The Best Cheap Hotels in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

This simple, motel-style property stands in the city’s Galt Mile neighborhood a block back – and a five-minute walk – from Lauderdale’s vast sandy beach. Functional rather than palatial, the decor might seem rather dated but it’s neat and well-maintained. Some rooms have hot tubs and kitchenettes, and the central garden-courtyard has a heated pool with loungers. If the tiki bar’s not operating, the sister property’s bar and restaurant lie a short walk away.

Billed as a boutique hotel, the Fortuna has remodeled its old-school motel look in favor of a fun, almost 1950s, vibe with bold colors and monochrome palettes. Two pools plus several room and apartment options cater to a broad clientele, and Lauderdale’s golden sands are barely a skip away. Las Olas, a particularly popular retail and al fresco dining area with a notably lively beach scene, is just south of the hotel.

In a quiet neighborhood several blocks west of the ocean, Casitas offers neat, compact rooms and suites framed by lush lawns and shrubbery. There’s a heated pool in a separate annex, a nearby cafe that offers discounts to guests and the large mall down the road likely covers most bases. Numerous restaurants line the main boulevard a block to the south.

Lying midway towards downtown Miami, Hollywood is one of Fort Lauderdale’s best-known neighborhoods. Its ocean-side aspect backed by the expanse of North and South Lakes lends a particular appeal. Beachside’s accommodation is arranged across several motel-like buildings with hints of Art Deco – rooms and studios are practical and uncluttered. The famed beach-front Hollywood Boardwalk – with seemingly endless bars, grills and cafés – is a stone’s throw away while the nearby Anne Kolb Nature Centre beside West Lake offers walking and trails amidst the mangroves.

Backed by the mangrove-lined gardens of historic Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, Tranquilo boasts an enviable location in a quiet neighborhood two blocks from the ocean. There’s a wide range of rooms and suites with kitchenettes in its various adjoining buildings, plus several small heated pools. It feels like a slightly upscale motel and the surroundings’ open aspect virtually guarantees sunny courtyards and terraces for most of the day.

Bastion of a low-rise Old Florida vibe, Lauderdale-on-Sea is now a northern suburb of the city – yet retains a semblance of its own town-like character. Just a few minutes’ walk from the pier and small umbrella-decked square, Breakaway Inn is a family-run property on a quiet residential street with studios and apartments, all of which have kitchens. Russet roof tiles and whitewashed balustrades framed by neat gardens lend a slightly old-school Florida air.