Hotel Spotlight

The best of Florida is brought together at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa.

Pre- and post-cruise accommodation options

PALMS AND RELAXATION … KEY LIMES and neon dreams … waterfront escapes and refined exuberance. Whatever impressions travelers hold, your opinions undergo a transformation as soon as you relax into the reality of Florida resort life. And few places are as truly Floridian, in all the best senses of the word, as the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa.

A World Within

There are 650 guest rooms (including 32 suites) in this 16-acre seaside resort, making it practically a small town in its own right within the city of Fort Lauderdale. It’s within five miles of Port Everglades and within easy reach of the Sawgrass Mills outlet mall and the boutiques and restaurants of Las Olas Boulevard, but there’s so much to do on the premises, it’s hard to find reasons to leave.

Families will thrill to the kids’ club; the giant, tree-lined main pool; and watersports equipment for use on a marvelous private beach. But if you’d like to keep a good distance from the little ones, there’s an adult-only pool, a full-service salon, and serenity of distinctly grown-up nature in the yoga classes at the fitness center or at the smart casual 3030 Ocean Bar. For a little extra romance, try the Barefoot Dining at Harbor Beach package, which includes dishes paired with sommelier-picked wines served as the sun sets.

Body and Soul

The restaurants at Marriott Harbor Beach make the most of the location as well, serving fresh, local seafood at 3030 Ocean Restaurant and Bar, and American favorites overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at Sea Level Restaurant and Ocean Bar. There’s also Riva, the casual breakfast buffet and lunch venue that serves dinner seasonally, and a sumptuous brunch on Sundays with chilled crab and bottomless Bloody Marys and mimosas.

There are also casual options for poolside or beachfront snacks and sips, whether it’s coffee and biscotti from the on-site Starbucks or a cold-pressed juice and frozen yogurt from HB Fresh on the beach walk.

Sustenance of a different kind can be found at the 22,000-square-foot resort spa, which offers services from fitness counseling to facials, and even a body-scrub bar for customizing your own exfoliating treatment. Classes include Zumba, water aerobics, yoga, Pilates, and spinning. Or just relax in the sauna or the Jacuzzi to soothe sore muscles. The spa is a cell-phone–free environment, so be prepared to take your relaxation seriously. You’ll come away a whole new person. Marriott.com

— Greg Warwick