I specifically booked the W Fort Lauderdale because of the waterfront pool. We booked months in advance and were never informed that the pool would be closed for several weeks leading up to and during our stay. Even at check-in, the woman who assisted us didn’t mention it. We only found out when another guest told us. We also didn’t even learn until the third night that there were activities like morning yoga, because no one gave us the itinerary at check-in.
The alternative pool is extremely small, crowded, and sunscreen floats on top and the filtration system clearly isn’t working. The hot tub was filled with children, making it anything but relaxing. On top of that, the secondary pool is blocked by surrounding buildings, so it gets very little sunlight.
On a positive note, we loved the wrap-around balcony in our room, and our beach experience was saved thanks to Juan and the other beach staff, including the food and beverage server — they were fantastic.
However, when we raised our concerns with management about the pool closure, all they offered was a $75 credit to the pool deck for drinks, but we bd to ask for it and he hesitated. For a property of this caliber, that response felt dismissive. If we had simply been told ahead of time, we could have adjusted our travel dates. Instead, the lack of transparency left us feeling misled.
I’ve loved this hotel in the past, but because of how poorly this situation was handled, I would not choose to stay again.