Review: The Dalmar, Fort Lauderdale, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

Background + Booking:

My friend and I needed a place to stay the night before our cruise departure from Port Everglades. So, we started looking at properties in the Fort Lauderdale area. Looking at Marriott properties on points, the Dalmar Fort Lauderdale seemed the most intriguing as a four-star boutique option. It was available for 40k points and we could use a 35k Free Night Award from the Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card and patch up the rest with points (plus a $15 resort fee). This would be my first Tribute Portfolio stay, so that was exciting.

This is one of Marriott’s dual-branded hotels where they have two different brands under one roof. In this instance, you have the Dalmar Fort Lauderdale which is part of the Tribute Portfolio and the Element Fort Lauderdale Downtown. A very peculiar mix if you ask me. The hotel is fairly new, having opened in April 2019.

Pre-Arrival:

My friend is a Marriott Titanium and applied a Suite Night Award. There were numerous suite types that could use the award, so we requested the Flagler, City, and Federal. The Flagler is the biggest, but the City is the only one of the three that has a proper separate bedroom with a door as well as a half bath. There’s also a Canal Suite, but it’s the size of a standard room with a balcony, so we didn’t request that one.

A few days before arrival, we got emailed that the Suite Night Award had been confirmed for the Flagler Suite.

Arrival:

Our flight into Fort Lauderdale was delayed, so we ended up arriving at the hotel quite late at 1am. The Uber was a quick 15-minute ride, and then we arrived at the property.

On the ground floor, once you enter, there is Rose’s Coffee Bar which is open from 6:30am to 6pm.

As you head down the hallway, you’ll arrive at the elevators. The Dalmar Lobby is located on the 6th floor, while the Element lobby is located on the 3rd floor. The Dalmar rooms occupy floors 14-24, and the Element occupies 7-12.

Check-In:

The lobby is quite pretty, both day and night. In the morning it has an airy, beach atmosphere, and during the night it has a dark lounge feel. The front desk had chocolate chip cookies and postcards which were cute touches.

I suppose it was quite late, so we checked-in with a rookie agent that didn’t know much about the property. When we asked about utilizing the Titanium breakfast benefit, she wasn’t sure and had to go to the backroom to ask someone else. She came back and handed us a card for the breakfast benefit and stated that it worked only for Element’s breakfast buffet (which is free for Element guests).

The Room: Flagler Suite

The Flagler Suites are located on the corner of the hotel, and we got the one on the 15th floor.

As you enter the room, you turn right into the main living area. It has a large sofa (not a sofabed), as well as a desk area, two lounge chairs, and a television. There is also a Nespresso Machine, as well as a fridge for personal use.

The closet had an iron and a steamer which was something you don’t normally find at hotels. The wooden hangers were pink, which I thought was cool and hip.

There is no door to the bedroom area, but it features a king-sized bed as well as a TV at the window. It connects to the living room from the window side, and hallway side, and you can walk around them in a circle.

Unfortunately, my friend said the bed wasn’t the most comfortable as it was lumpy and the comforter was too thin.

On the other hand, I probably had one of the most comfortable rollaway mattresses ever. It was very comfortable, and the sheets + comforter they gave were very plush. Guess I lucked out with the rollaway! It was just a bit odd, I’d always had the rollaway pre-made and then delivered. At the Dalmar, they literally just delivered the bed with the sheets and I had to make it myself. Oh well, a bit more work, but at least it was worth it!

The room was relatively clean, and no major noise issues. There were just clear signs of wear and tear. First, when the associates delivering the rollaway knocked on the door, I went to open the door and the peephole cover fell off. Second, one of the curtains in the bedroom was dislodged from its path so it was hanging off, and so it didn’t close correctly. Not necessarily things you expect from a 4-year-old hotel.

Balcony:

A wraparound balcony outlines the bedroom and living room areas. From the bedroom side, you could see more of the city and the new building under construction in front. From the living room, you can see east towards the beach.

The balcony was nice to have, and on one section were 2 chairs. The flooring in the balcony was exposed concrete, and I think it would have been nicer if they finished it off as it looked incomplete.

Bathroom:

The bathroom was quite nice with dual sinks, an additional closet, a large shower with rainfall showerhead and wand, a separate floating tub, and a W/C area.

Toiletries (lotion, shampoo and conditioner) were the hotel’s own brand, in reusable bottles. Makeup wipes and cotton swabs were also provided.

Some cons in the bathroom included the door lock was broken, as well as rust + mildew/mold in the shower area. I know it’s harder to limit mildew buildup in warm humid climates like Florida, but I think they could have done a better job. Also, the shower wand was rusted and had a lot of calcium deposits.

Breakfast:

The breakfast buffet at the Element was quite disappointing, with a selection of breads, whole fruit, a pancake, and 2 hot items (sausage and egg frittata). Everything tasted quite bland, and it was probably better to just skip the breakfast benefit and get extra points instead.

The representative that assisted us with checkout was very kind and friendly and asked how our breakfast was. I told her that it was a bit disappointing at the Element and she apologized that we were not aware that we could also eat our breakfast at the Lobby Bar of the Dalmar. She said that you could choose the buffet at the Element, or get a continental breakfast at the Lobby Bar (which I am still not quite sure what menu items would count).

So, if you stay here, remember that you can eat at the Dalmar, and not have to use your breakfast benefit at the Element. I wish I had known that before check-out!

Dalmar Fort Lauderdale Dining Options:

Sparrow is Dalmar’s rooftop restaurant that is on the top floor (25). It’s open Thursday from 5pm to midnight and Friday-Saturday from 5pm to 2am.

The main restaurant is called the Terrace Grill and it is located on the ground floor. It is open Monday to Saturday for dinner and Sunday for brunch.

Sip and Dip is the poolside bar and grill that’s open daily from 10am to 6pm.

Lastly, the Lobby Bar serves breakfast and dinner daily.

Amenities:

There is a pool on the lobby level that overlooks the city. Cabanas are available for rent and start at $250.

On the same floor, is the fitness center. The center looked like a good size with a variety of equipment for a workout.

Location:

The Dalmar Fort Lauderdale is in the downtown area with numerous dining and bar options nearby. It’s about 3 miles west of the beach, and 4 miles north of the Port Everglades Cruise Port.

The Verdict:

Overall, the Dalmar Fort Lauderdale was not bad for a quick stay at a four-star boutique hotel. That being said, unless the price was a good deal, I would probably opt to try a different property in the city on my next visit due to the condition of the relatively new room.

 

Have you stayed at the Dalmar Fort Lauderdale, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel? How was your experience? Comment below!

 

Cheers,

Ty

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Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!