I'm 19 years old and stayed at the Marriott Beach Place Towers for a few days in June with my girlfriend. We had an awesome vacation! We got a great deal with this hotel (I think through Expedia) so the price we paid for our room was EXTREMELY reasonable. It had an amazing view of the beach, because one of the best things about this hotel is its convenient location directly across the street from the beach! Many of Ft. Lauderdale's hotels are on the beach, however, I visited the beach property all along the coast and I must say that the beach by this hotel was one of my favorite spots; the water was clear and warm, and the beach was one of the cleanest I've seen in the US (then again, I'm from New York...).
The best thing about this hotel is the fact that it is built right on top of, well, a mall. It is extremely convenient for finding quick, easy and inexpensive places to eat when not willing to travel very far. In addition, the shopping gave us touristssomething to do during Florida's infamous random afternoon thunder storms.
For fun, my girlfriend and I went to the beach (obviously), and had jet skiing and snorkeling excursions set up for us by the front desk. If interested, be sure to ask the concierge about local rates; they're pretty good about being fair in terms of their hotel's prices and the prices of other places close by. For example, to go jet skiing at this hotel, I think it cost something around $90/half hour... but at a Ramada down the road, it was something like $80/full hour. If you're willing to pay a few bucks for a quick cab ride, I suggest looking at outside sources for entertainment. The hotel arranges it for you and everything.
As far as dining, the places that we went to were generally inexpensive. Casablanca is a place just a 5 minute walk away from the hotel and has very rich-tasting food. A five minute walk in the other direction will take you to a cute places called Cafe Del Mar, which by the way makes awesome lobster.
All in all, I had a great time in Ft. Lauderdale and at this hotel. The staff is extremely friendly, the rooms were very spacious and clean, the location was very convenient if beach-activities and shopping are your hobbies of choice, and though very kid-friendly, it isn't annoyingly swamped with little brats running around everywhere. Other options to consider while in Ft. Lauderdale are day trips to the Bahamas (1-4 days depending on what trip you would like to take)... they're inexpensive, but remember your passport!








