I don't know what all of the negativity is about? Some people can just never be pleased! I think that this is an excellent place for the price that you pay. You get what you pay for. Of course there is better, if you want to pay for a 5-star then go there! I had originally booked an efficiency suite however, upon getting there realized that it wasn't suitable for all of us (we were 4 with a child). The person at the front desk was very accomodating and pleasant, and I was even given a free upgrade to a bedroom suite which was just perfect. The hotel is directly across from the beach; There are 2 on-site pools; Complimentary breakfast; A good walking distance to Las Olas blvd; A gorgeous patio & view; The only drawback is the construction going on beside, but while in your room with the a/c on, you don't even hear a thing. I enjoyed the more personal-touch that this place offered, rather than the larger hotel chains that can be rather impersonal. I do suggest that you have a car when you stay here though, it makes for getting around alot easier.

I read the reviews before I left and thought it would be fine. Was I ever wrong! Looks are deceiving. It was worse than I expected. My first room (#103) was right on the first floor/poolside. The carpet looked like it hadn't been vacuumed in ages. The bathroom was positively disgusting. The taps & tub looked 100 years old. There were 2 fridges in the kitchen and one was so loud I unplugged it. The lights at night are so bright it's like sleeping in the daytime. I was awakened at 6am to music blaring from the room next door. So I called the front desk. She said she'd handle it. She didn't. I finally got up & went to the front desk. After investigating we discovered that there was no one in the room but the alarm was still set. So I moved rooms to the very back building, named the Ocean Wave. This motel actually has 4 buildings in total. (I still never figured out where the 2nd pool was.) Of course I had to haul all my luggage down the street myself. The hotel staff is not helpful. The room was a lot bigger and private, had tile floors. The bathroom was better and so was the kitchen. A full fridge in fact. The kitchen light was burned out and I asked the front desk to replace it. It never was. After 4 days, I realized that housekeeping never washes or even sweeps the floors. Yuck! I had to ask to have this done specifically and when it was, the lady hardly did an acceptable job. I took the mop from her and did it myself. You can see all kinds of grum along the door frames and by the walls. Don't walk barefoot here. Friday night the neighbors, some young kids, had a big party. I phoned the front desk to complain. He said he'd handle it. The partying continued. I called again. He said he'd have to lock up everything because he was alone and it would be awhile. Nothing was done until I finally phoned the room myself and told the girl that if it didn't stop immediately, I would call the police. A few minutes later, her stupid boyfriend was out in the courtyard yelling about something. I called her again and shut the party down. Front desk is useless in everything I needed. The next night, the other neighbor was up all night (and into the morining) and had people coming and going, doors slamming, people yelling. Sounded like a drug deal going down from what I heard (the walls are thin). Again, front desk provided no help. I was never so glad to get home into my own bed. The ones here weren't the greatest either. I've slept on better mattresses at the Motel 6. The continental breakfast in the morning is nothing to write home about and you can certainly buy a bagel and coffee somewhere more decent than this place. Don't make any phone calls as they charge you 75 cents per call no matter what. There are no perks here. The only 2 positive things I can say about the Avalon Waterfront Inns is the pool (although small) was nice, clean and warm, and the location: right on the strip, across from the beach, on the bus route, close to downtown and airport. But then again, so are a lot of nicer places. It wasn't worth the money I paid and I wish I would have stayed at the Sheraton Yankee Clipper. It rocks!

There is construction everywhere in Ft. Lauderdale and I would advise anyone to stay anywhere else, north in Deerfield Beach or south in Dania Beach. The beaches are just as nice and there's no construction. It really detracts from the ambiance of Ft. Lauderdale. The Avalon is sandwiched between a new hotel opening in Aug and Trump Tower hotel sometime next year. It's dusty, noisy and sometimes you can't even drive down the street. If you are in Ft. Lauderdale, avoid the Avalon Waterfront Inns if you can.

Came to the Avalon after spending a few days on business at the Ritz Carleton in Orlando. WHAT A SHOCK!! We were given a room in the back building. YUCK! When we drove up, we were disappointed before we even entered the room. The canopy was missing half the awning, the grass was long and it looked bad. But let's not judge a book by it's cover. When we entered the room, it was clean, but very, very old. The bathroom tub was missing paint and looked dirty. The towels were spotted and dirty. The bedroom air condtioner did not work, and only blew out warm air. Although they advertise wireless internet, you have to be sitting outside on the porch of the front building. The construction next door was noisy and dusty. It was nice to be directly across from the beach, but I sure wish I had been staying at a more upscale hotel. We did leave a day early to stay with our daughter who lives in Margate, a few towns away. It's unfortunate that management feels no need or desire to keep the place looking nice. The Big Guys win again!

I read the reviews before we went, and I was a little worried.... Well, there was a little peeling paint in our room, and the hotel is in need or renovation, but....I loved it. Our room reminded me of a cottage beach rental from the old days. It was like being in the old Florida we all used to know and love - before the super highways and condos and millions of people moved in. This hotel has such ambiance! And the reason for the poor upkeep is because the locals told us that within 5 years this hotel will probably be gone, and replaced with yet, another huge and ugly highrise. It's only a matter of time. So why would they put any large amount of money into renovation when we all know its time is limited. Last year we stayed at the 5-star rated hotel just down the street, paid way too much money (including a ridiculous amount just to park at the hotel), and did not enjoy it nearly as much as we did this place. Our room was clean, and the management was very nice, and this was a great place to just sit out at the pool or on their great veranda and enjoy the beach. If you're looking for an uppity 5 star resort and want to spend a lot of money, this is NOT the place for you. If you want to travel back in time and enjoy Florida the way it used to be (and still have money left over to enjoy your vaction), then this is just the place! I will truly miss this hotel when it's gone.