Beachplace Towers

[Pamplemousse]

We currently have a reservation for November at BeachPlace.
First visit- we have been to most of the FL MVC except Miami. We need to use up some points.

I have read older threads here and I am aware that there are varying thoughts on this resort- some love it so much they go back every year, others make videos of everything they don’t like about it- LOL!

Looking for help to figure out if it is a good choice for us.

We like walkable restaurants for dinner- what would you recommend? We do a bit of all prices, cuisines, chain & family owned.

We like gardens- I see several within an hour drive. Looking for recommendations on those and any other nature/history type places to walk.

What do you do when it rains?

We are more beach walkers than loungers- is the beach good for a walk? Are their chairs available to rent if we decide on a beach day/ half day- I read various reports.

My main concern noise- we are from a very quiet place and need quiet at night (daytime noise is fine). Which view is quieter? Will we hear traffic all night?

And although it’s not a deal breaker I am also curious about parking. The hub says $35/night but I have also read that parking is free for MVC owners at other resorts. Anyone have the current info for 2025?

Thank you!

 

[gln60]

We currently have a reservation for November at BeachPlace.
First visit- we have been to most of the FL MVC except Miami. We need to use up some points.

I have read older threads here and I am aware that there are varying thoughts on this resort- some love it so much they go back every year, others make videos of everything they don’t like about it- LOL!

Looking for help to figure out if it is a good choice for us.

We like walkable restaurants for dinner- what would you recommend? We do a bit of all prices, cuisines, chain & family owned.

We like gardens- I see several within an hour drive. Looking for recommendations on those and any other nature/history type places to walk.

What do you do when it rains?

We are more beach walkers than loungers- is the beach good for a walk? Are their chairs available to rent if we decide on a beach day/ half day- I read various reports.

My main concern noise- we are from a very quiet place and need quiet at night (daytime noise is fine). Which view is quieter? Will we hear traffic all night?

And although it’s not a deal breaker I am also curious about parking. The hub says $35/night but I have also read that parking is free for MVC owners at other resorts. Anyone have the current info for 2025?

Thank you!

We go to BeachPlace every January for 7-10 days on a II Exchange as well as using Abound Points for extra nights,to celebrate my wife’s birthday and get out of the cold January weather in New Jersey…We love the location and the weather..highs are typically in the mid 70’s and lows in the 60’s..November weather is low 80’s for highs and upper 60’s for lows..there are a dozen decent restaurants within a 20 minute walk..the beach is fabulous and perfect for walks there are free loungers available and umbrellas are rented for $30 a day…January is a quiet time in Fort Lauderdale and im pretty sure November will be similar…We always choose Villas with a Intracoastal View…more scenic with $10-30 million mansions lining the Intracoastal and million $$ Yachts cruising the Intracoastal…we never rent a car when visiting BeachPlace..parking is free if you are there on a II Exchange or Abound points reservation..enjoy

 

[Fasttr]

The Water taxi is a nice evening thing to do as well. https://watertaxi.com/ You can make a dinner ressy on Los Olas Blvd, hop on the water taxi (a short walk from BeachPlace), ride to the Los Olas stop, hop off, have a nice dinner, hop back on, and take the full loop evening ride, seeing all of the multi-million dollar mansions along the intracoastal. A nice relaxing evening.

 

[gln60]

The Water taxi is a nice evening thing to do as well. https://watertaxi.com/ You can make a dinner ressy on Los Olas Blvd, hop on the water taxi (a short walk from BeachPlace), ride to the Los Olas stop, hop off, have a nice dinner, hop back on, and take the full loop evening ride, seeing all of the multi-million dollar mansions along the intracoastal. A nice relaxing evening.

We like taking the water taxi down to Hollywood and spend the day on the beautiful beach and have lunch at Margaritaville…..the captain points out mansions of famous people and the Yachts that they own…fun day.

 

[NJVacation61]

Most of the restaurants close by are both casual and a little touristy and are not great, particularly the ones in the Beach Place complex and just south of BP.
Coconuts on Seabreeze is a great place, fresh seafood on the water and just south of Las Olas.
Casa Blanca Cafe is also very good and a 2 minute walk just north of BP.
We typically dine on Las Olas though ourselves and like El Camino (Mexican), Casa Sensei (Pan Asian) and Louie Bossie (Italian) although the atmosphere and setting is better than the food there. But go to Las Olas as there are shops and art galleries that line the streets and you can walk over to the River Walk also from there which is nice.
As mentioned parking is free for owners and those exchanging and beach chairs are also now complimentary.
The streets can be noisy though regardless of whether you are beach side or intracoastal as Ft. Lauderdale is a city and there is traffic and cars blasting loud music and revving their engines. The 2-3 blocks between BP and Las Olas also get a young crowd as there are a lot of bars and clubs the kids go at night that does not help with noise.
I would say the Beach side may be quieter as it is set back from A1A whereas the Intracoastal view rooms are right off of Seabreeze Blvd.
If it rains there are art and science museums downtown, shops and an Imax Theatre but pray for nice weather so you don't have to rely on that.
Been there 20 times, it's a great resort, but much different than the quieter ones in Palm Beach.
I am sure you will enjoy.

 

[Pamplemousse]

We go to BeachPlace every January for 7-10 days on a II Exchange as well as using Abound Points for extra nights,to celebrate my wife’s birthday and get out of the cold January weather in New Jersey…We love the location and the weather..highs are typically in the mid 70’s and lows in the 60’s..November weather is low 80’s for highs and upper 60’s for lows..there are a dozen decent restaurants within a 20 minute walk..the beach is fabulous and perfect for walks there are free loungers available and umbrellas are rented for $30 a day…January is a quiet time in Fort Lauderdale and im pretty sure November will be similar…We always choose Villas with a Intracoastal View…more scenic with $10-30 million mansions lining the Intracoastal and million $$ Yachts cruising the Intracoastal…we never rent a car when visiting BeachPlace..parking is free if you are there on a II Exchange or Abound points reservation..enjoy

Thank you- you were who I was thinking of as the people who go every year.
Any restaurants in particular you recommend within walking distance?
Is it quiet on the intercoastal side- how high up would you need to be to avoid street noise.

 

[Pamplemousse]

The Water taxi is a nice evening thing to do as well. https://watertaxi.com/ You can make a dinner ressy on Los Olas Blvd, hop on the water taxi (a short walk from BeachPlace), ride to the Los Olas stop, hop off, have a nice dinner, hop back on, and take the full loop evening ride, seeing all of the multi-million dollar mansions along the intracoastal. A nice relaxing evening.

What’s you favorite restaurants in Los Olas?

 

[gln60]

Thank you- you were who I was thinking of as the people who go every year.
Any restaurants in particular you recommend within walking distance?
Is it quiet on the intercoastal side- how high up would you need to be to avoid street noise.

We choose the Intracoastal side..there are 19 floors and we ask for a 12th floor Villa or above…intracoastal side also has great sunsets..as far as restaurants go..our favorite is Coconuts..it’s located off Las Olas near the International Swimming Hall of Fame..The Quarterdeck is also a good bar/restaurant nearby that has pretty good food..Casablanca Cafe is also a good choice…very good breakfast…lunch or dinner…it’s a 10 minute walk from BPT…to celebrate my wife’s birthday we always go to P.F.Changs on Sunrise Blvd across the street from Publix…we usually take the free electric Circuit taxi to that location..no charge except to tip the driver..there is an app you put on your phone.

 

[dioxide45]

others make videos of everything they don’t like about it- LOL!

I had both likes and dislikes in my video.

 

[Pamplemousse]

I had both likes and dislikes in my video.

Yes, sorry- no offense!
But definitely dislikes.
And one seems resolved if parking is free.
I’m concerned about traffic/city noise

 

[dioxide45]

Yes, sorry- no offense!
But definitely dislikes.
And one seems resolved if parking is free.
I’m concerned about traffic/city noise

I don't recall a lot of noise, but I am sure you will hear some schmuck revving their car engines with what will sound like no muffler up and down the street. The same for some motorcycles. The higher up you are, the less likely to hear it as much.

Even with free parking, we probably wouldn't return. It just isn't our vibe but that isn't to say it isn't someone else's vibe. I always say to try everything at least once. Except raw oysters!

 

[Pamplemousse]

I don't recall a lot of noise, but I am sure you will hear some schmuck revving their car engines with what will sound like no muffler up and down the street. The same for some motorcycles. The higher up you are, the less likely to hear it as much.

Even with free parking, we probably wouldn't return. It just isn't our vibe but that isn't to say it isn't someone else's vibe. I always say to try everything at least once. Except raw oysters!

Watching your videos we agree most of the time.
Certainly agree about no thank you to raw oysters.
And we are going under the try everyplace idea.
Just trying to set expectations.

 

[normab]

We own at BeachPlace and also recommend the intracoastal view. Less noisy than the ocean view. Also above 14th floor because the elevators work out better going down from the higher floors, fewer people on before you….

 

[WBP]

Yes, nice beach, weather can be great, fall (post-Hurricane Season) to spring, Los Olas is nice, as is the intracoastal. BUT, I’m surprised the usual suspects have not been mentioned yet, there are too few elevators, and the wait can be long for an elevator (Lord help you if an elevator is out of service), the pool is tiny, for a property the size of Beachplace, and the chase lounge hoarders, I think, get their training at the Port Authority bus terminal, or a subway platform in Manhattan, and arrive at Beachplace, exuding their New York edge, and showing their fangs, and the parking garage is a nuisance. Oh, and that mall (BeachPlace), it’s trashy, with an inner-city crowd.

In my opinion, given Fort Lauderdale’s (New York City’s sixth borough) allure to family’s with children, it is not unusual to see villas with more than 8 bodies stowed in them, and in our observation, the villas get a lot of wear and tear. The condition of your villa will be dependent upon where Beachplace Towers is in its refurbishment cycle, and how much the HOA nickel and dimed the refurbishment.

 

[gln60]

We own at BeachPlace and also recommend the intracoastal view. Less noisy than the ocean view. Also above 14th floor because the elevators work out better going down from the higher floors, fewer people on before you….

Good Point

 

[Pamplemousse]

Thank you everyone.
I really appreciate hearing your reasons for the likes and dislikes.
Some things I care about, others don’t matter to me.
Also appreciate the specific restaurant recommendations.
Any other tips on thing to see or do in the area- we will have a car.

 

[andre10056]

Yes, nice beach, weather can be great, fall (post-Hurricane Season) to spring, Los Olas is nice, as is the intracoastal. BUT, I’m surprised the usual suspects have not been mentioned yet, there are too few elevators, and the wait can be long for an elevator (Lord help you if an elevator is out of service), the pool is tiny, for a property the size of Beachplace, and the chase lounge hoarders, I think, get their training at the Port Authority bus terminal, or a subway platform in Manhattan, and arrive at Beachplace, exuding their New York edge, and showing their fangs, and the parking garage is a nuisance. Oh, and that mall (BeachPlace), it’s trashy, with an inner-city crowd.

In my opinion, given Fort Lauderdale’s (New York City’s sixth borough) allure to family’s with children, it is not unusual to see villas with more than 8 bodies stowed in them, and in our observation, the villas get a lot of wear and tear. The condition of your villa will be dependent upon where Beachplace Towers is in its refurbishment cycle, and how much the HOA nickel and dimed the refurbishment.

I've never been to the BeachPlace Towers but this message conveyed everything I needed to understand its "vibe". I worked for decades in Manhattan and lived mostly in Brooklyn and I can well imagine my former neighbors going there and behaving exactly as you say.

Fort Lauderdale as New York City's sixth borough. Hilarious! Virtually all of Florida outside of southeast Florida is considered the "deep south" in which they would have zero interest.

And if others might think the Fort Lauderdale traffic might be a tad on the loud side, the New Yorkers would not only sleep like babies through it but would also most likely never even notice it. Too many years of hearing garbage trucks loudly picking up stores' and restaurants' dumpsters at 3 to 5 AM. Too many years of having bumper to bumper traffic jams starting at 5:30 AM.

The next NYC metropolitan area's public school spring break is April 14 through 18 and I'd actually like to go to check out New Yorkers in the wild. The people watching would be incredibly entertaining.

 

[Superchief]

I've never been to the BeachPlace Towers but this message conveyed everything I needed to understand its "vibe". I worked for decades in Manhattan and lived mostly in Brooklyn and I can well imagine my former neighbors going there and behaving exactly as you say.

Fort Lauderdale as New York City's sixth borough. Hilarious! Virtually all of Florida outside of southeast Florida is considered the "deep south" in which they would have zero interest.

And if others might think the Fort Lauderdale traffic might be a tad on the loud side, the New Yorkers would not only sleep like babies through it but would also most likely never even notice it. Too many years of hearing garbage trucks loudly picking up stores' and restaurants' dumpsters at 3 to 5 AM. Too many years of having bumper to bumper traffic jams starting at 5:30 AM.

The next NYC metropolitan area's public school spring break is April 14 through 18 and I'd actually like to go to check out New Yorkers in the wild. The people watching would be incredibly entertaining.

This reminds me of when I was younger, a coworker raved about New York. He said there are hundreds of things to do at 3 am. I told him that the only thing I want to do at that time is sleep, which is difficult to do in a Manhattan hotel with horns honking and sirens throughout the night.

 

[WBP]

I've never been to the BeachPlace Towers but this message conveyed everything I needed to understand its "vibe". I worked for decades in Manhattan and lived mostly in Brooklyn and I can well imagine my former neighbors going there and behaving exactly as you say.

Fort Lauderdale as New York City's sixth borough. Hilarious! Virtually all of Florida outside of southeast Florida is considered the "deep south" in which they would have zero interest.

And if others might think the Fort Lauderdale traffic might be a tad on the loud side, the New Yorkers would not only sleep like babies through it but would also most likely never even notice it. Too many years of hearing garbage trucks loudly picking up stores' and restaurants' dumpsters at 3 to 5 AM. Too many years of having bumper to bumper traffic jams starting at 5:30 AM.

The next NYC metropolitan area's public school spring break is April 14 through 18 and I'd actually like to go to check out New Yorkers in the wild. The people watching would be incredibly entertaining.

Beachplace Towers video, poolside “chase lounge hoarding.”

https://youtu.be/CasUsA4Qh9E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbjwH0-bDH0&feature=youtu.be

 

[gln60]

That video was posted 11 years ago…never had a problem getting a lounger at BeachPlace…as a matter of fact..BPT has many more loungers for the size of the pool they have,than needed..that being said..by around 2-3 pm most of the pool area is in the shade…we prefer the beautiful beach across the street…the beach pic over my member name was taken from the mall downstairs from BeachPlace.

 

[Pamplemousse]

Again thanks to everyone for sharing their own experiences and recommendations with me.
What else does the city of Fort Lauderdale have to offer that you all enjoy?

I did not intend this thread to be a referendum on BPT and the city of Fort Lauderdale. I just want info so I can make my decision.

Thanks for keeping it on track.

PS- for what is worth we don’t use pools.

 

[jellen613]

We are going April 13th-20th, so also following this thread. We are city folk (we live and work in Philadelphia), so the noise etc I don't think will bother us. We stayed in Ft Lauderdale at a Westin nearby years ago and really liked the vibe. We are traveling with family who are not from the city, however we have traveled to Montreal with them and everyone did fine with the trip. If I find anything that is must see, I will report back. The concierge did email me some of the sites, and there were a few that we thought looked pretty nice, like the Flamingo Gardens.

 

[Pamplemousse]

We are going April 13th-20th, so also following this thread. We are city folk (we live and work in Philadelphia), so the noise etc I don't think will bother us. We stayed in Ft Lauderdale at a Westin nearby years ago and really liked the vibe. We are traveling with family who are not from the city, however we have traveled to Montreal with them and everyone did fine with the trip. If I find anything that is must see, I will report back. The concierge did email me some of the sites, and there were a few that we thought looked pretty nice, like the Flamingo Gardens.

Thank you- I have flamingo gardens on my list as well as some gardens in Miami.