4000 S. Ocean Blvd., Hollywood, FL 33019, 877-227-6963, cphollywood
Rates: Standard rooms start at $163 a night. Add another $100 during spring break. Parking is $14 a day.
Stay here if you: want to hang out on a South Florida beach but don’t want the Miami/Fort Lauderdale chaos and high prices.
It’s close to: Atlantic Ocean beaches are across the street. Downtown Hollywood, a collection of funky shops and restaurants surrounding a park full of artists booths and street performers, is 2 miles away. There’s a free shuttle from the hotel. Miami’s South Beach is an 18-mile drive.
The rooms are: big, nice and new. Just down the street from the superposh Westin, the Crowne Plaza offers a lot more value without much sacrifice in quality. Rooms are big enough to have a fridge, microwave and kitchen sink, with space left over for a fainting couch and desk. There’s also free Internet access. The decor is sophisticated and vaguely Asian, and each room has a large balcony. Sure, the view is of the highway or the parking lot, but if you swivel around enough, you can catch a glimpse of the ocean or the Intercoastal Waterway.
They put all of the money into: everything but the location. You’ll save yourself a hundred bucks or so by being willing to walk across the street to the beach rather than choosing a hotel right on the ocean. But the Crowne Plaza makes the best of its proximity to the Intercoastal Waterway with a huge, beautifully designed infinity pool that looks as if it flows right into the water. There’s also a fun poolside tiki bar with happy-hour specials.
The bottom line: It’s not often you get class and value in a single hotel. With its free Internet and room to spread out, the hotel is a good deal for businesspeople, and the in-room kitchen facilities make it a money saver for families or spring- breakers who want a South Florida escape.
Vicky Uhland
