we stayed for a weekend in october. the resort is modern and comfortable...certainly seems like the nicest on the beach. the beach is beautiful, and the pool is great. the view from our room was lovely. we didnt eat at the restaurants but they seemed to have nice menus. there is also a common grounds coffee shop which had breakfast foods, juices, coffees and such things. our room was great. i'd definitely recommend the westin.

Booked the Westin Diplomat through Hotwire - got a great rate ($139/night for the first two nights, than $129/night for the second two nights)...if any of you are interested in booking this hotel through Hotwire, it's the four-star Hollywood Beach hotel. I found it to be by far the nicest hotel Hotwire offers in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. However, initially I was slightly apprehensive about staying at the hotel because of how large it is (998 rooms), however any concern of that faded away upon check-in...everyone from the bellhop to the check-in people were efficient and professional...got a room with a great city view (ocean views apparently cost extra) on a high floor with no questions asked. The room was awesome! Sleek and contemporary, with a large bathroom with separate tub/shower. The facilities at the hotel were quite nice as well. The pool complex is one of the nicer ones I've been to, and even though the resort was busy the weekend I stayed, there were always plenty of chairs available. The beach is also very nice too...soft white sand, gentle waves, not too many rocks, plenty of staff to help set up chairs and towels. While poolside service was spotty at best, I (and pratically everyone else) ended up walking to get drinks at the bar. The drinks were actually very good - I hate when resorts make weak drinks and this one doesn't do that ...however, you will certainly pay for it ($12-$14 per drink) with an additional 15% tip added to the bill. Didn't dine at the restaurants, they seemed very pricey in comparison to restaurants that were just as good in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, which are just a short drive away. As previous reviewers have said, several grocery stores are just a five minute drive on Hallandale Beach Blvd. I would definitely recommend having a car while staying at this resort as there isn't too much to do in the general area. Self-parking was very convienent (never had a problem finding a parking spot) and the $17/day charge is fairly reasonable for the area. One slight dissapointment that I had was in the Spa/Fitness area at the Diplomat...while it was very nice that a shuttle service goes back and forth between the Diplomat Country Club and the Westin every half hour, and the fact that use of the Spa/Fitness facilities are provided at no additional charge, I felt the facility could use some updating (Steam Room smelled funny, Jacuzzi was over-chlorinated, etc...). However, overall I was pleased with my experience at the Westin Diplomat and would stay there again!

The reviews on Trip Advisor are right on. The hotel is expensive, parking is expensive, it is crowded, you must have a car, and the front desk staff is useless. The rooms with a balcony and beach view are beautiful. The pool is as amazing as the pictures if not better, and the beach is wonderful. We had a "standard" room, and were not upgraded to a beach view room until the last night there. We asked each day for a upgrade, and were told none were available each time without the person even looking anything up. When we finally got upgraded we asked the front desk manager (about a hour after calling down from our room with the same question and being told no), and he did it no problem. The beach front room made the stay. The concierge was wonderful, especially John. They gave great suggestions and were very helpful. One guy even remembered us the next day and asked us what we thought of his suggestions. There were lots of families. We would consider going back to the Westin, but there are many nice hotels in the area. For the price I will consider staying somewhere else in the area next time.

The Diplomat Westin is nice in so many ways (lobby and pool area) and is definitely a four star hotel. To achieve five star status, there are just a few fundamentals that the Westin is lacking: 1. The service on the beach and poolside is horrible. Trump Sonesta has a staff that caters to your every whim on the beach while the Westin only offers self-service. 2. The Westin rooms don’t have the furnishings of a five star and are quite small. 3. The best restaurant onsite is closed on Sundays and Mondays. The other restaurants are average at best.

Overall, I had a great time enjoying the beach and pool. The Westin is laid back and very child-friendly…perfect for a family reunion or company meeting. But for $400/night, I am just expecting a few more perks. The hotel is worth $200/night, but at $400/night there is better service and accommodations.