Fort Lauderdale's BEST Extended Stay? Cypress Creek Suites REVEALED!
Cypress Creek Suites: My Fort Lauderdale Extended Stay Odyssey (The Good, the Bad, and the Slightly Moldy)
Okay, buckle up, folks. Because I'm about to spill the tea (or maybe that lukewarm coffee from the complimentary breakfast) on Cypress Creek Suites in Fort Lauderdale. They claim to be the "BEST Extended Stay," and well… let's just say it's a journey. A very extended journey, potentially involving a lot of laundry.
Metadata First (Because SEO, ugh):
- Title: Cypress Creek Suites Review: Fort Lauderdale's Extended Stay Champion? (Or Maybe Not!)
- Keywords: Fort Lauderdale, extended stay, Cypress Creek Suites, hotel review, accessibility, pool, free wifi, breakfast, cleanliness, safety, amenities, travel, Florida, budget hotel, extended stay hotel.
- Meta Description: A brutally honest review of Cypress Creek Suites in Fort Lauderdale! Discover the good (free wifi!) and the… less good (the questionable air conditioning) in this detailed, personal, and often hilarious hotel experience.
Let's Dive In (Deep End Style):
First off, the promise is enticing. Extended stay? Sounds sensible. Fort Lauderdale is my "happy place" (or at least, a place with a beach and some decent sunshine), and I needed a spot for a couple of weeks. Cypress Creek Suites promised a home-away-from-home experience, and the price tag… well, it was within my budget. That, in itself, is a victory.
Accessibility & Getting There and Around:
This is where things started out decent. The website touted accessibility, which is HUGE for me, having certain – hmm, let's call them "mobility quirks" – due to a recent… adventure on roller skates. (Yeah, I'm not going into detail). The elevator was a lifesaver, and the ramps to the entrance were actually there. Bonus points! They also offered Airport transfer (which I didn’t use since I drove over) and Car park [free of charge], thank goodness! Driving around Fort Lauderdale can be a nightmare, so free onsite parking is a godsend.
The Room - A Tale of Two Halves (and a Fridge That Whined):
Okay, let's talk rooms. They promised a "home away from home" and… they sort of delivered. It definitely felt like a home, because by Day 3, I was unpacking like I lived there forever. The room itself was spacious enough. Air conditioning? Yeah, it was there. Functioning flawlessly? Let's just say it was a subtle dance between "slightly cool" and "slightly humid." I swear, it sounded like a dying whale at times. The Internet access – wireless, thank goodness! Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! (I even got lucky and got a room with Internet access – LAN, a bonus when i wanted to set up a more secure connection!) I did appreciate the mini fridge and the coffee/tea maker. And yes, the extra long bed was a godsend. The wake-up service was reliable, but I honestly set my own alarm.
And the in-room safe box. I felt like I was living a James Bond movie as I locked my passport away.
But here’s the messy part: the cleanliness. One of my biggest pet peeves is grime. I'm a germaphobe, I own it. While they do a daily housekeeping, the details were… lacking. I found a stray hair in the bathroom that may or may not have been mine. I was slightly horrified. I think I started carrying anti-bacterial wipes with me everywhere.
Cleanliness and Safety - Anxiety Central
This is where things got a bit… twitchy. Right, let’s be honest I wouldn’t have taken the room if I hadn’t seen that on their website there was daily disinfection in common areas and staff trained in safety protocol. The hotel chain was also reasurring. But I’m not a trusting person.
On the plus side, they had CCTV in common areas and CCTV outside the property. I also saw the fire extinguisher (felt kinda safe). They provided hand sanitizer in at the reception desk.
They also advertised Anti-viral cleaning products and rooms sanitized between stays, which, again, was something I really appreciated. I wanted to be sure to check every single thing I could to make sure I wouldn't get sick, which I can't afford.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking - A Smorgasbord of Meh:
Alright, food. Breakfast [buffet]? Yep. It was a buffet, alright, and included breakfast service, which was a blessing. The one thing that made it worthwhile was the Asian breakfast. I did manage to discover the breakfast takeaway service. It was a bit of a life savor to be honest.
Beyond the breakfast, dining options were…limited. There's a snack bar, which is great for a quick fix of something, but don't expect gourmet. There are restaurants, but not on the property (a short drive). The poolside bar, however… well, let’s just say it was the perfect place to nurse a drink and watch the sunset. They had Happy hour!
My Single Deep Dive Experience - The Pool:
The pool. This is where Cypress Creek Suites almost redeemed itself. The Swimming pool [outdoor] was actually quite decent. The Pool with view was accurate (mostly, you could see some… buildings beyond the pool, but still, not terrible). I'm a sucker for a pool, and at least here, I could find some peace. I think I spent half my time there. Seriously. I would take my laptop down and work from a shady spot on the terrace. It was pretty much my office for the stay.
This is where things get hazy. There was a single day. A perfect day. The kind of day that makes you temporarily forget all the minor annoyances.
The sun was blazing, the pool was cool, and I had a book, a margarita, and a complete and utter disregard for the world's problems. It was a moment of pure, unadulterated bliss. I spent the entire afternoon there, lost in the pages of my book, occasionally dipping my toes in the water, and just being. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, I felt genuinely… renewed.
Services and Conveniences - A Mixed Bag:
They offer a range of services, including daily housekeeping, dry cleaning, laundry service, and a concierge. The concierge was incredibly helpful and very pleasant. My biggest gripe? The elevator – it was slow. Like, painfully slow. I started using the stairs as much as possible, even if it meant huffing and puffing a bit. They have air conditioning in public area, which also could have been better.
For the Kids - I Don't Have Them, But…
I don’t have kids, so I can't speak to this. But, based on the family-friendly atmosphere throughout the stay, I would say they seemed well equipped to cope with any energetic children.
Getting Around - Easy Peasy?
The hotel offered Airport transfer, and a taxi service. Free car park [free of charge] on-site was a total win. The area is walkable if you are able, although some parts are a bit… rough.
The Grand Finale: The Verdict
So, would I recommend Cypress Creek Suites as the "BEST Extended Stay"? Maybe not. But, for the price, the location, the free Wi-Fi, the pool, and the fact that I survived the experience relatively unscathed, it wasn't the worst.
Here's the breakdown:
- The Good: The pool, the location, free parking, accessible rooms, mostly friendly staff, free Wi-Fi.
- The Bad: The air conditioning (or lack thereof), the cleanliness issues (sometimes), the slow elevator.
- The Weird: That lonely hair in the bathroom. I swear it haunted me.
Final Thought:
Look, if your budget is tight, and you're looking for a basic extended stay in Fort Lauderdale, this place will do. Just pack some Clorox wipes, a strong sense of humor, and possibly a personal fan. And try to enjoy the pool as much as humanly possible. That pool almost makes up for everything.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars (with a heavy dose of "you get what you pay for").
Coralville's BEST AmericInn? (Secrets Revealed!)
Alright, buckle up buttercup, because this ain't your grandma's perfectly-packaged travel itinerary. This is…well, this is my attempt to survive a week in Fort Lauderdale, specifically at the Extended Stay America Suites on Cypress Creek, because let's be honest, I booked it last minute and the options were…limited. Prepare for a rollercoaster of highs, lows, the inevitable existential dread of being in a hotel room, and the profound realization that I’m probably going to need a LOT more sunscreen than I packed.
The Fort Lauderdale Fiasco – A Week of Questionable Choices (and Hopefully, Some Sunshine)
Day 1: Arrival and Existential Dread in Beige
- 1:00 PM: Arrive at Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL). Let the record show, I, in my infinite wisdom, decided to fly Spirit. The seat pitch is tighter than my grandma's purse strings, and the pre-boarding boarding process is a masterclass in organized chaos. Still, I survived. Victory is mine!
- 2:30 PM: Uber to the Extended Stay America. Ah, the promised land. Or, well, a beige-colored, slightly sterile, definitely budget-friendly promised land. The outside looks like every other extended stay hotel, which is not a bad look. I've come here a fair amount, so I already knew what to expect.
- 3:00 PM: Check-in. The front desk staff is…functional. I’m pretty sure the lady at the front desk has seen things. The key card doesn’t work initially, because of course it doesn’t. Sigh.
- 3:30 PM: Room. It's…beige. And functional. The kitchenette is a tiny promise of freedom (I can at least microwave things!), and the bed looks vaguely comfortable. There's a faint smell of…something…maybe cleaning product mixed with despair? Okay, breathe. We're doing this.
- 4:00 PM: Deep dive into the abyss of the TV remote. Okay, the channel selection is…meh. I’m not going to lie, the remote is not easy to use.
- 6:00 PM: Grocery run. Gotta stock up on the essentials: water, snacks (chips, because I’m classy), and…a bottle of wine. This week might require it. Back to the room.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner: Pizza delivery. The pizza arrived lukewarm, but the pepperoni was plentiful, and honestly, I'm too emotionally drained to judge. Eat pizza in my underwear.
- 8:00 PM: Attempt to work. Fail. Stare out the window at the parking lot. Wonder if I should have brought a book. Sigh again.
- 9:00 PM: The realization that I am, in fact, going to be spending an entire week right here, which is a bit much.
Day 2: Beach Day (Or, My Attempt to Tan Without Burning)
- 8:00 AM: Wake up feeling slightly less like a zombie. Coffee time! The hotel coffee? Grim. I'm going to have to find a decent coffee shop.
- 9:00 AM: Google "Best Coffee Shops Near Extended Stay America Cypress Creek." The results are…mixed. Decide to walk. This might be a mistake.
- 9:30 AM: Walk. After a mile, I realize that the sun is already beating down like it personally hates me, and I’m sweating like I've run a marathon. I retreat, defeated, and settle for the hotel coffee.
- 11:00 AM: Beach Bound! Uber to Fort Lauderdale Beach. Sunscreen application: ritualistic. This year, I’m determined NOT to turn into a lobster. (Famous last words?)
- 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM: Beach time. Oh. My. God. The ocean! The sand! The sheer bliss of doing absolutely nothing! Except, well, occasionally reapplying the sunscreen. And dodging rogue volleyballs. The beach is chaotic, in the best way. I get a little too ambitious with the waves and end up swallowing half the ocean. Regret, but also, it was worth it.
- 3:00 PM: Uber back to the abyss in Cypress Creek.
- 4:00 PM: Post-beach shower (immediately followed by a nap)
- 6:00 PM: Dinner: leftovers, and a much needed, proper glass of wine.
- 7:00 PM: Attempt to watch a movie. Fall asleep after 15 minutes.
Day 3: Culture…or, The Struggle is Real
- 9:00 AM: Wake up feeling better, thanks to the wonderful sleep (finally!)
- 10:00 AM: Breakfast. Toast and, wait for it, instant oatmeal. I am living the high life, clearly.
- 11:00 AM: Decide to be cultured and visit the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale. It sounds interesting, and it's indoors, which is key.
- 12:00 AM: The museum, which is well-curated and interesting. The modern art is…well, it's art. I pretend to understand it, nod sagely, and secretly wish I had a sandwich.
- 2:00 PM: Lunch – a very overpriced, but delicious, salad at a fancy cafe nearby.
- 3:00 PM: The art. The art. It moves me. Is my soul stirring? Possibly. Or, more likely, my stomach is rumbling.
- 4:00 PM: Back at the hotel. My art-induced enlightenment is wearing off. Another nap? Maybe.
- 6:00 PM: Dinner: Ordered a burger (I'm clearly not cutting calories.)
- 7:00 PM: Consider going out. Decide to not go out.
- 8:00 PM: Realize my suitcase is a complete mess. Start to unpack. Procrastinate. Start again. Realize it's a lost cause.
Day 4: More Beach + Retail Therapy = Happy, I Guess?
- 9:00 AM: Coffee.
- 10:00 AM: Uber to the beach. Repeat beach day.
- 11:00 AM: More beach time.
- 1:00 PM: Lunch: More beach food, of course.
- 3:00 PM: Retail Therapy. Heading to Sawgrass Mills Mall. This is a MASSIVE, gigantic, shopping mall. My wallet and my sanity are already trembling.
- 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM: Retail Therapy! I'm not even going to attempt to fight it. Bought a new shirt, a new pair of shoes, and a weird inflatable flamingo. Zero regrets.
- 7:00 PM: Back at the hotel. Another pizza (I know, I know). But it's easy!
- 8:00 PM: Watching a movie. Trying to think about how much time I have left.
Day 5: The Everglades! Nature! And Mosquitoes.
- 9:00 AM: Breakfast.
- 10:00 AM: Decide I have to experience the Everglades. Book an airboat tour.
- 11:30 AM: Airboat tour. The Everglades are…amazing. Alligators! Birds! The vastness! The absolute silence…until the airboat starts up and roars to life.
- 12:30 PM: Lunch: Another sandwich. It was great.
- 2:00 PM: A different tour. I swear I saw a mosquito the size of a small bird.
- 4:30 PM: Back at the hotel. Shower off the swamp (and the impending mosquito bites).
- 7:00 PM: Dinner: Another burger? Possibly. The options are limited.
- 8:00 PM: Realize that I should have packed a better book.
Day 6: The Struggle is Real, Part 2: Packing Panic!
- 9:00 AM: Coffee.
- 10:00 AM: Breakfast.
- 11:00 AM: Pack. Packing is the worst. I'm already over-packing. I am not going to fit everything.
- 12:00 PM: Lunch: Eat something quick.
- 1:00 PM: The packing continues. It's slow going.
- 3:00 PM: Final errands and last-minute souvenir purchases!
- 5:00 PM: Final pizza?
- 6:00 PM: The room looks like a bomb went off.
- 7:00 PM: Attempt to make a list for what I have to do before I leave.
- 8:00 PM: Sleep.
Day 7: Departure and Existential Resolve
- 8:00 AM: Wake up. I did it!
- **8:3
So, is Cypress Creek Suites REALLY the "BEST" extended stay in Fort Lauderdale? Or is that, like, a *lie*?
Okay, "best" is a loaded word, right? It's like asking if my ex was a "good guy." (Spoiler: He wasn't. And he probably wouldn't make it onto any "best of" lists either.) Cypress Creek Suites... well, it depends on what you *need*. If you're looking for a perfectly pristine, Ritz-Carlton-esque experience? Honey, keep scrolling. You're in the wrong neighborhood. If you're looking for a place that's clean-ish, has a kitchen (essential!), and won't completely drain your bank account while you're navigating a life upheaval (like, say, a job relocation, a messy divorce, or a sudden, inexplicable urge to move to Florida fueled by bad weather back home… *ahem*…) then yeah, it's *definitely* in the running. I stayed there for, oh god, a month? After my apartment flooded. Let’s just say it wasn’t the Ritz, but it kept a roof over my head, and that’s a win in my book (especially when the alternative was sleeping on my Mom’s pull-out couch, and that’s a fate worse than bad air conditioning, trust me).
What's the room situation *really* like? Be honest! Did it look like the pics on the website?
Okay, here's the deal. The website photos? *They’re lying*. Kidding! ...Mostly. They *definitely* use that magical photo-editing software that smooths out all the wrinkles of reality. The rooms are... *adequate*. Think slightly dated. Think "lived-in, but not in a delightful, cozy way." Think... beige. So. Much. Beige. They're not exactly a design magazine spread. I swear, my room had this weird, slightly-stained floral pattern on the curtains that screamed "1980s grandma chic." Remember that whole "Palm Beach Modern" thing? Well, this wasn't it. But, and this is a big but, they were *clean*. And the kitchenettes? Actually, they were my saving grace. You get a mini-fridge, a microwave, a stovetop... enough to whip up some easy meals to avoid eating out every night (which, trust me, your wallet with thank you for). I literally lived on microwave popcorn and ramen noodles for the first week. Don't judge. Life was… intense back then. And yes, mine was definitely a non-smoking room... I *think*.
The pool... tell me about the pool! Is it Instagrammable? (And is it actually clean?)
The pool... Alright, I'll be brutally honest: it's a pool. Not a *resort* pool, not a *luxury* pool, but a pool. They were always trying to keep it clean! I think they did it on Tuesdays, so you could plan accordingly. Does it look like a pristine oasis of turquoise perfection? No. Is it clean enough to swim in? Probably. I mean, I survived. And I saw other humans survive too. It's fine. And probably *not* Instagrammable unless you're going for that "authentic early 2000s motel pool" vibe. I will say, the lounge chairs were... well, I'm pretty sure they were older than me. But hey, you can sunbathe! And sometimes, those sun-drenched afternoons by the pool were the only thing that kept me from completely losing my marbles.
What's the Wi-Fi like? Because let's be real, I need to *work*.
Okay, Wi-Fi. This is important. And this is where things get a little… *variable*. Sometimes it was lightning fast. Like, I could stream movies and actually get some work done. Other times? It was slower than a snail in molasses. Prepare for moments of pure, white-hot frustration. I swear, there were days I considered unplugging and just going full-on Luddite with a book and a pen. (Actually, I might have done that once. The pen won. Thanks, Ernest Hemingway). But generally, it was reliable enough for emails and basic browsing. Just don't expect to upload HD videos during peak hours. You'll be crying yourself to sleep. I may or may not have cried. A lot. After a really, *really* bad day. Because the Wi-Fi was down. And my life was a disaster. Okay, moving on…
Is the staff friendly? Or are they like, "Ugh, another long-term guest..."
Honestly? The staff was pretty great! Okay, there was *one* guy at the front desk who always looked like he’d rather be anywhere else (and I'm pretty sure he *was* judging my pajama pants situation on more than one occasion) but, overall, the staff was genuinely helpful. They were always quick to respond to requests (extra towels, a new lightbulb, a sympathetic ear when you're having a life crisis). They even remembered my name, which, after a month of living in limbo, felt like a small act of kindness. They’re not going to be your best friends, but they'll treat you with respect, and that’s gold. Especially when your whole life is in boxes and the only food you have is instant soup, which happened to me...more than a few times.
Location, location, location! How's the area around Cypress Creek Suites?
Okay, the location is… well, it’s not the beach. (You'll have to *drive* there, imagine that!). But it's decent. It's close to… things. Grocery stores, restaurants (a HUGE plus when you are sick of ramen, trust me), a few shopping centers. It's not in the *seedy* part of town, thank god! There's something to be said for convenience. But be warned, you *will* need a car. Public transport? Not great. So, factor that into your budget. Also, the traffic in Fort Lauderdale is, to put it mildly, *challenging*. You'll get used to it. Eventually. Or you'll lose your mind.
Are there any hidden fees? Because nobody likes hidden fees!
Okay, the dreaded hidden fees. Let's be honest, they're the bane of my existence. I don’t recall any major, soul-crushing hidden fees. But always, ALWAYS, READ THE FINE PRINT. And ask questions. Specifically, ask about parking (I believe it was free, but *double-check*). Ask about cleaning fees. Ask about everything. Because, trust me, youUrban Hotel Search
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