Everything I was looking for!! Great hotel!!

Just returned from a 5 night stay here. Location was great- from other reviews on TA it sounded like it was so far away from the beach! AIA is the coastal highway between the hotel and the beach- a 4 lane highway. There is a crosswalk right in front of the hotel to the beach. There are no hotels right on the beach in F.L. (at least on that main strip where we were) so I didn't see what the big deal was.

There were 3 of us in a 2 bedroom suite- a bit of a tight squeeze but we were all tidy so it wasn't a big deal.

PROS: location- Casablanca Cafe, Shula's, and Beach Place were within a 10 minute walk which was great; Vicki at the concierge desk was very helpful and we took her up on her advice and had no regrets; housekeeping followed up on our requests with a phone call to make sure we were taken care of; coffee bar and fridge were handy. Fitness room was great- every machine had it's own TV , a staff person on hand, and there were free weights- can't ask for much more on a hotel gym.

CONS: we had issues with the fridge which took a while for them to fix; housekeeping took up to an hour sometimes to come to our room with towels (they were stingy with restocking toiletries such as TP and towels so we were constantly asking for more); we were on the 9th floor so the elevator at times was a 5 min wait- we tried once to take the stairs down to the first floor- and ended up on the backside of the hotel instead of the lobby; breakfast was pricey; and upon our arrival, 2 bellmen watched us getting out of the taxi with all of our luggage, and waited til we were actually inside the lobby and then acted like we were being ridiculous bringing in our own luggage, as if they didn't just watch us for at least a minute before walking their way.

Overall, a great stay and a great hotel.

Arrived for a three night stay,check in went smooth.Staff was very friendly.Room wonderful,two flat screen tv's,kitchen,living room great ocean and intercoastal view from balcony.Bathroom spotless.Hotel is only 17 months old so everything is in excellent condition.Bellman first class went the extra steps such as filling our ice bucket etc.Maid turned down bed at night,provided fresh towels.Major construction project next door however it was not bothersome.Glass on balcony was very dirty as was sliding glass door,very minor stain on carpet however everything else was spotless.The location of the hotel is the best! The beach is across the street.Water Taxi three blocks away could not be beat,takes you to 13 or so different locations in Fort Laudedale,a wonderful way to see the sites and get around without driving,the water taxi is a must do,we really enjoyed it!!A short walk from the hotel provides several restaurants and shops.No need for a car its all within walking distance.Pool area was perfect!Plenly of chairs,plenty of fresh towels and a friendly staff even bringing glasses of ice water to guests at the pool without asking.The pool area offers plenty of shade or sun whatever you prefer.This hotel seemed to have it all and we can't wait to return.First class operation from start to finish.

We just returned from a three night stay over the 2008 fourth of July holiday. We went with another couple and booked the 2 bedroom suite. Below are the pro's and con's of the hotel:

Pro's:
Location - you can't beat right on the beach. True, you have to cross a road, but it is not as bad as others make it seem. There is not that much traffic.
Rooms - the room as I mentioned was a 2 bedroom suite. The master bedroom/bathroom was very spacious and the second bedroom was also spacious. The living room and kitchen space also made it very nice. It was like renting a condo for the weekend. The room had a nice layout and was very modern in its furnishing. Our room could have used a painting refresh though.
Beds - very comfortable
Balcony - our room had an awesome wrap around balcony. One side looked on the new W and ocean, and the other into downtown Ft. Lauderdale.
Concierge Services - very helpful with questions and getting us reservations
Construction - I list this as a pro, because even though it is there, you don't notice it. It did not disrupt us once.

Con's:
Kitchen - no cups, silverware, bottle openers, dish soap, etc. We needed an opener for beer and had to call to get one brought up (as well as dish soap). So although not there, it was a call away.
Pool - while the pool area is nice, it is on the small side. Over the busy weekend, it was very hard to find a spot by the pool.
Service - I list this as a con for this reason. After checking in and going up to our room, we found a person still in the second bedroom. The 2 bedroom suite is really like 2 hotel rooms. There is a hallway, with 1 door to the second bedroom and the second door to the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom. They checked us in knowing full well that somebody was in that room. Then they checked somebody into our room on our second day. We were luckily in the room so caught it. I will say that they did rectify the situation. They comped one of the nights and sent us a nice wine and cheese platter. So even though they did have the service guffaw, they made it right.

Some other notes:
Ilios - this is the restaurant. We did not eat here, but got the continental breakfast (for free because of Hilton Gold status) to go every morning and coffee. It was pretty good for what it was worth.
Location - I list this as a con also because it is at least a four block walk in either direction to get to a restaurant, convenience store, coffee shop, etc.
Spa - our wives went to the spa and commented it was OK...I guess a 3 out of five stars.
The Staff - they are very multicultural. This sometimes makes it hard to communicate. Not bad or good. Just something else to be aware of
Rent a Car - We did cabs and spent a lot. While you could get by without a car, I'd recommend one.