Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach — Hotel in Fort Lauderdale

My wife and I stayed at the Sonesta Ft. Lauderdale from 8/30 to 9/1 to be able to decompress from tumultuous events that we had experienced over the course of several months. In addition, this stay was to be an early birthday present for me since I celebrate my birthday on 9/7. We initially reserved our stay for one night. That being 8/30-8/31. However, after realizing that I had Labor Day off from work, we decided to extend our stay for one additional night. The additional nights stay went from 8/31-9/1. My wife, Venice Armstrong, reserved room 903 which offered panoramic ocean views and we were quite pleased, or should I say ecstatic with the accommodations. We are both retired veterans and are both 100% service connected due to having to pay a higher price for the liberties so many take for granted within our borders. This pleasant diversion from our day to day activities was a welcome event. My wife is currently getting ready to undergo surgery and I find myself having to return to work in order to secure the resources for her rehabilitation after the fact. We had both made sacrifices in order to set aside the necessary resources for this much needed escape. ||||After our first nights stay, we were told that due to the fact that we had reserved our first nights stay with Booking.com, and the second nights stay through Sonesta's on line reservation portal, we would have to check out after the first night and then check back in and resubmit a payment method. No problem. Upon checking out on 8/31, our deposit of $125.00 absorbed a charge of $58 for valet parking and a charge of $48 for breakfast on the day of 8/31. After deductions, we were due a credit of what should have been $19. When my wife checked us in for our second nights stay (8/31-9/1), she used a Cash App debit card and was charged $369. This charged reflected a charge of $244 for the room and an additional $125 for a deposit. We choose to use a Cash App debit card because we had been the victim of fraud and have chosen to use this card so that in the event of fraud we could mitigate the damage due to the fact that this card is not attached to our main bank and we can deposit only what is necessary to it's balance in order to make out of the ordinary purchases. The next day began events that ruined our entire stay and the ripple effects are on-going.||||Upon checking out on 9/1 at the designated check out time of 11AM EST, we reconciled our deductions and were charged $244 for the room and then were charged another $58 for valet parking. From our initial charge of $369 for this nights stay, we were due a credit of $67. My wife and I decided to eat brunch prior to leaving the area and had elected to use what was supposed to be some of the remaining funds on her Cash App debit card on the find out that at approximately 1:51 PM, the Sonesta hotel charged us another $244 after we had checked out.||||We immediately contacted the hotel and were given several canned responses by front desk personnel that were more determined to provide canned responses as to the reasoning for this erroneous charge, that awoken feelings of theft since we had just experienced an incidence of credit card fraud, as opposed to providing an apology and expediting the refund of our much needed funds. My wife later let me know that she had intended to use the additional funds this debit card to surprise me with a small token of her appreciation on my birthday. ||||We reached out to the Sonesta on numerous occasions to shine a light on this charge and finally got someone at the front desk to acknowledge the mistake and were told that we would be refunded the "mistaken charge" within two business days and as of this date, which I would like to mention is pass the two business days, we have not received recoupment of these funds that were charged without our permission, nor have we received any type of apology from this hotel.||||If you are planning a stay in Fort Lauderdale beach in the future I strongly suggest you seek accommodations at other venues as this hotel has demonstrated it is not interested in providing a leisurely stay couple with accurate billing. As a word of caution, in the event that you have already reserved your stay with this hotel, please monitor your credit card during and after your stay.||||Leroy...

STAY SOMEWHERE ELSE!! Please listen to the negative reviews like I wish we had. This is far from 4 stars. I’ve stayed in better accommodations, 4 and 5 star, for less. Heck, a motel 6 would even be better.

Length of stay: May 6th-May 8, 2022. Girls trip.

Check-in at 10:00 p.m.: The staff were rude and unwelcoming. Particularly, the employee Arajy who assisted me with checking in. First, he was clueless to any questions I asked about the resort and particulars about my rate. Instead of saying he didn’t know he just made something up. Second, he didn’t explain where everything was located at the hotel we had to figure that out on our own. After getting my name and ID he just tells me to swipe my card. He doesn’t explain this is for incidentals I had to confirm before swiping that’s what it was for. It was his approach to everything that was really bothersome. Definitely, not a high quality experience.

Rooms: Trying to put the initial impression behind us we go upstairs to the room. We booked the deluxe double beds . The room looks nothing like the photos. The room was extremely small. The bathroom tiny. The walls in the room and bathroom were dingy with scuff marks and other markings on them. Shower curtain had black spots. Shower had mold growing in it. The furniture is outdated. I haven’t stayed at a 4 start hotel with an actual tub in the bathroom most come with walk-in showers. You don’t get any toiletries. The tissue they provide is that cheap paper thin tissue. The brand was Scott. The beds could barely fit two people in them.

Amenities: The resort fee doesn’t get you anything!! We planned to do yoga on the beach which their website advertises and it’s even written on the key card. Well, no yoga and they didn’t tell us. We only found out because I asked where on the beach would it be taking place. You get two beach chairs and towels but honestly you can rent that from the company yourself or bring your own towel. The manager told us we would have to pay for an extra chair through the third party since they only provide two per room. He stated the cost was roughly $19. Luckily, the company gave us the chair for free. Lastly, they don’t tell you that the chairs will be taken up at 5 p.m. Additionally, you don’t get any bottled waters with your resort fee, no bike rental (like other hotels), absolutely nothing. If a towel and chair are important to you stay at another hotel for less and bring your own towel. However, you can probably find a hotel with better quality that provides you with more. Paying a fee to access the gym and business center (which is only two computers in the lobby) is tacky as well. Most hotels, regardless of stars, give you access to those things in your room rate.

Check out: This was a nightmare experience and quite frankly ghetto. I checked out around 6 a.m. Sunday morning. The young lady, black woman, told me I was good to go. I asked for a print out of the receipt. She had an attitude about it but gave it to me. To my surprise they stated I had a balance of $109. I asked her what was it for she said incidentals and daily fee. I explained the incidentals were already charged and should go back on the card. The daily fee was already paid. I should only have a balance of $18 from the happy hour food. She went to get a manager. The manager said the incidentals is the daily fee. I explained that doesn’t make sense and was incorrect. At this time, the black young lady jumps out her seat and starts huffing and puffing/looking at me crazy. It literally seemed like she wanted to fight because I was telling them what was being explained didn’t make sense. It was quite unprofessional especially considering I was professional throughout the entire encounter m. Plus, it’s my money I have a right to question what I’m being charged.

Please don’t let “ocean views” from the room be the reason you stay. This place needs a major renovation and upgrade on staff.

Pros: The staff at the poolside bar and the towel employee were both nice and...

“Not Just a Stay, an Experience: My families Sonesta 5-Star Review”||⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ||||When people say “too big to fail,” I’ve always disagreed. In fact, some of the largest companies or hotels often miss the mark on the most important details, attention, care, and genuine service. About a week before my stay at the Sonesta, I had been at Caesars Hotel in Las Vegas. While it is a well-known, world-class brand, it actually highlighted for me how being “too big” can sometimes lead to failing in the areas that matter most.||||The reason I bring that up is because Sonesta isn’t a Four Seasons when it comes to global reputation, but when it comes to attention to detail, warmth, professionalism, and excellence in service, Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel operates at a Four Seasons level, if not higher.||||From the front desk to the valet, the housekeeping staff, the restaurant team, and those maintaining the pool, gym, and other areas, every single person we encountered carried themselves with grace, kindness, and professionalism. There was a consistent sense of morale, teamwork, and genuine character that was not only refreshing but rare to find.||||This property is one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed in, not because of over-the-top luxury, but because of the consistency of excellence in every detail. The staff truly prioritize the guests staying there, and you can feel that their goal is not just to serve, but to make you feel valued and cared for. On top of that, the environment is safe, something that cannot be said for many hotels these days.||||This review was actually difficult to write, not because I had a bad experience, but because I had such an extraordinary one that it was hard to put into words. There were so many individuals I would love to personally name, but I also want to be fair to the many others we didn’t meet yet who still contribute daily to the hotel’s excellence. So instead, I will say thank you to every single person who works at this hotel, you are what makes this place so special.||||In closing, the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel is a gem. It may not carry the same international prestige as a Four Seasons, but in many ways, it surpasses it by maintaining a higher standard of excellence and a culture that clearly prioritizes its guests above all else. My family and I look forward to staying here again.||||Many...