Hollywood Beach Experience Part 1

So we flew into Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Florida airport and I was surprised by the size of it. I thought maybe because Miami would be the main airport, the rest would be much smaller, but I was wrong. It is a very busy airport so familiarize yourself with the layout before your trip, I was a little lost when I got there. I will be posting about Hollywood Beach in two parts because of the amount of information I would like to share.

UBER FROM FLL

If you are going to call an Uber or any other rideshare company, there is a specific pickup area outside between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 or between Terminals 3 and 4 on the innermost curb, which is convenient. (It is called the Rideshare Pickup Area)

HOLLYWOOD BEACH HOTELS

If I were to simplify the hotel situation in Hollywood Beach Florida, I would say that there are two big players Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort and The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood the latter being the most impressive one and there is the rest, cost, price and size do not compare to the other hotels. (Approx. 600USD -700USD a night) for these two giants. I tried to find the hotel that would come in third place if I were to choose one based on location and price near the beach, after having compared a few, I decided on the Costa Hollywood Beach Resort because of the value (Be careful because this Hotel/Apartment charges resort fees (about 40USD a day for the use of the pool (under renovation), beach chairs and towels) and takes a 100USD a day for deposit, which will be returned to you after about 5 days.

HOLLYWOOD BEACH RESTAURANTS

Just like most people, food is an important part of the vacation and there are a lot of options nearby but don't forget that you are in a tourist zone and the prices reflect that reality. A very important thing to know is that almost all of the restaurants charge you gratuity (tip) on your bill so please do not tip twice. The amount is usually 18% to 20%. They leave an empty tip area on the bill if you want to tip some more.

HOLLYWOOD BEACH

The beach itself is very impressive and I would not be exaggerating if I said that it was the best beach that I have ever visited in North America. The water is wonderful. Our hotel had a private area where you get your beach chairs (only two per room regardless of the number of people in the room, we were 4 adults) for 20USD you can get a beach umbrella till 5 pm.

THE BROADWALK

The Broadwalk is the name of the boardwalk along the beach where most of the restaurants, bars, and shops are located, it is approximately 2.5 miles long (4 Kilometers). They don't call it a boardwalk because it is not your usual American boardwalk that you see on the Jersey shore, it is a large concrete walkway (No motorized vehicles or bikes and no pets allowed). The busiest part is on the central part of the Broadwalk. It is very well done. There is also a stage on the Broadwalk near the Margaritaville Hotel that has bands playing on certain days.

SAFETY

The feeling in this area is very comfortable, the police patrol the beach, and the Broadwalk constantly. This area is a family-oriented beach with a lot of young children. This is the difference with Fort Lauderdale to the north, the partying crowd will stay in Fort Lauderdale where numerous sports bars and high-rise hotels are located, a very busy part during spring break. But with just about anywhere in the world, please exercise caution and use common sense when it comes to your safety, do not leave the tourist zone to explore areas that you are not familiar with.

Conclusion

I will be going into more detail regarding the restaurants that we ate at and about our visit to The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, which I believe everyone should visit when you are in Hollywood, Florida, in part two of this blog. Stay Tuned!

Hollywood Beach Experience Part 2