SkiAdcock

If you're Gold you'll get free internet your entire stay.

Cheers.

xtremeski2001

Stayed here 2/7 to 2/11.

*E-mailed the GM prior to our stay seeing if we could get a complimentary upgrade.

We opted for a rental car and pulled up around 1130pm. It was a little confusing at first with signage as pulled up to the ballroom entrance. If you go past the ballroom entrance you come to the main lobby. There is valet, but we opted for self-park @ $25/day. We were greeted as platinum and opted for the gift over points - we selected the BBQ chicken fingers and a bottle of water (the arrival gift took over an hour to arrive and we had to call down twice).

We were pleased and surprised to be placed in a Seaside Suite on the 15th floor (top most floor) with a pool/ocean view. It was very nice and has a built in refrigerator, freezer, and stocked min-bar. The views were great.

During our stay we ordered room service for dinner once (chicken wings and pulled pork). Room service was prompt and the food, by my Marriott food experience, was excellent. We also had food pool side from the Seaside Bar & Grill. The seating around the pool has flags so waiters know when you need them, but this didn't always work as designed. However, all waiters were pleasant, service was prompt, and the food/drinks were great.

The pool area was nice - it wasn't crowded and there were many options, chairs/towels (free), cabanas (fee), beds (fee), and beach huts (fee). We thought, for $25/day, the beds were a good value ... private and comfortable. Unfortunately, customers can reserve these beds a week in advance so we never had one of our own. Many days the beds stayed reserve while no one used them (hopefully they were still charged).

The beach was nice. Free chairs or you could pay for umbrellas / cabenettes. There were activities (pay) like jet skiing, parasailing, etc. Drink / food service was also provided on the beach, but we didn't use it.

Internet was a charge each day, but free since we are plat. Free internet in the lobby and pool side.

I think I covered everything - I'd absolutely stay here again. Great hotel and one of my favorite Marriott properties.

bergamini

I was originally scheduled to stay there from 2/4 to 2/10, ended up staying 2/4 to 2/6 and switched to the Eden Roc after that due to dissatisfaction. I've stayed at this property twice before ('01 as Plat, '05 as Silver) and left a tremendously positive review after the '05 stay. I was really disappointed this time (Gold).

First, my room was not ready and despite it being "fast tracked" for cleaning, I waited over 3 hours for it and this was well past check-in time. The "upgrade" I received was from an Intra-coastal view to a partial ocean view. The room was at the far end of the partial ocean view side and it barely saw a sliver. The worst part was that clearly the internet routers were on the other side of the floor because I was constantly dropping the super slow connections on all of my devices (iOS, Mac & Win7).

The room and public facilities were all wonderful. I've never been in a more wonderfully fragrant lobby. I love the pool. Unfortunately, the sign in the hot tub and pool areas says that they close at dusk which is unacceptable. When I brought this up as a complaint during my early check-out, they said this was a "soft" closing and they wouldn't object if I still used it after dusk. How was I to know? I've found success following posted rules in my lifetime.

The spa and fitness classes, which we were looking forward to, were closed the first 3 days of my stay. This was not on the website, nor in any reservation confirmations or even provided when I was emailed the group fitness schedule. I am an avid spa user and we had planned on 3 fitness classes during the closure period, so this was disappointing.

I did have a great meal at 3030 though I ate at the bar and the bartender sort of lost interest in me towards the end. Seriously yummy food though.

I enjoyed the room and balcony and I seriously think that the chair and half sleeper is an ingenious idea because I got a comfy big chair to sit in, and I did have a friend for one night who slept on it.

I realize being "only Gold" makes me not quite first rate. However, they had plenty of full ocean view rooms. Waiting hours for a room is not acceptable. I have stayed over 475 nights at Marriott properties and average over 50 nights per year. Let me check in early (or even on time!) and give me a room with a good view and decent internet. I post about 50 positive reviews on Trip Advisor for every negative one, I'm normally a very happy guest. I just felt the lack of recognition, the nominal upgrade, the delays, the spa/group fitness closure and the published pool hours kind of ruined it for me.

I can't control the terms of being "only Gold" and I can't make them treat me better. But I can spend my money elsewhere, and I did by checking out 4 days early and switching to the Eden Roc where I was given -- without asking -- a beautiful complete ocean front room with a jetted tub and had a fantastic stay there. Between meals, drinks, room and my prolific spa usage, my total spend at the Eden Roc was over $2200. The internet was SO much faster too.

When I was checking out of the Harbour Beach, the front desk tried to accommodate me, and get me to stay, by offering points, discounted room, moving me to full oceanfront, etc. I am not the type who complains for freebies, so I turned them all down. I get one good vacation per year, and I wasn't going to give them a chance to mess anymore of it up or make me feel less desirable for being "only Gold". I'd rather it be good than free. They should have done it right the first time.

I may give this place a try again, but only if I have to be in FLL. The Eden Roc has proven that they desire Gold members and made me feel like I was, indeed, an Elite guest...and for that they reaped the revenue. In '05, as a lowly silver, I was invited to a invite-only manager's reception at the Habour Beach and received a beautiful canvas beach bag with a ton of swag in it (monogrammed hotel towel, sun block, spa samples, etc.). In 2012, at a much higher rate, I couldn't even get my room on time. I'm sad because of my wonderful memories from my first two stays.

DeirdreTours

I just made a three night award reservation for this property. We are first time plats (having stayed an 140 nights this year due to business travel). What, if any, upgrade might I expect at the Harbor Beach? I understand there is no lounge and no breakfast for plats as it is a resort-- Is the beach fabulous? And, is it still warm enough to enjoy in mid November?

bergamini

My experience as a Plat is that you will get an ocean view room, the quality of which depends upon how busy they are. Sometimes I've gotten essentially ocean front and sometimes I've barely had a sliver of a view. All when I've booked a no view room. I also recall a discount on spa services for Plats only. One winter they had an "Elite Reception" when I stayed and it included apps, some booze, a beach bag with a beach towel and some disposable gifts (sunblock, etc) and that was really nice but don't count on that. It was one time out of ten stays there.

bergamini

Sorry for the late reply on your other two questions. The beach is fabulous for this area. It's not a Maui beach or as wide as South Beach, but it's relatively quiet, very clean, walkable sand, etc. I've enjoyed it many times over the Christmas holidays. My guess is it will be in the upper 70's for your stay.

DeirdreTours

Thanks, Bergamini. Trying to decide if a nicer beach is worth giving up daily breakfast for (will have a child in tow).

kb_rembrandt

Just completed a 5 night award stay as a Plat here. Overall is was a great experience. I've tried to break it down into sections so I don't ramble:
General - $27/night parking fee, $25/day resort fee. Its a big convention hotel but you rarely would notice unless a group all went to the bar at the same time.
Room - we were upgraded to a ocean front room. Gorgeous views, quiet, very nice room in general. Ask to "rent" a mini fridge - I was told it was $25/stay but it was comped for us.
Restaurants - The Sea Level restaurant/bar is a 100 yard uncovered walk from the hotel lobby - great food(trust me and get the grouper Rueben sandwich), decent happy hour prices. The main bar/restaurant literally reopened last week. We never ate there due to typical overpricing and weird menu items. There is also a breakfast/lunch place that does carryout - $8 egg sandwich is the best deal there.
Spa - we were given unlimited access because they don't have a lounge or free breakfast policy. Great little private pool, indoor locker rooms. Actual spa services were overpriced and their massages were not great.
Pool - huge pool area with plenty of chairs/umbrellas. We were only Sunday through Thursday but it never felt busy at all.
Beach - beautiful and private.
Other - take a $6 uber down A1A to Cocunuts or Casablanca Café for a great afternoon/night.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the updated trip report! Much appreciated!

Cheers.

DeirdreTours

We are currently at the Marriott Harbor Beach on a one night points stay following a Thanksgiving cruise.
Booked an ocean view room on points (one of 4 options offered at 40k on site), actually received an ocean front room on 8th floor. Arrived at the hotel at 1130am, had asked for early check in, but room was not quite ready on arrival. We were offered a city view but chose to wait.
We were offered spa access as a platinum benefit and used that area to change clothes. Our 13 year old daughter was not permitted in the spa area and had to use a poolside changing room.
The beach was very good for the area-- resort fee covered chairs, clamshells and umbrellas. Unfortunately it was too windy for umbrella use, but we were fine with the clamshells.
Our room was ready at 1230-- great view, very clean, a little small.

This is one of the few resorts I have stayed in that offered actual benefits for the "resort fee"-- the beach amenities, 2 drinks and water seemed like a good deal for $20.

All of our staff interactions have been very good. They might be a bit avid on policing access to the spa (we were asked, every time we were asking a question, if we had checked in at the spa desk), but nothing too obnoxious.

There isn't a lounge, but we weren't expecting one. The only drawback is a lack of a reasonable family breakfast option.

Overall, a good experience and probably our new favorite for Fort Lauderdale stays.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the update. Much appreciated.

Cheers.

trey

Do Golds get any room upgrade or breakfast comp here?

joshua362

I didn't as a PP in 2012 on points and assuming before resort fee. But got a coupon for a beach chair rental. Maybe free parking but maybe that was an oversight or I didn't recall correctly. Recall being pissed as they wanted to charge me $25 a day for a small room refrigerator.

bergamini

I was Gold when I went there in 2013 and received no breakfast coupons but a slight room upgrade from city view to partial ocean. When I stayed there as a Plat last year I got a full oceanfront room. No other benefits as it's a resort and not obliged. In 2004 they had an "Elite" reception over the holidays and I got a beach bag, glorious thick beach towel and some other swag. Doubt that will ever happen again.

hhoope01

I've never received breakfast, but have had room upgrades. Remember though an upgrade is very dependent on the time of year (i.e. how crowded) and how long you will be staying. I don't think I've ever received a suite upgrade, but have received some nice oceanview/front upgrades before.