Royal Palms Resort

IF YOU ARE GAY DO NOT STAY HERE EVER!!! This once was an awesome, fun energetic gay resort! Last year we arrived and was not told that it had been changed over to an all adult resort however at the time it was still predominantly gay so we made the most of it and had an ok time. Said we would never be back however all other gay resorts were sold out so decided to stay here based on the fact the new wing had comfy rooms! WELL not only are they uncomfortable now they have taken away the down pillows and changed the mattresses it’s filthy and loud due to the construction across the street. We have had to change rooms 3 times in 2 days!!! This place is a god damn dump and the straights can have it!!!

I recently stayed here with a friend for just one night. I found a couple things to my dissatisfaction which led to my 3 star rating. I have stayed at other resorts nearby and I have found that they were of similar price but better amenities and overall resort environment. If you are considering staying here, make sure you look at other resorts nearby and read the reviews. To summarize this resort does not have a hot tub, they have some older buildings with old plumbing issues, and I really disliked the shower head. The staff was friendly and welcoming and the food at the poolside Lounge was reasonably priced and good for a small kitchen. I would stay here again if other resorts were full but, my preference would be to stay at another nearby resort where I had better amenities at a similar price.

Extremely poor customer service. Very unorganized each employee will tell you something different and management failed at resolving the issue I had at checking in. However, they ended up a ripping me off by making me pay more then the current price only because I was stuck with them. I will take it to the BBB. Save yourself the headache and JUST DO NOT STAY THERE!!!

Mathew was a great host. He was very friendly and knowledgable on the dining and nightlife scene. The rooms are newly renovated and the AC is ice cold. The bar was closed because it was a really slow night apparently. The pool and surrounding area was clean and comfortable. The bed was very soft, which for me isn’t great as it makes my back sink and hurts. But for one night it’s not a big deal. Juan Carlos was there for breakfast and didn’t mind staying open a few minutes past 11 to serve us. He was very polite and friendly. I ordered the Upper Deck sandwich. It came out quickly AND was great. Really, really great. I feel like I keep saying that, but this place was really great and well prices. The one thing I have to mention is that this chain called North Beach Village owns several properties, 3 of which are gay-​oriented. The Royal Palm is not one of them, yet, my girlfriend was the only female on campus. Everything around looks to be populated by gay people. Didn’t bother us, but then again there wasn’t anything too crazy going on. Just don’t be surprised to see a lot of same-​sex couples. The food was damn good in this area though.

Es un hotel gay-​friendly en Fort Laudardale a walking distance del centro playero y del shopping Galleria, tambien estas a una cuadra de la playa. Tiene pileta climatizada y los domingos hay pool party con musica electronica. El ambiente es el tipico ambiente gay de FLL, un poco de bears, daddies y musclebears de entre 35 – 50 años. El hotel es de los años 40s pero está remodelado y moderno, la deco de las habitaciones es all made in IKEA dicho por el propio recepcionista.

I wish I would have taken some photos for you all. This place was warm from the welcome of the staff to the awesome oversized bed. The room is well equipped with microwave and mini fridge and the décor is modern but not too cold like some modern décor feels. Steve was amazing! Next time I visit this area of Florida I will stay here again!

I have really loved our stay. I was nervous at first because the second time I called to confirm our reservation they didn’t have it. They really made up for it though, kept saying my name on the phone when we got here I’m sure to let me know that they are usually more organized.
I think also that it is a smaller organization and business, even though they have a few locations in the area. I enjoyed how intimate it was, got to know a regular staff, which I love.
The bar is nice, seems like it must be open all the time, never saw it close. A tad pricey, but great for a first cocktail before jetting to Wilton Manors or something.
It’s like a $ 7 über drive to Wilton Manors, which I find super reasonable, everywhere else we walked.
1 block from the beach, just a couple blocks from coffee and food! There’s even a CVS close by!
I would do it again, for sure.

The best resort in Florida we’ve been to. Super friendly and professional staff. Very clean rooms. Nice and new. We stays here 3 days, but from the first minute we enter the place, we loved it! Me and my boyfriend are celebrating our first anniversary and this place is the best. Good location, close to the beach and downtown, nice swimming pool. If you are coming here, you don’t need a car, everything is near you;) Thanks to all people who work here, great atmosphere, great job!

Stayed here for the weekend for a competition I am in. Let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised at how nice this place is! It was 4 of us staying in a one bed room suite and the price was very reasonable and we had plenty of space. We paid 300 with taxes included. Very clean room and modernly decorated with upgrades. Huge king bed which was comfortable and a pull out bed in the living room. There was also a walk in closet for all our stuff. They had a full sized fridge and the kitchen was stocked with supplies. Stove top
Microwave that doubled as an oven and a table with 4 chairs. They have 4 pools on the property and a bar outside of the main pools. Most of the staff was very nice minus the late night front desk person. He wasn’t very helpful when my friends came late and we’re trying to figure out parking and needed sheets etc. the daytime front desk person was amazing. I will def stay here again

Me and my girlfriend stayed here for her birthday… and we had a blast! Hoken and Jeff were amazing… always attentive to what we needed. Our room was brand new, you could smell the new furniture… very modern and clean, loved it! The Bloody Marys are D Lish and the bartender Andres (i believe that was his name) very nice. And finally, the Sunday tea dance is sooooo much fun… it’s mostly guys but we had a blast! The boys were so much fun… Music was really good, a good music.
Sooooo again… Clean/​Modern Rooms, Great Location, Great Staff, Great Tea Dance on Sundays! We will definitely be back to this resort. Thanks Hoken and Jeff!

This magical resort had so many unexpected hidden pleasures. 3 pools for your wet pleasure from crazy Sunday Funday Pool party to romantic peaceful hideaways. We will need back. Shout outs to Jeffery, Michelle and Steven THANKS so so much for everything all of you get a gold platinum star !!!

I would have been giving the Royal Palm a 5 star rating, but an employee on the overnight shift decided to try to invade my husband’s and my room at 430 in the morning. We had to call 911 and even then he wouldn’t stop banging on our door. The police eventually did come and it turned out to be a mistake with the front desk, but we received no compensation for the lack of sleep and the lack of security we felt. I can start crying now just talking about it. While the day manager apologized to us, which was nice, the man who did this gave my husband such attitude, as if he was right, and never did say he was sorry. What a shame, because it was a cute place.

Do Not Stay at this property or any of the North Beach Properties. This place is a joke. It has gone so far downhill I don’t think it will ever come back. Terrible customer service, never enough staff, horrible service. Always out of stuff. Tried to have lunch several times at the bar, they were out of ketchup for 3 days in a row!!! How do you not have ketchup for 3 days in a row? Tried eating several times at the North Beach owned Plaza Bistro. A complete disaster actually had to get up and leave it was so bad. But the final straw was the other night, we went to The Royal Palms for a drink at 1129pm on a Thursday night. There was no one at the seat no staff to be found, except some guy cleaning the bar. We sat down and finally he comes up to us and says they are closed. They are supposed to be open until midnight! What a joke! We finally bought a place down here so thank god we don’t need to stay there anymore. Also anybody I can possibly tell to avoid these properties I do. This is not the first time we have had problems at these properties. Tried the North Beach Village Grille as well, also a complete disaster. Nobody has any idea what they are doing at these properties. I think the owner’s name is Pear. (Prob spelling it wrong) if he reads these he should take note, be needs to hire some real staff.

Based soley on their Sunday T dance… the facility seems clean, comfortable and safe. The bartender (Bryan) is perhaps one of the most friendly and welcoming people I have ever met behind a bar. He made an out of town stranger feel perfectly at home. A little disappointed that it seems another beheamoth eye sore is being built between this quaint little hotel and the beach… hopefully a sliver of shore will still be visible… but for now it was an amazing place to sip and watch the sun set.

We stayed from Sunday to Friday and actually arrived in the middle of Tea Dance. We immediately decided to forget about the luggage in the car and join in the fun. We had a great time and that didn’t end until we left. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. One bartender had a bit of an attitude, but we only had to deal with him once at the Tea Dance.
I would have rated this place higher, but I have to ding them for having horrible mattresses in the rooms. They have these super soft pillow top mattress pads on them that are not removable. For people with back issues (like me), these mattresses spell trouble for you. Luckily, most of the bartenders pour a stiff drink and after a while in the pool and sun, you forget about your back pain. The other strike against this resort was not having towels for guest use at the fitness center. Even after bringing it to staff’s attention one day, there were still no towels the next day… I asked for them again and they didn’t bring them until I was literally walking out of the gym. Luckily I was able to get a face towel from one of the housekeepers.
Those are a few examples of the negatives. Now for a prime example of the positives. On the day we left, we had to check out of the room before we needed to leave for the airport. The man at the front desk was more than kind. He not only watched our bags for us but told us that we were still considered guests and to feel free to use the facility until we left for the airport. He also let me charge my laptop while we went swimming, etc. Well, after a few of their now famous heavy pour drinks, we grabbed our luggage but forgot about the laptop. A different person was in the front office and didn’t realize the laptop was mine. When we got to the airport, I realized I forgot it. I called the resort and they were good enough to take it to the UPS store and ship it to me.
I would absolutely stay here again, even with the lousy mattresses. Hopefully, the new suites they are building next door will have better mattresses!

After once considering this hotel a 4 star after my first stay when they originally opened its has gone down hill a bit with each year I have returned. I had read some recent reviews which made me a bit nervous and this feeling was defiantly warranted. The reservations center they now use is horrible. You used to deal directly with the hotel itself now they use a service that deals with all their properties. When I called to ask for a specific room request they said they weren’t aware of the layout of the hotel and would transfer me to the front desk which only put me into a voicemail which I left several messages and never got a return call. Finally after about 12 calls over a few week period they finally called back after I had sent a 3^rd email. They confirmed my room request but out of precaution I noted who spoke with and the date. When I arrived the reservation according to them had been canceled even though I had a confirmation reminder the day before. They blamed it on the third party website so I called where I booked and they spoke to the hotel and resent me a confirmation stating it was still very much confirmed and there. They hotel said they were sold out and didn’t have a room. I went onto the hotels own website and it showed they had availability right then as he told me this. When I showed them this they argued that too and dismissed it. Regardless they said they were full and didn’t know what happened. They moved us to a sister hotel of theirs but I was not happy and wont be back. Beware this establishment is not the hotel it once was.

If you want to stay at a place that is less expensive than others around the area and don’t expect good customer service, this is the place.
If you call the resort, no one will answer so you have to leave a message but don’t expect a back phone call anytime soon.
To me wash clothes are important when taking a shower, my housekeeper forgot to leave me some so I went to front dest to ask for some and I was told by front dest person that he doesn’t normally work at this location so he has no idea where to get some. Now why would they have someone out front in charge if he has no idea how things work at this resort?! Not to mention I had to walk a mile to ask cause they don’t have phones in room. He said he would ask and I never got them.
Younger bartender «think I am so hot» kind of guy gave me attitude cause I gave him a dollar tip and he made sure others notice how cheap I was being. Yes I know you are thinking that I am a high maintenance gay man and I am but they should no better at a gay resort.

We went here for a mini honeymoon. We went from Monday-​Thursday in October. It was very pleasant and welcoming!
The staff (for the most part) are all warm, inviting and friendly. The rooms are clean, just remember to put the «please change the sheets» card out of you want to have new sheets.
The bartenders mix great drinks and again were very friendly! The food was okay, a bit overpriced (but your in a total tourist trap area so expect that everywhere) and not very impressive. We ordered at the bar although we wanted to go for table side service somewhere else we ended up just eating there, once, for breakfast. They offer breakfast and lunch on a limited menu.
In the lobby they have free cookies! Yum! They also offer spa services, however it is by appointment only (the masseuse is not on premise all the time) so schedule a day ahead. It was well worth the money!
The team also held our bags and allowed us to hang out on premise when we were waiting for a late flight back home.
Go check this place out!

Not big on writing reviews, but felt that had to say few words about this gem. Stopped by with wifey for few drinks.
Excellent service. Food is incredible. South Beach type of décor. Great lounge atmosphere. Hookahs and all. Stop by, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Hi
On Sunday July 6,2014 I when to your pool party it was so much fun (2p-​7p) the food was great the customer service. The barbers really nice and handsome. I can’t wait to be back in town so I can visit again.

This was my second stay at Royal Palms Resort (RPR), this one with my partner celebrating our birthdays, and about 18 months ago we hosted an out of town friend. I’ve also stopped by on occasions for the Sunday Funday, as well as a drink at the poolside bar, and lunch. I live north of Ft. Lauderdale, and have stayed at other gay resorts in FL and around the USA.
Let me address the issue which some guys have raised regarding it being gay, gay friendly, or overrun with straights/​women/​families. There is no doubt that this is a gay establishment, not simply gay-​friendly. While there may have been an issue in the not so distant past where guests at other hotel properties owned by the same parent company visited RPR for breakfast, that seems to have been addressed with the offering of breakfasts at the [very good] PLAZA BISTRO, a block away, also owned by the same parent company. During our 4 days there, about a week ago, we saw no families with children anywhere on the premises, not anyone who would be classified as a «gawker», (other than some guys in their 80’s), but I don’t think that was the group some guys were complaining about! There may have been one woman as a hotel guest, and there were 2 at the Sunday Fun-​Day.
Yes, it is no longer clothing optional at the pool, but it wasn’t clothing optional about 18 months ago, either. And honestly, does it need to be clothing optional to allow guys to «express» themselves? Most of the really built guys were wearing speedo-​type bathing suits, underwear which covered very little, or jocks. Some were so well hung, and their «swim suits/​underwear» so tight, you could see the veins/​rim of their dicks. Like, guys, isn’t that enough? and also hot? Like come on, its not a bathhouse.
OK, there is not a hot tub/​jacuzzi. And while some have commented that such would be a good venue for guys to meet other guys, I saw lots of guys meeting in the pool, at the bar, at their lounges. And, no one commented on the small, but well appointed, and immaculate GYM… you can go there, pose, work-​out, and meet/​greet. Again, it’s a hotel, boyz.
LOCATION/​PARKING: One block from the ocean. For awhile until construction begins, you can actually see the ocean from several rooms, as well as the bar. They have plenty of designated, safe and free parking spots.
BAR/​CAFE: Serves free good coffee all day. Breakfasts are really good, huge omelets, fresh fruits. Lunches include huge salads, generous sized wraps and burgers, with a variety of sides. Alcohol flows all day, bar is open on weekends till 2 AM, it gets busy at lunch and in early eves. Area to sit with tables, or eat/​drink poolside. Waiter service poolside.
HOUSEKEEPING/​UTILITIES: In a word, outstanding. The rooms are kept immaculate throughout your stay, plenty of towels, the bed linens will be changed if you desire. Lots of hot water. Rain head showers. Open and spacious showers.
DESIGN OF PROPERTY/​DECOR: This is renovated 1950’s style Fort Lauderdale beach 2 story hotel. Two buildings. Two pools. Two floors in each building. Lush landscaping/​natural trees/​private. Access rooms by a balcony. The furniture in rooms is simple, clean, Ikea-​style look. The rooms are basically white/​white, all furnishings white, splashes of color. No phones in rooms. Safety boxes. Yes, the AC system is a bit louder than one might like, but it did not prevent me from sleeping or otherwise chilling in the room [like how much time do you spend in your room?] SEE PHOTOS.
MANAGEMENT is always on-​site, is there to respond to any concerns. Is the current general manager gay? No, but does that really matter? Some staff are gay, others are not. There is a long time bartender who is so handsome/​sexy/​flirty all the guys love him (and many non locals assume he is gay). And yeah, he is straight. He makes great drinks, remembers your name, doesn’t ignore you, and isn’t that what’s important? Guys, Let’s try to get away from what I call «the gay ghetto mentality», where everyone we deal with needs to be gay, and if not, they are somehow less than us? Hmm, sounds like some form of discrimination to me.
Yes, I know its a lengthy review, but I wanted to address some of the issues raised by others, and trued to be comprehensive. See pictures I’ve posted, I have not been shy showing the «feel of the place» in a variety of settings.
NOTE: I have no financial interests in this establishment, do not know the owners, do not socialize with the management or staff, and did not receive any encouragement to submit this review. I’m just being as direct here as I am with all my reviews.