On my recent Fort Lauderdale trip sailing on both Disney Dream and Disney Destiny, I stayed at three different hotels to help cruisers decide which one truly works best before embarkation day.
One of those stays was at Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina.
With so many hotels near Port Everglades, the choice can feel overwhelming.
Location matters. Comfort matters.
And most of all — you want embarkation morning to be smooth and stress free.
I went through a lot of research including reading reviews and watching videos to decide which hotels to stay at.
In addition to the Hilton I also stayed at AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Beach and Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa.
The hotel I chose for my mid cruise stay was Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina.
So let’s talk about this to see if this Hilton is a good fit for your cruise.
Location & Convenience
A big selling point of Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina is its proximity to Port Everglades.
It is located directly across from the cruise port entrance and about:
- 5 minutes to the terminals
- Roughly 1–2 miles depending on your ship
The hotel sits along the Intracoastal Waterway, so you will see cruise ships sailing past — which definitely adds to the pre-cruise excitement.
We even had a view of the ship from our balcony!
Well most of it was hidden, but you could easily see those distinctive funnels of Disney Dream. We had just disembarked this ship and could even see our aft cabin from the balcony. We were sad to leave, but knowing that we were going to be sailing on Disney Destiny the next day, certainly made it easier.
And on embarkation morning, that short distance makes a real difference.
Even with traffic, you are not facing a long transfer.
If you are sailing with:
- Disney Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean
- Celebrity
- Princess
This is one of the closest full-service hotels available.
However, even though the ride from the port to the hotel was very short (5 minutes at most), the Uber was priced at over $20.
This has to have been the shortest, most expensive Uber ride I have ever done, but I guess that is the downside of surge pricing at a very busy port when everyone wants to leave.
Even though this hotel is close to the port, it is not on the beach.
There is a free shuttle that gets you close to the beach, but If beach access is important, that may influence your choice.
We did take the free shuttle, which got you to the Las Olas area, but then took an Uber back as the return shuttle time wasn’t convenient for us.
First Impressions and Lobby
The lobby is small and at most times during our stay, it was pretty crowded.
However, it is light and bright with huge windows at the back of the lobby which look out onto the marina and pool area.
This is a busy cruise hotel, and you will definitely notice that on embarkation mornings when people with luggage fill the lobby.
However, we arrived early (around 9.30 am) as we had just disembarked from Disney Dream and there were just a few other people there waiting at the Front Desk.
Check in was easy, and perhaps thanks to my Hilton Gold status, we got a room straight away.
Room Quality & Space
We got a great room which had a wrap around balcony with a view of the port and the marina.
This was a room in the Tower, and although I didn’t request it this time, I certainly would next time.
These are the rooms that are close to the lobby and with easy pool access.
The rooms are comfortable and a good size.
This felt very much like a hotel which had definitely had some upgrades, but which just hadn’t gone quite far enough to feel luxurious.
I am not a fan of carpets in hotel rooms, and maybe this was what was skewing my view point about this room.
Another factor was it just felt like it needed some new, or different color paint on the walls, rather than the standard you always see in hotel rooms.
I know I am being picky but there are so many hotel choices in this area that it just needed to be a bit more upgraded.
The decor wasn’t quite as nice as the first hotel I stayed in at AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Room at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina include:
- King rooms
- Two Queen rooms
- Marina view rooms
- Suites
The bathroom was nicely updated with a large shower.
The one issue with the bathroom was the door.
It was a barn type door which slid from both sides – but which didn’t fit. So there was a very striking lack of privacy as the sliding door left a big gap in the middle.
Overall:
Comfortable
Spacious
Practical
Not ultra modern but clean
Pool Area
The pool area is one of the stronger features of this hotel.
It is a good size, and certainly much larger than the one at AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Beach.
It is:
- Large and resort style
- Surrounded by palm trees
- Overlooking the marina
If you are arriving early the day before your cruise, this is a pleasant place to relax.
Unlike some smaller Fort Lauderdale properties, the pool here feels spacious enough for families.
If a “resort vibe” is important to you, this hotel offers more of that than AC Hotel — though it is not a luxury resort.
You can easily walk to the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi stop.
We found this a great way to get around and explore Fort Lauderdale.
Dining Options
The hotel has an on-site restaurant and bar, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
We didn’t have breakfast here, as we were boarding our Disney Destiny cruise and realized that non stop food wasn’t very far into our future.
We did however, go for Happy Hour in the roof top Olive and Sea. This was one of the highlights of our trip.
Good service, great views and good prices.
Sip a glass of wine and imagine how on earth people afford a yacht like this…
If you don’t want to eat in the hotel you are:
- A short Uber ride from Las Olas
- Close to 17th Street restaurants
- Near grocery and convenience stores
There is a sundry store and coffee shop in the lobby, but I really don’t recommend this. The prices were extortionate, and in the morning the line for coffee was extremely long. I am used to staying in hotels with high prices, but these really were bad!
Cruise Convenience Factor
This is where Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina shines.
Many guests choose this hotel purely for:
- Ultra short ride to the port
- Ease on embarkation morning
- Cruise ship views
- Large capacity for cruise guests
If your priority is minimizing stress and maximizing proximity, it absolutely delivers.
However, because it is so popular with cruisers, expect:
- Busy lobby mornings
- Crowds of luggage
- Surge pricing during peak cruise days
As this is a Disney Cruise affiliated hotel, there is a Disney Cruise shuttle available to the port.
We enquired at the desk in the lobby and were told it was $21 each way.
However, on the DCL website it says $29, so not sure if these are different prices and if you book ahead with DCL rather than at the desk you are paying more.
Anyway, we chose not to get the DCL shuttle, but the Hilton hotel shuttle which was $10 per person.
I knew that the port was very close, but having paid well over $20 for an Uber on the way there from the port, I thought this would be the economical choice.
Turned out that I was wrong as when I checked Uber prices whilst boarding the shuttle, they were below $8. Never mind – you never know with surge pricing!
Would I get the DCL shuttle? Aside from the higher price there are 2 advantages. It just depends on how important these are to you.
DCL will handle your luggage from the hotel and the next time you see it will be your stateroom. Not a big deal really unless you have huge amounts of luggage. The porter system is very easy as Port Everglades anyway. On our Hilton shuttle we simply got off the bus, and our luggage was handled by a porter. So for me, this wasn’t a big deal.
DCL seemed to be using a U Haul for the luggage!
What might be a big deal to some people though is Boarding Group.
I did talk to the lady on the DCL desk about this and she told me that if you book the shuttle you get Boarding Group 3, which means you will be amongst the first on the ship.
This seemed to be confirmed when we got to the port – Boarding Group 3 was huge, and took some time to process! So if getting on the ship early is important to you, this might be a reason to take the DCL shuttle in Fort Lauderdale.
One thing to note is that the shuttle was not the “Disney Cruise” bus – they were all from third party companies.
Pricing
Pricing typically falls into the mid range to upper mid range for Fort Lauderdale cruise hotels.
Rates vary significantly depending on season but generally:
- Lower than beachfront luxury resorts
- Similar to other major brand hotels near the port
There may be:
- Parking fees
- Resort or destination fees
- Higher pricing during winter cruise season
As always, booking early tends to secure the best rates.
Daily Resort Charge of $30 includes guest internet access, beach transportation, beach towel usage, $20 food and beverage credit, Water Taxi discount, and two bottled waters daily.
We used the food and beverage credit for the roof top bar.
Who Should Consider Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina?
This hotel is best suited for:
Cruise guests who want to be as close as possible to Port Everglades
Families wanting a larger pool
Travelers who enjoy marina views
Guests staying one night before embarkation
It may be less ideal for:
Travelers wanting direct beach access
Those seeking boutique or luxury modern style
Budget focused cruisers looking for the lowest price
Overall Thoughts
Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina is not about luxury — it is about location and convenience.
If your goal is:
Minimal stress
Short transfer to the ship
A comfortable place to sleep
A decent pool for the kids
Then it is a very solid choice for a pre-cruise stay.
If, however, you are looking for a beachfront vacation feel the night before your cruise, another property may suit you better.
For many cruisers, though, proximity wins — and in that category, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina performs extremely well.
Which hotel did I prefer, this one or AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Beach?
I have to say that AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Beach wins here. I much preferred the location, even though it is further from the port, it isn’t that far. Also the beach location was a winner for me.
Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando. In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 60 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 250,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.