Sea Downs Apartment Motel — Hotel in Hollywood

Last month I spent seven glorious days at Chef John Nowakowski's beachfront retreat in Hollywood Florida where I dropped 10 lbs and a pant size. I was first introduced to Chef John and his culinary magic 16 years ago when I was a guest at the Regency resort and spa in Hollywood Florida. John's tenure as the Regency’s Executive Chef was legendary, inspiring droves of loyal fans like me to return again and again. I was personally delighted to discover that Chef John’s beachfront retreat, now located at the charming Sea Downs and Bougainvillea hotels - both mere steps from the iconic Hollywood Broadwalk and the ocean - offers many of the same amenities and services that made the Regency such a cherished and unique destination. Guests can jump start their health filled day on the beach with a variety of delicacies including Chef John's mouth watering, nutrient-packed juices and smoothies, oatmeal with fruit and nuts, or the world's best vegan scrambled eggs. Lunch typically features a well-stocked salad bar accompanied by one of Chef John's irresistible homemade salad dressings and delectable sides like tempeh tuna salad. Ultimately it is dinner featuring one of Chef's unforgettable gourmet specialties followed by a world-class vegan dessert that is the true star of the show. It's almost hard to believe that I dropped so many pounds and inches while feasting on all of this gourmet fair for a week, but I chalk that up to all the daily activities beginning with a long walk on the broadwalk, two aquasize sessions in the pool or ocean, yoga, and a fun after dinner event like Salsa dancing. Chef also invites some extremely informative health and fitness experts to speak with guests after dinner and provide 1:1 consultations. All told, my favorite part of the trip may have been the two 90-minute massages I had with C.C. Take it from me, do not visit the retreat without taking advantage of the services of this highly skilled therapist. My session with her the night of my arrival worked out months of knots in my neck and shoulders setting me up for a successful stay and the session I had with her on my last night was the perfect reward and relief for my weary muscles after all the walking I did. Whether you’re looking to lose a hundred lbs or more like me and need a truly meaningful jumpstart that will get you back on the right track, or you love healthy eating and want to experience the cuisine of one of America’s greatest chefs on one of America’s most beautiful beaches, you can’t go wrong with a visit to Chef John Nowakowski's beachfront retreat at the Sea Downs and Bougainvillea. Best of all you can keep the healthy eating going when you get home like I did, with Chef John’s must have cookbook,...

My three grown sons and I recently met up in South Florida for two weeks of fishing and diving which spanned the entire tri-county area, including the Keys. Our time in Hollywood Beach was the best part! Each morning we would wake up and walk a few yards from the front door of our room at the Sea Downs to the shore, where we would don mask, fins and snorkel before kicking out a hundreds yards or so to the most amazing shallow water reef. We found some really cool ledges in about 15 feet of water that were just teaming with tropical fish. We also saw a huge spotted eagle ray and a couple of tarpon that were easily over 100 lbs. The best part is that we could go out for an hour, come back to our room, grab a meal and a nap and then head back out as many times as we wanted during the day. We averaged 3-4 dives each day like this. And, we never had to drive anywhere!||||Our rental was more like a little condo than a hotel room. The decor was quintessentially "Florida" and the aesthetic really set the tone for the experience. The bed and futon were cozy and easily accommodated the four of us. Comfy sofa and flatscreen tv with Netflix were nice touches. We made full use of the kitchen which was fully stocked with dishes, utensils and everything needed for meal prep. Al fresco dining for breakfast and dinners on the patio were the daily routine. ||||I'd also like to mention the pool...so refreshing after being in the salt water all day. It was sparking clean and just steps from our room. The owners were super nice and even brought us beach towels and chairs to use. It's difficult to put into words how perfect our stay was here. Just an amazing experience -- and one that didn't break our bank account. As a matter of fact, we are planning our return trip...

What a delightful place! I came to Hollywood to meet up with family and wanted a quiet, safe, relatively inexpensive place to stay. This is it! The efficiency room worked great for me though there are larger rooms. I didn't do any cooking but appreciated the large fridge/freezer, microwave, coffee pot, plates, cups, and glasses. The room was clean, bed was soft but not too soft, AC did the best it could in FL heat and kept me cool. I didn't use the pool but it looked clean. Since I stayed in Bougainvillea, I didn't have an ocean view but was a few steps away from the water and Broadwalk, no street to cross. I really enjoyed the well-kept, quiet, lovely courtyard, perfect for sitting and relaxing in the evening with my cocktail. There was a market with food and meals very close by, a tiki bar and two restaurants within a five-minute walk. Not as many places to eat, drink and shop here as further south on the Broadwalk but quieter and better parking. Which there is not much of, but I had a spot every time I needed one. Leslie and Tania were super nice and patient with my questions. My only complaint; if you are scent sensitive like me the rattan furniture has a slightly musty smell. There were plenty of hangers in the closet so I used those for my clothes, not the dresser. All in all, a...