Add your sail date and the links open on the night before.
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Lago Mar is the family pick, and the best value on this list. It's AAA Four Diamond, with a 500-foot private beach, two pools and suites with kitchenettes, and it says the port is less than 10 minutes away.
There's no resort fee and parking is free — nobody else on this list offers both. What we couldn't pin down is the cruise side: no published shuttle, and no word on whether the free parking lasts through your cruise.
Ask about both, and about its early-departure arrangements for cruisers, before you book.
Book it if
- Families who want a private beach and a kitchenette
- Drivers who'll ask whether the free parking covers the cruise
- Anyone watching the extras on the bill
Look elsewhere if
- You want a published port shuttle.
- You want a Forbes-rated hotel.
What you’re paying for, and what you’re not
A splurge is worth it when you know exactly what the extra money buys. Green is on offer, gold comes with a cost or a catch, and grey isn’t there or isn’t stated.
Your night before, from here
From check-in to the gangway, using only what Lago Mar publishes.
A ten-acre resort with a 500-foot private beach for guests and two temperature-controlled pools, one of them a lagoon pool. Suites have kitchenettes, and the deluxe and oceanfront suites add Wolf microwaves and Miele cooktops. There's a spa.
Lago Mar doesn't publish a cruise shuttle. Its homepage carries a line saying "They have transportation to the cruise port and airport," which reads like a guest review, with no price or schedule. It does offer early departure and late return arrangements for cruisers, so ask. A taxi or rideshare covers the trip.
Not stated on the pages we read.
The resort says Port Everglades is "less than 10 minutes" away. Your cruise line’s documents name your terminal and check-in window.
Parking is free, valet or self, for one car per room. The resort doesn't say whether that covers your nights at sea.
Getting here, and on to the ship
Pick where you’re coming from. Solid lines are rides the hotel publishes; a question mark is a leg you’ll arrange yourself. At a splurge hotel, that’s usually the morning ride.
The resort doesn't publish an airport shuttle.
Lago Mar doesn't publish a cruise shuttle. Its homepage carries a line saying "They have transportation to the cruise port and airport," which reads like a guest review, with no price or schedule. It does offer early departure and late return arrangements for cruisers, so ask.
The resort says Port Everglades is "less than 10 minutes" away.
From FLL without a hotel shuttle
Taxis run on the meter. Port Everglades puts the average from FLL at $18 to $21, and FLL’s own cruise page estimates $12. Rideshare picks up on the lower level at Terminals 1 and 2, and on the Palm Garage’s first floor for Terminals 3 and 4.
The hotel's pages we read don't mention airport transport.
Lago Mar doesn't publish a cruise shuttle. Its homepage carries a line saying "They have transportation to the cruise port and airport," which reads like a guest review, with no price or schedule. It does offer early departure and late return arrangements for cruisers, so ask.
The resort says Port Everglades is "less than 10 minutes" away.
From MIA without a hotel shuttle
It’s 27 miles by the port’s count, and the port says to allow two to three hours from landing to the terminal. It puts a taxi at $80 to $159; private vans start at $95.
Parking is free, valet or self, for one car per room. The resort doesn't say whether that covers your nights at sea.
Parking for your stay: Free valet or self-parking, one car per room.
Lago Mar doesn't publish a cruise shuttle. Its homepage carries a line saying "They have transportation to the cruise port and airport," which reads like a guest review, with no price or schedule. It does offer early departure and late return arrangements for cruisers, so ask.
The resort says Port Everglades is "less than 10 minutes" away.
Landing on sail morning instead? Some cruise lines and shuttle companies run straight to the terminals; compare the airports and the landing guidelines.
Distance
Under 10 minutesThe resort says Port Everglades is "less than 10 minutes" away.
Source: lagomar.comCruise shuttle
Shuttle unconfirmedLago Mar doesn't publish a cruise shuttle. Its homepage carries a line saying "They have transportation to the cruise port and airport," which reads like a guest review, with no price or schedule. It does offer early departure and late return arrangements for cruisers, so ask.
Source: lagomar.comParking while you sail
At the hotel
Cruise parking unconfirmedParking is free, valet or self, for one car per room. The resort doesn't say whether that covers your nights at sea.
Source: lagomar.comThe port’s own garages
Up to $20/dayIf the hotel won’t hold your car, drive to the terminal on sail morning. Port Everglades charges up to $20 a day in its garages and lots, and $25 for oversized vehicles. You pay on site, and there are no reservations. The Heron Garage serves Terminals 2 and 4, and the Palm Garage serves 19, 21, 25, 26 and 29. There’s no shuttle leg. Compare every parking option.
Source: porteverglades.netThe night you’re paying for
The evening
Oceanfront · Pool · KitchenA ten-acre resort with a 500-foot private beach for guests and two temperature-controlled pools, one of them a lagoon pool. Suites have kitchenettes, and the deluxe and oceanfront suites add Wolf microwaves and Miele cooktops. There's a spa.
Breakfast
Not freeNot stated on the pages we read.
Address
South Fort Lauderdale Beach1700 South Ocean Lane, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Hotel website
Ratings
AAA Four DiamondAAA rates it Four Diamond. It isn't on Forbes Travel Guide's Fort Lauderdale list. Both lists are for 2026.
Source: newsroom.aaa.comThe fine print, in one place
Times, fees, rooms and the small stuff, as Lago Mar publishes it. Where it says “not stated”, the hotel doesn’t say, and a quick call will settle it.
Check-in and check-out
Minimum age
Not stated by the hotel.
Resort fee
None, the resort says
Wi-Fi
Not stated
Parking for your stay
Free valet or self-parking, one car per room
Cruise parking is in the parking section above.
Breakfast
Not stated
Pool
Two temperature-controlled pools, including a lagoon pool
Pets
The resort's pages don't say.
Rooms
Standard rooms, executive and deluxe suites, one- and two-bedroom suites and a penthouse. Suites have kitchenettes; deluxe and oceanfront suites add Wolf microwaves and Miele cooktops.
Accessibility
ADA rooms are listed.
On site
- EV chargingNot stated
- Guest laundryNot stated
- Fitness centerNot stated
- Pets allowedNot stated
Also worth knowing
- AAA Four Diamond since 2001
- Ten acres, with a 500-foot private beach
- Early departure and late return arrangements for cruise travelers
Before you book
Worth knowing
- Free parking covers one vehicle per room.
- The resort offers early departure and late return arrangements for cruise travelers; its site doesn't say what they include.
- We couldn't find restaurant names on the resort's pages.
What we couldn’t confirm
- A port shuttle
- Whether free parking covers your nights at sea
- Check-in and check-out times
- The pet policy
Rates and policies are as the hotel published them on September 25, 2026. Confirm anything you’re counting on when you book.
The other splurges near the port
Wake up a few miles from the ship.
Tell us your sail date and we’ll check Lago Mar for the night before. No payment on the form.
Lago Mar FAQ
Is Lago Mar a luxury hotel?
AAA rates it Four Diamond. It isn't on Forbes Travel Guide's Fort Lauderdale list. It has held its Four Diamonds since 2001.
Does Lago Mar have a cruise shuttle?
Not that it publishes. Lago Mar doesn't publish a cruise shuttle. Its homepage carries a line saying "They have transportation to the cruise port and airport," which reads like a guest review, with no price or schedule. It does offer early departure and late return arrangements for cruisers, so ask.
Does Lago Mar have an airport shuttle?
Not that it publishes. From Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood: The resort doesn't publish an airport shuttle. From Miami International: The hotel's pages we read don't mention airport transport.
Can I park at Lago Mar while I cruise?
It doesn't say. Parking is free, valet or self, for one car per room. The resort doesn't say whether that covers your nights at sea.
How far is Lago Mar from Port Everglades?
The resort says Port Everglades is "less than 10 minutes" away.
Booking the cruise too?
Tell us your dates and we'll line up the ship, the hotel and the ride. A real advisor does the work. No obligation.
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