The 17th Street Causeway corridor in Fort Lauderdale is not a beach-front hotel strip - it's a working waterway hub anchored by the Broward County Convention Center, Port Everglades, and the Intracoastal Waterway, where cruise passengers, convention delegates, and water-sport enthusiasts share the same streets. Design hotels here blend that nautical, sun-soaked identity into their spaces, offering something architecturally distinct from the generic chains further inland. The two properties on this page cover opposite ends of the design spectrum - from an adults-only, individually decorated guest house to a full-scale waterfront tower with floor-to-ceiling marina views - giving you a clear, side-by-side comparison before you book.
What It's Like Staying in 17th Street Causeway
The 17th Street Causeway is a bascule-bridge corridor connecting Fort Lauderdale's mainland to the barrier island, placing you roughly a 10-minute drive from Fort Lauderdale Beach and within walking distance of the Broward County Convention Center. Port Everglades - one of the busiest cruise ports in the world - sits just south of the causeway, which means the area buzzes with activity on embarkation days (typically Sundays and Thursdays) and quiets down mid-week. Daytime traffic on SE 17th Street itself is dense, especially near the bridge, but the waterfront blocks east of the causeway are noticeably calmer after 9 PM.
Travelers who attend conventions at the Broward Center, passengers catching an early cruise, and those who prefer waterfront ambiance over beach-strip chaos benefit most from staying here. Anyone whose priority is waking up steps from the sand will find the beach access requires either a short drive or around 20 minutes on foot.
Pros:
- * Walking access to Broward Convention Center - under 5 minutes on foot from the closest properties, eliminating daily cab costs for delegates
- * Pier 66 Marina and the Intracoastal Waterway water taxi stop are within reach, providing car-free access to Las Olas Boulevard restaurants and shops
- * Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is under 4 miles away, making early-morning or late-night arrivals logistically straightforward
Cons:
- * SE 17th Street is a high-traffic arterial road - rooms facing the street pick up consistent road noise day and night
- * The immediate causeway zone has limited pedestrian dining options; most well-regarded restaurants require a drive or water taxi ride
- * On cruise embarkation days, ride-share surge pricing and lobby congestion at larger hotels can significantly disrupt check-in and departure schedules
Why Choose Exceptional Design Hotels in 17th Street Causeway
Design-forward hotels in this corridor leverage their waterway setting architecturally - think floor-to-ceiling windows framing the Intracoastal, individually decorated rooms that reference Fort Lauderdale's nautical and LGBTQ+ heritage, and outdoor spaces engineered around pool-and-garden sightlines rather than generic resort layouts. These properties typically price around 15% above standard chain hotels in the same zip code, but the gap narrows significantly when you factor in what's included: pools with genuine design intent, curated amenities like on-site spas or full kitchens, and room configurations not available at cookie-cutter brands. Room sizes in this zone skew generous compared to the mid-beach corridor - suites with separate living areas and full kitchens appear at price points that would buy you a standard double elsewhere in Fort Lauderdale.
The trade-off is mostly logistical: smaller design properties here operate without 24-hour concierge desks or on-site restaurants, so you'll need to plan meals and transport independently. Larger design-anchored hotels like the Hilton Marina close that gap with multi-outlet dining and marina-front positioning, but at a corresponding rate increase.
Pros:
- * Individually designed rooms and suites offer a physically distinct experience from the standardized chain rooms dominating the surrounding blocks
- * Full kitchens and washing machines in select room categories reduce per-day spend on food and laundry - a meaningful saving on stays of 4 or more nights
- * Waterfront and garden-view design properties maximize the Intracoastal setting in ways that interior-facing budget hotels cannot match
Cons:
- * Boutique design properties often have limited on-site food and beverage - a notable inconvenience during cruise-day morning rushes when external transport is scarce
- * Adults-only or niche-concept design hotels restrict booking eligibility for mixed-group or family travelers
- * Premium design rooms with marina or pool views tend to sell out 6 weeks or more ahead during peak season (March and December), leaving late bookers with city-facing configurations
Practical Booking & Area Strategy
For the best positioning in 17th Street Causeway, prioritize properties east of the bridge on SE 17th Street toward the Intracoastal - this places you within a short walk of the convention center while keeping you away from the heaviest bridge-approach traffic. The Broward County water taxi stop near the Hilton Marina is a practical anchor point: from there, you can reach Las Olas Boulevard's dining corridor, Riverside Hotel, and even the downtown Fort Lauderdale riverfront without a car. Book marina-view or pool-view rooms at least 6 weeks out for March and December stays - these configurations represent around 30% of inventory at design properties here and are the first to disappear when cruise-ship passenger volume peaks. Nighttime safety in this corridor is solid; the Intracoastal side is well-lit and sees consistent foot traffic from marina patrons and hotel guests. Things to do within easy reach include Pier 66 Marina for boat charters and waterfront dining, Port Everglades ship-watching, the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale (around 3 miles north), and the shops and galleries of Las Olas Boulevard accessible by water taxi.
Best Value Stay
An individually designed adults-only guest house with pool, garden, and full kitchen access - a rare combination at this price point near the causeway corridor.
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1. Inn Leather Guest House-Gay Male Only
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Best Premium Stay
A full-scale Intracoastal tower with floor-to-ceiling windows, a working marina, and three dining outlets - the design benchmark for 17th Street Causeway waterfront stays.
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2. Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina
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Smart Travel & Timing Advice
The 17th Street Causeway corridor peaks in March (spring break and cruise season overlap) and again in December (holiday cruises and year-end conventions), when hotel rates at design properties can climb sharply and marina-view inventory disappears fast. August through October is the quietest window - prices drop noticeably, the cruise port operates at reduced capacity, and the convention center calendar thins out, making it the best period for last-minute bookings at either property. Summer heat and the occasional tropical storm are the trade-off, though both hotels operate year-round pools and indoor amenities that absorb weather disruptions well. For convention travelers, booking 8 weeks out secures the best room category at the Hilton Marina's Tower floor; for Inn Leather, the Superior Suite and Queen Suite configurations move quickly year-round given the limited total room count. A minimum of 3 nights makes logistical sense here - enough time to use the water taxi network, explore Las Olas Boulevard, and reach Fort Lauderdale Beach without feeling rushed, while still justifying the design premium over an airport transit hotel.
