USA

Fort Lauderdale: a sunny year-round destination

by Alexandra Cohen

FFort Lauderdale is the largest municipality in Florida’s Broward County, now known worldwide as a year-round destination with plenty to do for all age groups. Nicknamed as the Venice of America due to its 300 miles of inland waterways, there are plenty of ways to explore the intracoastal, lined with impressive mansions and yachts.

If shopping is something that you hope to do in Florida, look no further than Sawgrass Mills, the world’s largest single-story discount mall. Further discount shopping can be accomplished at the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop, which is the largest indoor/outdoor flea market down South. For a more traditional shopping experience, The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale is a more upscale shopping mall with stores including Macy’s, Michael Kors, and much more.

“Visit Lauderdale,” the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Greater Fort Lauderdale in South Florida, recently unveiled its new brand campaign “Everyone Under the Sun.” The vibrant campaign reflects Greater Fort Lauderdale’s welcoming and inclusive community.

There are close to 600 lodging establishments, with more than 37,000 hotel rooms in the area, ranging from luxurious high-rises to smaller boutique hotels and motels. During my trip, I chose to stay at the B Ocean Resort (https://www.boceanresort.com/), which many people may remember as the former Sheraton Yankee Clipper. The resort is conveniently located in the heart of the city, around 15 minutes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Port Everglades, downtown Las Olas Boulevard and along the famed coastal highway A1A.

The B Ocean Resort offers 481 spacious guest rooms and suites, a spacious lobby and several meeting spaces. Guests may choose to relax at either of the hotel’s two outdoor swimming pools. The private beach offers every guest two free beach-loungers and towels per room, with the option to also rent umbrellas when the weather permits. Beach-side service is provided by the award-winning Boucher Brothers Management. I have had the pleasure of experiencing their fantastic work in the past. They provided excellent service during my stay. Servers from the hotel restaurant, The Salty Siren, come right to your seat to take your order, further enhancing your relaxation.

The hotel has five restaurants on site, including the Naked Crab where we dined soon after checking in. Make sure to check out their marvelous mermaid shows.

There are more than 4,000 wining and dining establishments and 132 nightclubs in Broward County. Let me recommend two in the Los Olas area: Matchbox and the Lobster Bar Sea Grille The former is among 15 locations in the US. This one opened in early 2022, known for brick oven pizzas, mini burgers, fresh salads, and chef-inspired entrées, like Miso salmon and chimichurri steak frites. The latter offers an extensive selection of seafood, including, as mentioned in its name, a large array of lobster dishes. During my meal, I had the opportunity to taste some oysters, the restaurant’s famed lobster morsels (lightly fried lobster with Greek honey-mustard aioli), Dover sole served with brown butter and a side dish of quinoa mixed with kale, the decadent Whole Lobster & Black Winter Truffle risotto dish, as well as some profiteroles to end the meal on a sweet note. Everything was delicious!

https://www.visitlauderdale.com