Photo: Alisha dos Santos
As I stepped into the lobby from Las Olas Boulevard, my eyes fixed on the gleaming boat hull-inspired fixture that seems to float above the reception desk. It gives you a sense of looking up at a boat from the seafloor below. Nautical and sea life-inspired details abound in the lobby, hotel bar, and restaurant, and continue on up to the sleek guest rooms.
On my way up to my room, a Laurent-Perrier Champagne vending machine next to the elevators enticed me to grab a mini bottle to toast to the adventures ahead. Inside, the Hyatt Centric Las Olas guest rooms blend metal details, blue-stained wood, and modern shapes. Above the bed, custom wall art anchors the room with an illustration of a marine rope. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer Fort Lauderdale cityscape views. The stylish bathroom features a walk-in rain shower and honey-enriched Bee Kind bath and body products.
The standard guest rooms start at about $170 per night, though rooms and suites with balconies and pool cabanas are available for an additional cost.
Photo: Alisha dos Santos
From the first refreshing sip of pineapple mint daiquiri I enjoyed at the hotel’s sleek and sophisticated Harborwood Urban Kitchen & Bar to my final breakfast sipping Panther Coffee on the terrace overlooking Las Olas Boulevard, every dining experience at Hyatt Centric Las Olas was exceptional.
Perfectly-cooked Cuban ropa vieja with poached eggs tantalized my taste buds at breakfast and Cajun shrimp with lemon saffron risotto delighted at dinner. Helmed by award-winning chef Greg McGowan, Harborwood Urban Kitchen & Bar serves up craveable modern American cuisine with global influences.
@epic.stays Go back in time at this swanky must-visit #speakeasy in #FortLauderdale #Florida 📍#Room901 inside the #HyattCentric hotel 🎥 @Adventure-Seeking Mom #HCLOGirlsTrip #LasOlas #VisitLauderdale #HyattCentricLasOlas #southflorida ♬ OUT NOW Enzo Smooth Operator – Enzo
Just when I thought the dining experiences at Hyatt Centric Las Olas couldn’t get better, I found out the password to the speakeasy.
After giving the password to the front desk, I received a special key card to access Room 901, the swanky speakeasy hidden inside a standard guest room. With plush furnishings and 1920s-inspired decor, Room 901 looks nothing like the modern guest rooms that surround it. But you wouldn’t know from the outside.
Room 901 offers both modern libations and elegant, old fashioned cocktails crafted by your own private bartender. I enjoyed sipping the Stormy Passion cocktail with coconut rum and passionfruit.
Beyond the drinks, the intimate speakeasy dining experience invites guests to indulge in gourmet bites and desserts. A warm red velvet cookie with gelato was a perfectly extravagant ending to our girls’ night at 901.
Know before you go: Limited to small parties of six or less, Room 901 has a waiting list just to get a reservation.
Photo: Alisha dos Santos
Guests who want to stay active outside of the heat can pedal indoors on a Peloton bike in the hotel’s fitness center.
Next to the fitness center, take a plunge into the hotel’s sleekly-designed rooftop pool. It’s well suited for lap swimming. When you just want to lounge poolside, you can savor cool drinks and light bites from the pool bar Elev8 while basking in the Florida sun with a Fort Lauderdale city view.
My favorite part of the pool area? The vibrant wall murals. Two stunning sirens of the sea remind you of the local community’s connection to the Atlantic Ocean. A third siren watches over Las Olas Boulevard and Harborwood’s terrace outdoor dining space on the hotel’s ground floor.
Photo: Alisha dos Santos
Las Olas is centrally located among restaurants, nightlife, boutiques, and art galleries on Las Olas Boulevard, a historic thoroughfare extending from downtown Fort Lauderdale to the beach. It’s steps away from Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk, NSU Art Museum, and The Wharf open-air pop-up events space and hang out spot along the New River.
The hotel’s daily destination fee of $22 plus tax covers enhancements to your Las Olas experience including discounted entry to the NSU Art Museum, access to Tesla car service, beach cruiser bike rentals, and beach chairs, towels, and an umbrella to take to the beach.
Photo: Alisha dos Santos
Circuit, Fort Lauderdale’s free electric shuttle, offers an easy, eco-friendly way to get to the beach from Hyatt Centric Las Olas.
While the first-rate dining and comforts at Hyatt Centric Las Olas made me think twice about leaving the property, I did venture out to get my fix of vitamin sea on palm tree-lined Las Olas Beach and explored the Riverwalk and bustling Las Olas Boulevard, taking advantage of the hotel’s free beach cruiser bike rentals to ride to a restorative yoga session at Las Olas Yoga.
In addition to yoga, highlights included brunch with banana bread French toast at popular Java & Jam, a candle making class at Candle Land Fort Lauderdale, and mouthwatering sushi by the water at Casa Sensei followed by a gondola tour of the canals in the “Venice of America.”
Then there was the ax throwing at Chops + Hops bar, tacos and frozen margaritas at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila, dinner at Sistrunk Marketplace food hall, and treats from Vicky Bakery, a South Florida favorite for Cuban coffee, croquetas, and pastelitos that’s located just one block west of the hotel.
Photo: Alisha dos Santos
Hyatt Centric Las Olas is located 5.5 miles from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Shuttle service is available for about $8.50. If you’re driving to Las Olas, note that Hyatt Centric Las Olas offers valet-only parking with in/out privileges for $36 per night plus tax. 