inbound from your fishing trip). We walked to all the shops and restaurants on Las Olas Blvd (about 4 miles), but took a Sun Trolley back (which only costs 50 cents per person). The Galleria Mall is but a short walk West along Sunrise Blvd. which is North of Vistamar Villa (you can use the Apple Store internet to check on flights, weather, email etc.). Along the way you will find a water taxi stop on the West side of the Intracoastal Waterway just South of Sunrise Blvd. Buses are easy to use and inexpensive (go to broward.org/bct for maps/schedules and rates). We took the #36 bus to and from Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall for a day of shopping (board the bus at Sunrise and AIA). For the coffee lovers, the closest Starbuck that we found was one across from the Galleria Mall and one on Las Olas Blvd. just West of (i.e. pass all the shops and restaurants on Las Olas).

We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of wild life that can be found around Fort Lauderdale. Pictures of Brazilian Squirrel Monkeys (that you can hand feed at Vistamar Villa), Iguanas, Manatees, and Green Parrots are attached.

When you get tired from all the activities, there is always the beach for sun tanning and have a refreshing swim (the water is clean and refreshing and there is a lifeguard on duty). Hope you all have a great stay at Vistamar Villa and Fort Lauderdale.

This was our family's first stay in Ft. Lauderdale by the beach. We have family in surrounding communities, and our 13 year old daughter was eager to stay adjacent to the beach during our one week Christmas vacation.
We had booked a 3 room suite (bedroom, living room, and small kitcheonette) at Vistamar Villa, and couldn't believe how reasonably priced the accomodations seemed to be during peak season($125.00 per night/6 day stay). However, what we learned upon arrival is that there is a price to be paid, as this motel, like many in the surrounding neighborhood, are survivors of better times. The facilities, although clean and roomy, have the original plumbing and kitchen appliances. The bathtub faucet leaked continuously and we were told that it could not be fixed until after the season, 6 months hence. All the furnishings had a tired appearance except the beds which were extremely comfortable.
John and Mary, the owners, were friendly and helpful. They supplied us with beach chairs, towels, and umbrellas to take to the beach, gave us directions, offered dining advice, etc.
The crown jewel for us was being just 3 blocks from the most incredible white sand beach. We spent blissful time there almost every day.