We recently checked into the Bahia Mar after having spent a week in the Florida Keys. The hotel was booked through Virgin Holidays.

We arrived at around 12pm there was no problem checking in early. As soon as we revealed we were with Virgin Holidays nothing was a problem at all! The staff on the desk were very friendly and accommodating, we were immediately made to feel very welcome. Allocated a room on the 15th floor with magnificent views over both the beach and marina, however on looking out of the window and placing one foot on the balcony my wife proceeded to shake like a jelly and then throw up! Steam coming out of my ears as I knew what was to follow "honey can you just go to reception and see if we can move to another room.!"

Bearing in mind it was the weekend I doubted if this would be possible as the hotel appeared very very busy. Suddenly acquiring a hearing problem, ignoring her protestations and admiring the beautiful view the door slammed shut. My wife returned some 5 minutes later and informed me we were moving rooms! The front desk staff had made every effort and had somehow accomodated her wishes.

Both rooms located in the tower block, ( there are two blocks) were clean, tidy and very adequate for us.The maid service was very good. The decor was a bit dated but didn't detract from us having a wonderful stay. We did not intend staying in the hotel much anyway.

The reception area had obviously been recently refurbished and was pleasing to the eye. Free Internet access was available in this lobby area. I quite often attempted logging on to check my e-mails but was often thwarted by spotty faced juveniles spending ages playing various computer games. Also located in this area is the concierge. We booked a brilliant bus trip to Miami through this facility. The tour company is a small husband and wife team operating under the banner of "Tours To You". Mindy our tour guide was brilliant but she does need to work on her jokes! The trip cost $45 a person and was well worth the money. It saved us from driving, we would never have found all the areas we wanted to see.

Also in this area was the reasonably priced gift shop. Just across the road is located the Deli. Very reasonably priced if you just fancy a sandwich instead of a full meal. The food here was excellent.

The pool although relatively small but pleasant ,was well used and was always busy. The batchelor and batchelorette party set were there at the weekend and it was quite entertaining. However the language could be ripe and one guy playing pool with his children next to the bar very nearly got into a physical fight with one loudmouth. Personally I found it all very amusing. A little disconcerting for myself was the fact that Ft Lauderdale is a well known vacation destination for "the rainbow flag" brigade. Not a problem, but when my wife pointed out to me I was constantly being checked out by two guys on the opposite side of the pool, I refused to get out of the water until they left. For you UK readers Im a bit of a Grant Mitchell lookalike, bald, well built (pleasantly plump) and heavily tattooed . My wife never did inform me if the chicks were checking me out as well!

Phone prices like any hotel were quite expensive. We bought a local cell phone for $20 and put about $30 credit on it. This lasted all of our 2 week stay in the States. About £25. The cost of calls to the UK this way was about 10-15cents a minute with Cingular/ATT. Do not use your home mobile! Call costs to the UK about 25p a minute and 99p a minute to recieve. We left the phone for the maid on our departure, it is useless in the UK.

We never did use the hotel bar or restaurant, which were bright and appealling, but this was due to the fact that there are so many really cool places to eat and drink in the Ft Lauderdale area. We did not witness much use by other residents either.

The Bahia Mar is also the departure point for the " World Famous" Jungle Queen riverboat. We took the all you can eat dining experience. The boat takes you on a tour of the canals pointing out who owns which multi million dollar property, before arriving at a private island, here you are treated to a meal of Ribs, Chicken and Shrimp followed by a variety show. All for about $36 per person.


You do not really need a car to get about in Ft Lauderdale. However If staying at the Bahia Mar you must make every effort to visit the Seminole Casino and entertainment complex about 15 mins drive away. Lots of shops and nightlife. Strictly for shopping the Sawgrass Mills shopping complex is around 15 miles away, well worth a visit expect to pay in dollars what you would pay in pounds and less!

To sum up, this hotel is a three star hotel located in a five star location, nestling amongst multi million dollar Motor Vessels. The staff are brilliant. It is ideally situated for access to the beach, Las Olas Boulevard, The Beach Place and more importantly the water taxis just outside the hotel. The taxis are a must, for $11 this gives you an all day ticket. This is ideal for "sussing out" Ft Lauderdale on your arrival.

Would we return? You bet we would we absolutely loved this hotel and location. It also helps that the exchange rate is so good for us Brits!