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Fort Lauderdale, Florida: 72 Hours of Business, Beach Behavior, & Bites
- Stephanie Blanc
- Jul 16
- 10 min read
Updated: Jul 20
What started as a quick business trip to South Florida somehow turned into a 72-hour mini getaway before heading to Jamaica for the REAL getaway. Because naturally, if I'm already getting on a plane, I'm going to find a way to squeeze in a little fun, food, and a few fabulous finds into my itinerary haha!!
Apparently, known as the “Venice of America” for its winding canals and waterfront charm, Fort Lauderdale also boasts miles of golden beaches and plenty to explore. So, with 72 hours to spare before my Jamaican getaway, I figured it made the perfect little prelude to island paradise.
Initially, I planned to fly into West Palm Beach because that was where my business meeting area was. BUT, while searching hotels in the area WPB area, Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort popped up and caught my bougie eye. It was reasonably priced + looked really nice, which you know I'm a total sucker for 😂, and it was an approximate 25-minute drive from where I needed to be.
Which, in my eyes...EHHH GOOD ENOUGH!!!
One thing about ME: No matter how big, small, exotic or seemingly average a travel destination may be, I always try to spoil myself a little or a LOT haha with a chic hotel, a little culture, and at least one fun or educational experience to learn something new, while I'm there! I mean, if I'm already traveling all this way and dealing with airport frustrations, I might as well make a valiant effort to go all out and see what the place has to offer, right?!
And Fort Lauderdale, Florida would be no different!
So, I figured, why not turn a quick business trip into a quick weekend getaway before the REAL vacation began? Ya know kind-of like a prelude to the main event if you will...
🌊 Day 1: Checking Into Marriott Pompano Beach Resort
We arrived at the resort around 4:30 PM, tired, hungry and completely uninterested in doing anything ambitious after a day of airport travel. Y'all know how it is...
Upon checking in, we were initially given a clean, but pretty small room with absolutely NO ocean view. Now, if you know me, you know I almost always opt for the ocean view. But, I was so tired that I didn't even realize it initially. BUt, after about a minute, we realized something wasn't right and double checked our reservation.
Sure enough, we were paying for an ocean view room....of which they didn't accommodate.
The front desk immediately apologized and asked if we'd touched anything in the room yet 😒. Yes, I did side eye the question a little because...Sir, we've been upstairs for approximately 60 seconds. Haha. But they quickly corrected the error and moved us into a proper room. The updated new room was clean, comfortable, way more spacious, and had the balcony with an ocean view...
Well, actually...
Let's just call it a sliver of the ocean with a panoramic view of 'everything else' 😅.
Let's just say it was more like 25% ocean and 75% neighborhood shenanigans. The resort, itself, sits across from what appeared to be a mix of motel or apartment-style buildings for what appears to be a senior community, so if you're expecting a completely secluded luxury resort experience, just lower those expectations a little...or a LOT haha. It wasn't necessarily a dealbreaker for me, but definitely something to be mindful of if you want the full tea on what you're walking into.
But ironically, almost every night, someone in those motel or apartment-style buildings nearby was playing Bob Marley from late afternoon throughout the evening. Considering we were headed to Jamaica next, it was toooo good and way too much of a coinkidink! It was almost as if the universe knew...I mean actually, it was pretty obvious that it definitely did know and was setting the scene.
🍽️ First Night: Room Service & Absolutely No Ambition
Our first night's plan was pretty simple & straightforward: Wash up, PJs...Oh and Dinner?? Was going to be room service haha!! Was the food amazing? No. Was it even particularly memorable? Also no 😄. But hungry I was, and tired I had become + I had absolutely no desire to start researching restaurants after airport travel and a late afternoon arrival. We ordered ceasar salads with grilled shrimp, along with some chicken wings, and it did what it needed to do, and sometimes that's enough!
After that, I was perfectly content to call it a night. We had 72 hours to explore. There was no need to start acting brand new on night one haha!!
☀️ Day 2: Resort Life, Beach Side-Eye, & Bike-Gate 🚲
The next day gave us a little more time to explore the resort, aside from my business meeting, which was late morning. The Marriott itself had quite a few amenities, including a pool, yoga classes, bicycles, a hot tub and direct on-the-beach access.
But, now about that whole "on the beach" thing... Technically? Yes. But the beach was not really giving what it needed to give. Firstly, it was MUCH smaller than I expected, had quite a bit of seaweed, and was definitely NOT giving the crystal clear blue water I had enthusiastically Googled beforehand. Haha!!
On top of that...Chileeee, the end-of-May humidity was also HUMIDITY-ING, so spending extended periods outside wasn't always the most comfortable.
We grabbed some food from the hotel bar and then decided to attempt to take advantage of the complimentary bicycles.
Attempt being the operative word. The resort only had about five bikes available (which, for a resort of this size and caliber was absurd), and unfortunately, the key and bicycle situation was a complete hot mess. Staff couldn't seem to figure out which keys belonged to which bikes, so ultimately, I was only able to take one bike out and ride alone for a little while, which was fine, but also another side-eyeing moment for this hotel "resort."
When I mentioned the absurdity of it all, one of the staff members suggested me asking about a discount at checkout. But, when I did that, the front desk agent initially reminded me that bicycles were first come, first served. Fair. Except...that wasn't really the problem....Was it?? The actual main problem was that y'all couldn't find the keys to your own bikes SMH!! So, thankfully, after explaining the situation, she agreed that it did, in fact, sounded like a hot mess express, spoke with her manager and I received a discount. So, all's well that ends well! And surprisingly, my little bike ride inspired me to finally buy the bicycle I've been wanting. I clearly need a little more practice, but we're going to work on that. Haha!!
🌴 Saturday Night: Getting Into the Jamaican Spirit at Malvo's Chill Spot
With Jamaica just a few days away and Bob Marley mysteriously serenading us every night, we were already getting into the Jamaican spirit, and then...Enter Malvo's Chill Spot!!!
Now, I always say some of the BEST food comes from the little hole-in-the-wall spots, and Malvo's proved my point once again!
This was by NO means a fancy restaurant. Actually, it wasn't even really a restaurant at all. It was more of a food truck situation with outdoor seating literally next to train tracks. I know...I know, it sounds crazy, but just makes sense when you're there.
We were outside under a tent next to trains passing by, in the middle of Florida humidity, and somehow I was eating piping hot, spicy soup. And let me tell you...It was one of the BEST spicy soups I've ever had!
Mind you, I was already HOT. The air was hot. The humidity was disrespectful. And there I was voluntarily eating hot soup that the owner provided to us as complimentary.
That's how you know it was GOOD haha!! The food absolutely hit it out of the park and gave us the perfect little taste of Jamaican vibes before our actual trip!
🎨 Day 3: Finally Exploring Little Haiti
Miami is always a vibe, and this trip finally gave me the opportunity to do something I'd been trying to do for YEARS: take a tour of Little Haiti that I booked through Tripadvisor.
As a Haitian-American born and raised in New York, I had always been curious to explore this neighborhood more intentionally. I'd heard plenty of not-so-great things about Little Haiti (as likewise with news covering anything correlating to Haiti in general), over the years, but what I saw was a stunning, vibrant, colorful-filled neighborhood with absolutely beautiful street art and murals. Just another example of don't always believe what you hear or what the media portrays, as it has it's own agenda to heavily influence the masses.
We met our tour guide, Sidelka, at the cultural center and quickly learned that Sunday wasn't necessarily the best day to explore the neighborhood because many businesses and cultural spaces were closed, as Sundays are traditionally reserved by many Haitians for church, family and rest.
I do wish we'd known that before booking because I probably would've selected another day. But now we know for next time! Unfortunately-for this visit, it meant that we couldn't see as much of the art and neighborhood up close as I would've liked. Thankfully, Sidelka still made the best of the situation. And did I mention it was HOT?! Since there were only two of us, he drove us around in his air-conditioned car, which I greatly appreciated because I was approximately three minutes away from melting into the Miami pavement haha!!
🌿 Herbs, Haitian Patties & Lwil Maskreti
One of our stops was a herbal and holistic shop, called Vegan Marie, filled with art, natural herbs, teas and wellness products.
We spent over $200 and I don't wanna talk about it haha!!
In all actuality, we shamelessly spent the money on different kinds of herbs and teas because I've been on my health kick & wellness journey, and take pride in consuming natural herbs that are good for the body, mind, & soul, and it isn't everyday I stumble upon a shop that literally had every herb you could think of.
We bought all kinds of herbs, teas, and even organic Haitian castor oil, better known as lwil maskreti. If you know, you KNOW!
And by "hooked us up," I mean they kept giving us shots.
Now, were they simply being hospitable? Or were they trying to get us tipsy enough to keep shopping? Haha!! The world may never know, but we weren't mad at it haha!!
Either way, we had a great time, and in a funny small-world moment, one of the owners had actually attended the same high school as one of us.
We also stopped at local shops and a bakery where the owners absolutely hooked us up with delicious Haitian patties!
Despite so much being closed, I genuinely enjoyed Little Haiti and would absolutely return on a different day to explore more of the art, culture and businesses up close. Miami is always a vibe, and Little Haiti certainly didn't disappoint!
🍕 Sunday Night: The Famous Griot Pizza... Let's Talk About It...
After our tour, we considered staying in Miami for dinner but ultimately decided to head back toward Pompano Beach cause we were actually enjoying the laid-back ambiance of Fort Lauderdale. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE me some Miami, but I definitely appreciated the slower pace of Fort Lauderdale, as work-life had kept me over-stimulated for some time.
There was also the fact that I wanted to try a restaurant in Pompano that had been on my "must-try" list for quite some time. That well-know restaurant is called 1804, which is name after the year the country of Haiti gained its independence making it the first black republic to do so.
Not gonna lie...I was also low-key hoping that Malvo's would be open and feed me again. He had promised me he'd be open. But Malvo's was not in-fact open. SIRRRRR!!!! 😭
I'd heard plenty about 1804 and its famous griot pizza, so naturally, I had to try it. My honest opinion? It was OK. That's it. That's the review 😐.
I wouldn't say the food was baddd persay because that's pretty hard to do with Haitian food to begin with, BUT for all the hype surrounding the griot & oxtail pizza, I expected A LOT more.
And, unfortunately, the service didn't help the experience. We repeatedly had to get up for utensils, napkins and additional condiments, while the table beside us received noticeably more attentive service directly from the owner. I can't speak to anyone's intentions, but the contrast was noticeable and extremely off-putting since the table receiving utmost attention was of a different race, and I'll leave it at that. As a Haitian American, I certainly have my own thoughts about that particular dynamic within our culture...But that's a dissertation for another day 🙄. Needless to say, 1804 didn't quite live up to the hype AT ALL.
🛁 Final Night: Hot Tub Soak
After a long, hot day exploring Little Haiti and a less-than-stellar dinner experience, I ended my final night back at the resort in the outdoor hot tub.
A light drizzle started falling and, honestly, it felt nice. I sat there, relaxed and let the weekend wind-down around me. It was peaceful. It was a vibe. And it was exactly the little escape I needed before the next adventure began.
✈️ 72 Hours Later... Jamaica Bound
The morning of our flight was pretty straightforward. We woke up early, checked out of the resort at 11:00 am, and ubered to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for our 1:30 pm flight...
Next stop: Montego Bay, Jamaica!
All in all, my quick South Florida getaway was never really supposed to be a full-blown vacation. I had business to handle, found a reasonably priced resort that seemed close enough proximity-wise, and figured I'd make a weekend out of it. And honestly? I'm glad I did!
Fort Lauderdale had its pros and cons. Miami was a vibe, as always! Little Haiti was beautiful and deserves another visit when more of the neighborhood is open.
I ate some incredible Jamaican food, survived the Florida humidity, fought with bicycle keys, bought half an herbal shop, and soaked in a hot tub in the rain. And with the sounds of Bob Marley floating through the air almost every night before ever setting foot in Jamaica?? If that wasn't the perfect send-off, then I don't know what was. I'd say the universe was simply preparing us for what was to come.
Not bad for a "quick business trip," huh? 😂
Safe to say, Fort Lauderdale ended up being much more than just a layover between business and beach. It became a memorable little getaway ALL its own.
Well, there you have it guys! My recent Fort Lauderdale experience with all the tea! I hope this post helped or inspired you to look into going and booking your own trip!
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