Acqualina Site Inspection (Ft Lauderdale, Florida)

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Jan 6, 2015, 7:48 pm

Travel K

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Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Boise, ID

Programs: Virtuoso

Posts: 617

Acqualina Site Inspection (Ft Lauderdale, Florida)

I spent 5 nights at the Acqualina Resort and Spa on the Beach in early December for some training through Virtuoso. The property is located 14 miles from Fort Lauderdale airport (FLL) or 19 miles from Miami airport (MIA). The property is part condo, part hotel with 180 condo unites and 98 hotel rooms and suites. A second tower is currently under construction and will be resident mansions. Acqualina was built in 2006 with a Mediterranean flair and proudly boasts the first ESPA-branded spa in the US, the Acqualina Spa by ESPA. The property is privately owned by four individuals.

If you have a car, parking is valet only for $35/day. I took a taxi and split an Uber - both took less than 30 minutes. My taxi ride was $50 but another participant said hers was $60. Uber was around $30 (I never heard the total, but that was the estimate before the ride).

At check in, I was welcomed with a choice of beverage and I selected champagne. Check in was quick and I was offered a quick tour of the main floor and escorted to my room. All rooms above the 12th floor require inserting your key into the elevator panel to access. I was spending my week in a king, intracoastal room, facing Collins street with a terrace. My first impression was the room was big, light, and airy. I did have one complaint for the room by the time the week was over - the desk, which I did a lot of work at, was positioned poorly in relationship to the sofa. They need to be offset a bit more to facilitate easier transitions in and out of the desk.

The mini bar was well stocked with many choices with chilled beverages, non-chilled, and several snack options. An Illy brand espresso maker was located in the mini bar area.

The bathroom was medium sized with lots of mirrors. In addition to dual sinks, there was a jetted bath tub, walk in shower, and toilet with privacy door. All rooms at the property are appointed with ESPA products. This was my first experience with the ESPA brand and was very impressed. I like to use the products at the property to really experience what they are like and if I would recommend them. My hair and skin both felt great after using the products and I would happily use the products any chance I get.

There are a maximum of 4 rooms per floor - two city view, two ocean view. The property has 2 and 3 bedroom suites, which would be great for families wanting to spread out. For the two bedroom suites, they are arranged two per floor with each suite having both a city and ocean view.

The property boasts four pools, including one for adults only. The main pool has cabanas, which can be rented for $150 each. With the cabana, a mini fridge with fruit and water is provided in addition to other amenities like sunscreen. For all the pools, there is a complimentary pool service. An attendant visits once an hour with amenities including newspapers, frozen drinks, fruit, etc. Located close to the pool is a complimentary children's program, called AquaMarine for children 5-12 years old. The property also has a small soccer field complete with artificial turf. At night, the property is illuminated with some lights, but mainly giant candles they would light. The candles were very romantic and quite beautiful.

Acqualina Spa by ESPA - sadly, I did not have nearly enough free time to enjoy this fantastic spa as much as I would have preferred. I did get a taste though and loved what I experienced. The spa is 20,000 square feet over two floors with eleven treatment rooms, four spa treatment rooms, a private spa suite for two, and an outdoor terrace with a spa pool and a heated jet pool with a Roman waterfall. The spa faces the Atlantic ocean, so the views can be enjoyed during treatments. I did not partake in any paid services - just the complimentary areas. In both the male and female shower rooms one can experience relaxation with a dry heat sauna, steam room, and rain forest shower. I tried all 3. I didn't care for the rain forest shower as the max temperature is 50 degrees F. It is suppose to be refreshing, but I have never been one for cold water. It did have three settings to change how the water flowed from the enormous shower head. I did use the dry sauna and my favorite, the steam room. I also visited the jet pool and Roman waterfall. The waterfall was excellent to sit under and work out some of the knots in my shoulders. Finally, after I was nice and relaxed from the steam, I visited the relaxation room with complimentary tea, cookies, newspapers, and other amenities. One thing to note, if you arrive before check in, while waiting for the room, you are encouraged to visit these areas.

Acqualina has several options for dining including AQ by Acqualina, Il Mulino New York, Costa Grill and an option to have a private beach front dining experience. I did not eat at any of the restaurants, but we did have breakfast and lunch provided daily as part of our training. Every meal provided to us was amazing. I never left hungry or unsatisfied. One participant in our training had a wheat allergy. After the first lunch, the staff realized the need and always made sure the participant was well taken care of to the level of making special desserts.

Other notes: there is a house car for free use, but on a first come, first serve basis, so the wait can be quite long. Our group was able to spend time with one of the property principals and I was quite impressed. The intention of the property is for the property to be a place of heritage building - they want families to visit repeatedly while maintaining "elegance on the beach". I would not say this is a family only property as they work hard to make all types of travelers feel comfortable by giving enough space for everyone to coexist. I wouldn't hesitate bringing my family here or returning with just my husband for some adult time.

I did a similar write up on my travel page with pictures. The pictures listed on the Acqualina website are great and give an accurate feel for the property.

Jan 7, 2015, 6:08 am

pricesquire

Suspended

Join Date: Jan 2013

Location: Barcelona

Posts: 3,317

Thanks for the review! I've had a lot of interest and inquiries about this place of late.

Hope you had a good time at VCTA!

Jan 7, 2015, 8:14 am

Valveking

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Mem

Programs: Delta GM, Amex Reserve, Amex Plat, JP Morgan Palladium

Posts: 984

My wife and I stayed at there a few years and quite liked the property. The rooms were great. I found Sunny Isles beach to be a little drab although it is close to Bal Harbour.

Jan 7, 2015, 8:14 am

Valveking

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Mem

Programs: Delta GM, Amex Reserve, Amex Plat, JP Morgan Palladium

Posts: 984

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valveking

My wife and I stayed there a few years and quite liked the property. The rooms were great. I found Sunny Isles beach to be a little drab although it is close to Bal Harbour.

Jan 7, 2015, 10:44 am

Travel K

Original Poster

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Boise, ID

Programs: Virtuoso

Posts: 617

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valveking

My wife and I stayed at there a few years and quite liked the property. The rooms were great. I found Sunny Isles beach to be a little drab although it is close to Bal Harbour.

To be honest, I was so busy both day and night, I really didn't see the area or even the beach except when peeking through the window or taking a tour. I will take your word on the area. We did go to a couple restaurants nearby - one Cuban, one Colombian, and they were good. Nothing fancy, just really delicious food.

Jul 22, 2016, 6:25 am

ryanconstraction

Join Date: Jul 2016

Posts: 1

Acqualina Site Inspection (Ft Lauderdale, Florida)

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