Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Relax in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale at the historic Riverside Hotel. This unique property is minutes from the beaches, airport and cruise port and has multiple dining options, flexible meeting space and Old Florida charm.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled on Las Olas Blvd, the Riverside Hotel is celebrated for its prime location that offers guests easy access to local shops and picturesque river views. Its variety of dining options and classic charm contribute to a welcoming atmosphere, frequently mentioned by guests. While the rooms are appreciated for their spaciousness, some travelers have concerns about outdated decor and noise.
Service is generally applauded for being friendly and professional; however, instances of unresponsiveness have been called out. Opinions on the hotel's value and cleanliness are mixed, with some noting high prices and dated features, despite a well-maintained environment.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Welcoming
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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Our travel agent recommended this hotel, so we stayed here. At check-in, we paid a fee to upgrade from a standard King room to a Junior Suite since we wanted to check-in at 9:30 am. It was very worth it. There was a living area with a couch, chair, excellent view of the river and water taxi area, and nice size bathroom with a bathroom sink with plenty of room for his/hers toiletries. The Keurig coffee maker in the room was a nice touch, although we didn't like the brand of coffee with bold flavor provided. Normally, we like bold flavors, but bring your own K-cup coffee. The bed was comfortable.
The shower had an old fashioned shower curtain, but the water was plenty hot and the Nectar bath products (sweet orange blossom) were nice.
Location was fabulous. Less than 10 minutes to the cruise terminal. Out the front door is a mecca of local restaurants and stores. Go out the back of the hotel, you can go to the separate building with their Boatyard restaurant (make reservations ahead of time if you expect to eat brunch on Sunday) and nice gym / showers upstairs and walk along the Riverwalk - go to the right near the water. Small outside pool. There is a bakery in the back which is a nice place if you want a pastry and better coffee. Breakfast is not included with your stay. The water taxi and a 1.5 hour river cruise is also steps away along the water.
All our staff interactions were very positive and helpful from the front desk receptionist offering us to upgrade to a junior suite that was available at 9:30 am to the bellmen who were trying to help us with our already paid for van that another group mistakenly took.
The hotel has a lot of charm and character.
Just a warning, our friends who had booked a standard Queen room through our travel agent who used Expedia both ended up with rooms with the windows frosted over, so you could not see out of them, perhaps since they were on a lower floor with a bad view. The sink did not have room for toiletries.
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michael Canales, Guest Services / Front Office at Riverside Hotel
Responded 2 days ago
Hello ClaireWithLove! We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts about your experience at our property. Your positive feedback regarding our location and restaurants is truly what makes us special! Providing a comfortable and enjoyable stay for our guests is at the heart of what we do, and we are thrilled to hear that we succeeded in creating a memorable experience for you. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to extend our hospitality to you once more soon. Many thanks, Michael Canales Rooms Division Manager
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We arrived by taxi from Fort Lauderdale Airport $25 plus tip at around 8 pm. There was a private party taking place in the foyer and it was extremely noisy we could hardly hear the Receptionist. Anyway, we were given a room on the ground floor, riverside view and we were worried that it would be noisy, it wasn’t. Problems we encountered, couldn’t open the curtains. Phoned extension 0 and they said there should be a small remote control. We couldn’t find one until I spotted what I thought was the air-con control on the wall and pressed it. Voila! The curtains opened up and closed when I pressed the button the other way- like magic. 2nd problem. How to turn off the light over the tv. A little man came from reception and showed us where the button was hidden. Simples.
If there had been an info pack on the desk in the room that would have helped us Brits. The bed was comfortable. The shower room had everything we needed including a very noisy extractor fan.
The situation of the Hotel on Las Olas is great and it’s any easy walk to the marina to watch the boats or get in the water taxi.
An excellent stay thank you very much.
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â The curtains are electric so look for the remote control to open and close them.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michael Canales, Guest Services / Front Office at Riverside Hotel
Responded 2 days ago
Hello JandR1971! We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts about your experience at our property. We will take a look at the room and see what way we can display better for our guests. Providing a comfortable and enjoyable stay for our guests is at the heart of what we do, and we are thrilled to hear that we succeeded in creating a memorable experience for you. Many thanks, Michael Canales Rooms Division Manager
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The hotel was excellent. The room was very large, comfortable, modern, and clean. The bathroom was also very nice. It had an older style shower over bath, but again, it was lovely and clean with good water pressure, always had hot water, and the complementary toiletries smelled lovely. The reception staff were always polite and helpful. The housekeeping staff did a great job, cleaning making the bed and changing any towels requested every day. The lift was old but worked well and had good security. You could only go to the rooms by using your key card to go up in the lift or by stairs. The air conditioning in the corridors was a little cool for us, but if not lingering in the public areas, it was fine. The pool area was lovely. Well kept, great view of the boats on the river, comfortable and relaxing with chilled water and towels a plenty. The iguanas were an unusual and entertaining extra! We also used the pub (loved the happy hour) the Wild at Sea restaurant (for breakfast and dinner) and the Boathouse (where we had dinner on Christmas day) All had great food and service. Would definitely recommend this hotel.
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michael Canales, Guest Services / Front Office at Riverside Hotel
Responded Jan 9, 2025
Hello Loobylou72! We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts about your experience at our property. Your positive feedback regarding our amenities and attentive staff brings us great joy. Providing a comfortable and enjoyable stay for our guests is at the heart of what we do, and we are thrilled to hear that we succeeded in creating a memorable experience for you. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to extend our hospitality to you once more soon. Many thanks, Michael Canales Rooms Division Manager
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Hotels in FLL are expensive due to captured cruise audience. Riverside gets great recommendations on cruise forums so I held off booking til last minute and priced dropped to a level I was happy to pay for my 4 night stay. It’s classed as a 3+ star hotel which due to age and old style appearance I get but it’s a lovely clean hotel in a fantastic area with plenty restaurants and shops in the vicinity. It’s ideal for solo travellers as I felt very safe. The room newly renovated - Tower Balcony City View - was huge with all new mod cons so I’d give that 4 star - bathroom was really big too and I’d have given room overall 5 star if it had been a walk in shower and not bath/shower combination with shower curtain but that’s a personal preference. I ate at Wild Sea Las Olas a few times - NYE and it was delicious and service excellent. Loved the Golden Lyon pub for happy hour and New England Lobster Roll/fries. Never got a chance to try The Boathouse - which you walk across a small road to get to and also go through to get to pool - was always busy and lively. Lyft was much cheaper than Uber for every journey I needed so do a price comparison if you have both apps. While water in room is $7 for large bottle the onsite shop sell normal size bottles for $3 or 2 for $5. The hotel is practically next door to The Cheesecake Factory which I ate in a few times and loved. AMC Dine in Coral Ridge 10 was a great movie theatre close by with recliner seats. Very easy to get to cruise port from here.
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Â Water taxi $38 per day. Lovely ride up/down waterway but overall Lyft probably cheaper for daily...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michael Canales, Guest Services / Front Office at Riverside Hotel
Responded Jan 20, 2025
Hello DivitGirl! We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts about your experience at our property. Your positive feedback regarding our location and restaurants is truly what makes us special! Providing a comfortable and enjoyable stay for our guests is at the heart of what we do, and we are thrilled to hear that we succeeded in creating a memorable experience for you. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to extend our hospitality to you once more soon. Many thanks, Michael Canales Rooms Division Manager
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I don't even know where to begin with this GEM of a hotel. From the moment you get to the door, the valets especially Garfield greets you with a smile and a warm hello. Once you get inside and check in you have the entire staff at the reception desk to promptly get you checked in. The housekeeping staff, run by Hartlean, will make sure your room is spotless . The maintenance staff, Rafael is always ready to assist if needed. My very favorite part of the stay of course was The Lyon Pub. Debbie makes sure you are treated as a friend. The hotel is in the perfect location, close to restaurants and shops. Thiago, the operations manager and Deneese, the reservation manager make the whole staff smile and the guests fell very welcome. I have been there 3 times now and each time is better than the last. I would highly recommend this Jewel of a hotel.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Elizabeth Robinson, Guest Services / Front Office at Riverside Hotel
Responded Sep 29, 2024
Hello D1401DRmariap, We truly appreciate your wonderful feedback! It’s fantastic to know that our property and team surpassed your expectations. Your review is incredibly valuable to us, and we can’t wait to welcome you back in the near future! Many thanks, Elizabeth Guest Services Supervisor.
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I am hosting four clients in Fort Lauderdale this week for a two-day series of meetings and dinners. I deeply regret choosing the Riverside Hotel for their stay, as it proved to be far from business-friendly. Extremely so.
I needed to book a conference room and after being transferred to the sales department, I waited in vain for a callback. I had to reach out again before the end of the day just to get a response.
My request was for a four-hour room rental from 9AM to 1PM for a straightforward meeting, without any catering needs. The cost for just the room was quoted at $500. When I inquired about additional equipment like a TV and webcam, I was told it would add another $375. This brought the total to $875 plus taxes for a mere four-hour session, which I found to be excessively priced.
This ordeal led me to discover a better alternative at Opus Meeting Rooms located at 515 E Las Olas Boulevard, just a short distance away. The cost there? A mere $125, saving us $750 compared to what Riverside Hotel was charging.
Given the Riverside Hotel's exorbitant pricing, I've committed to spending nothing further at their establishment during our visit. We have opted to have breakfast at Top Hat Deli, lunch at a spot across the street from the hotel, and dinners booked at Rocco's Tacos and Cafe Sensei. We will even avoid the bar.
This experience clearly demonstrates cause and effect in action.
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Heiko Dobrikow, General Manager at Riverside Hotel
Responded Nov 14, 2024
Thank you for completing a review about your Riverside Hotel Experience and we appreciate your feedback. We are sorry that we outpriced ourselves for your quick business meeting and know that we have shared your concerns with our Director of Sales & Marketing. It sounds like we should have offered your one of our small private dining rooms that has some of your required technology components. Bob Pallay is our F&B Director and could help you with this kind of quick business meeting set-up. (Bpallay@riversidehotel.com)We hope you will give us another try and please feel free to contact our Rooms Division Manager, Michael Canales, directly at mcanales@riversidehotel.com for any special needs. Thank you.
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We just spent a night at the Riverside Hotel and wished we could have stayed longer. I contacted the front desk to confirm our room the day before we arrived and spoke with lovely Lori. She assured me that if there was a room ready, we would be able to check in earlier than the scheduled time of 3. When we checked in, we were fortunate Lori was working at the front desk and sure enough, she took care of us immediately. Her hospitality and kindness was so appreciated. We loved our spacious room, a king with a balcony, and enjoyed watching the boats on the river. Bottled water in the room was $7 so if you don't want to pay that, pick up some ahead of time. There is also a small frig in the room and a microwave at the end of the hall near the ice machine. Also a hopping bar and a piano player in the lobby near the small bar in the evening. There is valet parking and self park, your choice. Such a classy hotel, we loved it!
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Date of stay: January 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Angelica Franceschi, Guest Services / Front Office at Riverside Hotel
Responded Feb 2, 2023
HiJayne2004, Thank you very much for the awesome 5 star review our hotel and staff! Lori is one of kind and we are so grateful to have her on our team! Lori shows true hospitality daily and really inspires our team. We are also glad to hear you enjoyed our historic charm and location, we cannot wait to welcome you back for another sunny day in Florida! Thank you, Angelica Franceschi, Guest Services Manager
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My wife surprised me with a stay at the Riverside for a 33rd anniversary trip. The hotel was originally built in 1936 so it has a lot of character to it. However the recent renovations have given it a very fresh yet classic look. The location is right in the middle of the Las Olas district and is very safe for walking to shops, bars and restaurants. The hotel itself has several popular food and beverage offerings that are considered favorites by the locals. The Boathouse restaurant has great riverside dining, the Golden Lyon is a cozy little bar filled with regulars and hosted by very friendly bartenders ( even first timers will get the "Cheers" experience with a greeting as if you have been there before). The hidden gem is New River Bakery a confection and coffee shop. It is owned and operated is by a very affable pastry chef who won the first episode of "Sugar Rush (Christmas)" a baking competition show that can be seen on Netflix. Everything is delicious and the coffee is first rate. In fact everything at the Riverside Hotel was first rate including the staff. No matter who we approached with a question they always had time to listen and offer suggestions. Like the river that runs next to this grand old hotel The Riverside just keeps rolling along.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Elizabeth Robinson, Guest Services / Front Office at Riverside Hotel
Responded Sep 14, 2024
Hello MartieOrlando! Thank you for your comprehensive review of our property. We're thrilled to know that you had a pleasant stay and enjoyed dining at our restaurants. Wishing you a joyous 33rd anniversary! Many thanks, Elizabeth Guest Services.
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The Riverside Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale is a wonderful place to stay and even though my husband and I stayed one night (a Tues. night, 3/19/2024), we can't wait to go back. The restaurants we visited on the property (Boat House for lunch & Golden Lyon Vintage Pub for breakfast) were top notch and everyone in my party loved what they ordered. (We had a friend with us for lunch.) All the food was truly delicious and worth the visit. The pool was relaxing, and the drinks by the pool were yummy, too. The location of the property is on Las Olas Blvd, in the middle of many shops, restaurants, people watching, etc. Great location and close to it all. We booked a Micro Queen online with a note that we were arriving at 10:30 am. The best part was that a room was actually ready for us when we got there at that time (!!), and when we opened the door, we found waiting for us a Junior King Suite with a Balcony overlooking the water! AMAZING!!! Everyone on staff was so kind, friendly, and inviting. Love, love, loved it! Highly recommend. (And it looked like there were original paintings on the walls of the 9th floor, see pics.)
(P.S. For our one night stay, we got 1245 Stash Points toward a free night at participating hotels. I need to learn more about Stash rewards and you should, too!)
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Keep your location on w/ Uber and Lyft so drivers can find you if the app takes them elsewhere....
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Angelica Franceschi, Guest Services / Front Office at Riverside Hotel
Responded Mar 31, 2024
Hi mijastacy, Thank you kindly for the 5 star review on our hotel, staff, amenities, and location! We are very pleased to read your feedback and eager for your return. You must come back after our renovations and let us know what you think :) We hope to see you soon, safe travels! Thank you, Angelica Franceschi, Guest Services
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They don't have a place to drink water for free. Not a single fountain in the building. Bulls***. Tap water is yellow, and they have water bottles for $7 in the room. Highway rip off, would not recommend staying. Room quality is lousy, found hairs everywhere in the bathroom and the lights flickered. Would not come back.
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michael Canales, Guest Services / Front Office at Riverside Hotel
Responded Dec 4, 2024
Thank you for your online review of the Riverside Hotel. We are very concerned about your experience and that you had some issues. We would like to apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you during your stay. We have met with our operations team and have put in motion enhancement for future guests. We hope to see you stay with us soon again. Michael Canales Rooms Division Manager mcanales@riversidehotel.com
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There are more places to choose from in the Fort Lauderdale area.
PRICE RANGE
$176 - $360 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
riverside fort lauderdale
LOCATION
United StatesFloridaBroward CountyFort Lauderdale
NUMBER OF ROOMS
231
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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