We recently stayed at the beautiful Lago Mar. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. The location is perfect! In a quiet residential neighborhood between the inter coastal and the Ocean. Very quiet with excellent views. A hidden gem. Completely away from the activity on the Fort Lauderdale strip, but close by if that's what you want. We stayed in the main building and were told this is the nicest building and to always ask for it. Also, we were upgraded to a suite which made our stay even nicer. The only down side was the over abundant kid scene. Very crowded and noisy by the pool area. They have two pools and both are used by children. I highly recommend they designate one an adult pool. The hotel is also a club for the neighborhood, so that is why there are a large amount of children using the facilities. The beach is lovely and private. It is large and deep. Other beaches in Ft. Lauderdale have significantly eroded. The hotel has sufficient chairs, umbrellas, etc for the beach and the pool. We considered staying at the Atlantic or the St. Regis, but did not want to be on the busy A1A and also, we wanted to be directly on the Ocean which the other hotels are not.

The husband and I went a bit upscale for our one night getaway to the beach.

The hotel was just lovely. We had a one bedroom suite and there were plenty of amenities. The only complaint I had was that the mattress was too soft, but that is typical of motels/hotels.

We had a fantastic view from our room and spent lots of time sitting out on the balcony in the evening enjoying it.

The service was impeccable, with friendly, helpful staff everywhere we went.

Our kids are grown, but it's a good place for families, with the pools and a nice playground for the kiddies.

We will definitely return. It was hard to leave and go back home. I wouldn't have minded another day there.

Upon arrival, the tone for our entire stay was immediately set by the courteous, friendly, professional staff. We arrived a bit early, which didn't ruffle any of the attentive staff. They took our bags and we enjoyed lunch in the lush, tropical courtyard under a thatched roofed table. When our lunch was completed, our room was ready.

It was spectacular - on an upper floor overlooking the beach. We were especially excited to see the breath-taking views of all the yachts and cruise ships entering and leaving the port. Even with the boat traffic, it was very quiet, and the beach was fantastic!

Everything about this resort is wonderful. Everyone working at the resort was just as glad to be there as we were, and it showed. Lago Mar is first and foremost a labor of love for those that own and work there. The concierge service was genuine and attentive without being fawning. Michael, especially, at the concierge desk was particularly informative, even making reservations on short notice for the best steak in the entire Ft. Lauderdale area.

The excellent service followed unobtrusively even on the beach for drinks, towels, chairs, umbrellas, anything we needed. We whole-heartedly recommend Lago Mar with the highest possible recommendation. You will not be disappointed. We will definitely return.

We really enjoyed our stay here--I agree that the food can be expensive, but the small room fridge and microwave helped with some meals. We absolutely loved the private beach! Jumping in the waves and walking the beach was amazing! Our two kids met lots of new friends in the pool, and we hung out by the pool having a drink and socializing with the other parents--very fun! The park on site was terrific, and I liked the soda shop for quick snacks, ice creams, etc. There was a shuffleboard (2 courts), giant outdoor chess set, hammocks, pingpong, an adult-only pool, lazy river pool, beach restaurant hut, pool bar, soda shop, etc. I definitely felt like we were back in time--old florida with gracious hosts in a comfortable, family environment. It was a nice break from the very trendy and modern superluxe hotels...and the kids really enjoyed themselves being kids!
ps. parking is free which was a bonus...elsewhere on the beach, it can be up to $25 a day.
pps. from our balcony, we enjoyed sitting out at night and watching the cruise ships coming in to the port.