W Fort Lauderdale Review

A Florida vacation almost always consists of two things—lounging on the beach and lounging at the pool. When in Fort Lauderdale, the best of both worlds can be had at the W Fort Lauderdale.

Situated on 315 feet of the beautiful Floridan coast, the W Fort Lauderdale makes for a glamourous stay—with 517 rooms that all feature a water view, award-winning food and bars, the AWAY Spa, fitness center, and more, there's little to desire at this almost-tropical location.

The Lobby

I can admit that I was confused when I first entered the hotel. The entrance had restaurants and a seating area but no front desk. In this hotel, the main lobby is located on the fourth floor. There weren't any signs downstairs to relay that information, and I'm not sure I would have found check-in if one of the staff hadn't told me. Despite the initial confusion, I took the short elevator ride up to floor four and was pleasantly surprised with what I found; all confusion and frustration were gone. 

The welcome desks sat directly across from the elevators and looked like they were plated in gold. Modern and stylish art was everywhere around the space, from wall decals to paintings. To the left of the desks was the Living Room, the main lobby's bar, and to the right was the entrance to the AWAY Spa and the hallway that led to the elevators. While the fourth floor is an interesting choice for a lobby area, I liked that some of the best parts of the hotel were central to that location.

Other Public Spaces

The highlight of the W Fort Lauderdale has to be its seemingly endless and impressive public spaces. 

The AWAY Spa was what I was interested in seeing most when I arrived at the hotel, and the space and service certainly lived up to my expectations. The spa opened in early 2019 and is known as the first AWAY spa location to offer a full beauty menu along with the spa's signature massage and facial menus. The area isn't designed in the traditional way spas are—it's filled with bright colors, creating a more energized and happy space. You can head there for any of your beauty needs, whether a much-needed facial or a simple nail appointment. 

There are two pools on the property, WET East, the recently renovated rooftop pool that features a black and white art deco style, and WET West, a more secluded pool area with an infinity hot tub. WET East is the place to be if you're interested in Instagram-worthy pictures, a full-service cocktail bar, and live music sessions on the weekends. 

The 24/7 Fit gym is relatively small but offers top-of-the-line fitness equipment, such as Pelotons, complimentary fitness classes, free weights, and treadmills. 

If the gym isn't enough for you, the hotel partners with local companies to put on fitness classes. Sea Cycle, a soul cycle experience put on by Ride Element spin studio, happens on the Living Room terrace four times a week. A select number of bikes are reserved for hotel guests on a complimentary, first-come, first-serve basis, and non-hotel guests can attend a class for $25. I also got to experience the pilot run of Pure Barre Fort Lauderdale's in-hotel class, which seemed like a fan favorite amongst guests.

Rooms

Several different kinds of rooms are offered at the W Fort Lauderdale, from the standard hotel guest rooms, which they call Wonderful rooms, to their Wow and Extreme Wow suites. Regardless of room type, guests will get a feel for the hotel’s subtle nautical theme—seen through the carpets that mimic the ocean floor to the curtains that offer a beautiful ocean-esque ombre of white to blue. 

I stayed in one of the Mega Oceanview rooms, including a king-sized bed, a stand-alone tub, and partial views of the ocean and Fort Lauderdale’s Intracoastal waterways. It had a long balcony with two doors—one from the main room and one from the bathroom. The main room was separated by a half wall, with the desk on one side and the bed on the other. The separation of the workspace from the sleeping space is something that I appreciated—whenever I had to get work done, I could do so with little distractions. I liked that all the hotel information you needed was on the television in the room; however, as someone who rarely turns on hotel TVs, I learned that information more than halfway through my stay. This room had almost everything one could want in a hotel space (including an iPod dock, USB ports, and outlets on both bedside tables).

Bathroom

The bathroom was my absolute favorite part of my room. Not only did it have a standalone shower and tub, but it also had a separate toilet room and vanity. The sandstone-colored tile that lined the floor and walls complimented the warm woods of the space and made for a nice, calming feel. The tub was spacious enough but offered no room to put my things. A shelf or rack nearby would have been great to set down my soaps. In the shower, as well, there was no shelving, so all of my things had to go on the floor.

Food & Drink

The Living Room is the main lobby's bar and lounge area, treating guests to a modern but laid-back space to relax, make friends, and have a drink. This was my favorite area in the hotel—the decor and service created an elevated experience open to everyone. 

If you're hanging out by the pool, grab some quick bites or cocktails at the WET Bar. It's genuinely come as you are—no shirt or shoes required.

Steak 954 is the W Fort Lauderdale's take on a steak house, featuring dry-aged meats and seafood prepared under the instruction of award-winning restauranter Stephen Starr. While the food and drinks are the stars of this restaurant, the decor is also a treat, especially the almost 15-foot-long jellyfish wall. This restaurant is one of my favorites, if only for the irresistible mac and cheese on the menu that I couldn't get enough of.

El Vez brings authentic Mexican food and culture to Fort Lauderdale's coastline for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can sample more than 100 types of tequila here and enjoy the sound of the ocean waves on the patio seating. You can't go wrong with the Macho Nachos here, mainly since they spread them out, so each chip is coated with cheese and toppings.

SoBe Vegan provides all your favorite American comfort foods, sans animal products. This is an excellent spot for a quick breakfast on the go or food that'll make you feel good inside and out.

Room service is also available if you don't feel like leaving your room. One of the days of my stay was a work day, so I opted to stay in for breakfast and enjoyed lemon ricotta pancakes and breakfast meats. Not only was it delicious, but it also came nice and hot, as if it had just been taken off the stove. (It also came with cute little jars of maple syrup, ketchup, and a mini Tabasco bottle for which I sacrificed my sunscreen so I could have room to take those home.) The price was a little steep—I paid around $40 for the entire meal—however, the convenience was well worth it.

Fees & Other Info

The hotel charges a $40 resort fee and a $49 daily fee for valet parking.

Dogs are allowed at the hotel and can have their own room amenities, including in-room doggie beds, a specially curated dog menu, in-room food and water bowls, and more.