SpringHill Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port - Dania Beach, FL

This was our last swim of this vacation, and it was a great little pool on the property of the SpringHill Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port, located at a physical address in Dania Beach, Florida.

That's a long name for a hotel, but it's definitely worth looking up. It's located right off I-95, less than 4 miles from the Fort Lauderdale Airport and the Cruise Terminals.

The hotel was large and comfortable, with a cool, breezy modern decor. The free continental breakfast, like those offered in most SpringHill properties, was fantastic. We are big breakfast eaters, with some of us pickier than others, and we are most grateful that the Marriott Fairfield Inns & Suites, SpringHill Suites, and Residence Inn properties tend to offer some of the best complimentary breakfasts available of all hotel chains.

For most travels that call for hotel stays, we always start with scoping out Marriott properties, particularly in the SpringHill line because their standard room size includes 2 queen beds and a queen sleeper. It's a semi-divided suite, and most usually have two flat-screen televisions with a full range of family-friendly cable programming; as well as a wet bar with fridge, sink, coffee-making station; and a large desk and comfy chair.

We have mixed feelings on the bathroom being in the middle of the room in front of the beds. They are quite spacious, but overall, it's an odd layout that, at times, can feel like privacy is being compromised, depending upon who is in your party. If it's just you and the kids, it's no big deal; but when you have friends or extended family with you, it feels like the bathrooms are the center of the room's attention. But, even so, all the extra space is appreciated.

At the time of our stay, this hotel offered a free airport shuttle. I would certainly verify what they currently offer as far as shuttles and parking, as sometimes these things do change over the years.

The value for this hotel was great for the area. Fort Lauderdale isn't a cheap city, but we were pleased with our room rate. SpringHill Suites have all kinds of added values for families, figuring the large rooms, all the in-room amenities, and the free breakfast.  

And of course the awesome pool and fountains!

Fairfield Inn & Suites - Key West, FL

The Fairfield Inn & Suites in Key West was an excellent choice for our first evening back in society.

The property proudly boasts that bright, open, and airy Key West flavor. The rooms were just the right amount of tropical, yet cozy enough for relaxing after the last few nights of tent camping.

The gem of this property, though, is the pool area. With such a unique shape, and a large area with varying water depths, the kids were super excited to to take a plunge back into fresh water.

Surrounding the pool were assorted themed fountains that proved to be a great deal of fun in addition to the pool itself.

The other picture below shows the outdoor patio area, where the next morning we enjoyed a fantastic free continental breakfast overlooking the beautiful vegetation planted throughout the property.

We are long-time Marriott fans, and this property was a great value for everything that was included in the experience.  The rooms were certainly more practical than posh, but the amazing pool and fun fountains ensure this property's position as a great lodging choice for families visiting the Keys.   

 

Kayaking & Swimming in the Cudjoe Bay - Cudjoe Key, FL

A Little Night Swimming - Cudjoe Key, FL

Back at the cottage for dinner and evening swim...

Sand and Water Toys - Cudjoe Key, FL

When we travel, we tend to pack a LOT of different activities into each day. We run from sun up to sun down, taking in as much as we can. So, I think it is important to balance that out with the occasional "off day" or else, you get vacation burnout. And then you end up needing a vacation from your vacation.

Many of our vacations begin and end with lots of drive time, staying in a different hotel every night for a week or so. But when we get in or near our final destination, we try to rent a house, a cottage, a condo, or something of the like for a few weeks, up to a few months. 

For this particular trip, this was our first morning waking up in our cottage in the Florida Keys, and we voted to spend the day just chilling on the amazing Atlantic-side property. A beautiful pool, tons of sand toys, and the Cudjoe Bay, all at our beck and call.

Yes, please! Let's PLAY!