Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach Reviews

If you love the ocean and are looking for a breathtaking view, look no further. On our wedding day we received so many compliments on the venue and how stunning everything was. Mark was our point of contact for the entire planning and day of. He was wonderful from day one and accommodating to our every request. The staff of the venue was also amazing and made the entire day run smoothly. Couldn't be happier with how our entire experience and wedding went.

We originally had another venue booked for a much larger wedding, but due to Covid we chose Sonesta for our micro-wedding of 30 guests since it was close to our home in Fort Lauderdale Beach. Our wedding day was truly enhanced by the wonderful staff at this hotel! Everyone really just went above and beyond to try to make what was our "back-up" vision come to life. Our small, intimate event was very bespoke and luxurious. The General Manager, Michael Medeiros was AMAZING. It was like having our favorite uncle helping along with the planning! He listened to all our ideas, concerns, and offered so much knowledge and creative input throughout the planning process. We wanted a modern, upscale, city/ocean wedding without the elements of beach (wind, heat, sand, etc.), and that's what we achieved! Also must add that we had several unique requests regarding the menu, and the culinary staff was an absolute "10"! The menu tasting surpassed our foodie expectations which carried over to the wedding meals of our guests. The head chef was very professional, friendly, and super flexible to our quirky needs. We got married during a thunderstorm in the middle of a pandemic and we wouldn't change a thing because we did it at the right place. Highly recommend!

We booked sonesta a while ago because how could you resist! It's stunning! But when covid hit everything was so up in the air. Michael dutton and his team worked with us to make sure our wedding could happen in accordance to fort lauderdales rules and I can't thank them enough! The wedding was so perfect and the staff at the sonesta made us feel so special all weekend long. Everyone there was absolutely amazing! Thank you all so much!

The views, the food, the bartenders downstairs and the space is wonderful. The frat party on the same night of our wedding was not pleasant but besides that And a few other things.. it was overall a beautiful wedding and I would recommend! Just make sure it’s either another wedding or a nice party happening the same night!

We had may daughter's wedding at the Sonesta this past weekend. The views were exceptional from the penthouse. Lots of issues. We had 3 wedding hotel coordinators during our wedding planning due to staff turnover. This made our planning stressful. 1st coordinator was not very attentive to our needs and questions. 2nd two tried to make up for the deficiencies from the 1st coordinator but this only happened about 5 weeks prior to the wedding. During the wedding hotel staff removed food from several guests prior to completion of their meals. Late night snacks were provided earlier than scheduled - it was actually prior to cutting the cake which was the dessert to the sit down dinner. The bar attendant never smiled, did not know how to make several drinks and was rude to several guests. However, the food was very good. A fraternity party was started during the reception on the same floor as the wedding and they were loud, very drunk and obnoxious. This was oor planning and very disruptive to our wedding celebration. Drugs (appeared to be cocaine) were being used the restrooms and toilet paper was thrown all over the floor. One of the fraternity members was threatening to "slit her throat" in the bathroom while crying hysterically and loudly. Only one elevator worked after the reception ended and it took about 20 minutes for our guests to leave the penthouse due to the fact that the fraternity party was trying to use the elevators at the same time and jumped on first. A member of the hotel staff was kind enough to allow the wedding party and bride to use a service elevator to leave the penthouse. Elevators were a problem all weekend because they were broken down and there were long waits. Overall experience was fair - disappointing considering we paid a large amount of money for this venue.

I booked the Sonesta for the amazing beachfront views they offer in their penthouse ballrooms. At the time of booking I was not informed that they were considering renovating the hotel and I found out a month after booking. I was told the renovation would be completed before my wedding, however it wasn't. It turned out that the hotel could not accommodate a wedding rehearsal lunch and my guests could not use the pool during their stay. We had several people coming from the northeast who were making our wedding weekend a vacation. We didn't even find out until a guest booked a room and saw a disclaimer 1 month before our wedding. The event planning team was very apologetic and even sent me flowers. My walk through a few days before my wedding was rushed since the event planner couldn't stay past 5:30 and when I arrived at 5:00 the event planner wanted to go over the number of meals over the phone. I was in the lobby and suggested we meet there to discuss it. She said she couldn't because she needed to be in front of her computer and I couldn't come where she is. I waited 15 mins with my wedding planner and her assistant while she finalized my banquet orders. This should have been done in advance considering she could not stay late. I left work work early to drive 45 minutes and then my walk through was rushed. Very unprofessional!

A week before my wedding I was also told that we couldn't take pictures on the veranda due to construction. After a lot of complaints the manager agreed to do everything he could to accommodate our request. We also requested that the windows be cleaned since its essentially what your paying for. The ballroom itself is not elegant by any means. Its more of meeting room. There is a firehouse box in the ballroom. We had to rent our own chairs since they only had meeting chairs, no chiavari chairs are included. We had to purchase a flower wall to cover up a grey plastic door in the entry foyer area. I requested a podium but that was forgotten so there were some issues before the ceremony. The food and service for reception was amazing. I received lots of complements.

This venue was absolutely gorgeous. You truly get what you pay for. The food was delicious and the atmosphere, even better. We were so impressed by the way that the whole day turned out and we couldn’t have asked for anything better. Annette Winkler was available throughout the (sometimes stressful) planning process and she was able to coordinate all of the details efficiently. We will never forget what a perfect day our wedding turned out to be

Our experience at Sonesta was amazing, beyond words. We had a Sunday (9/3/17) wedding, and our family stayed at the hotel the whole weekend. The service was spectacular, the rooms clean and very well spaced. I had the most beautiful and captivating views for our wedding, that penthouse has stunning backdrops. The food, oh my good, the food, simply delicious. All of our guests mentioned how beautiful everything was and how great that food was. Annette Winckler, the event planner and manager, did such an incredible job providing us with all the information we needed and the best accommodations for our weekend wedding. In terms of the reception, the staff was the BEST I could have ever asked for, specially Williams and another Hispanic lady that took care of us and serve our food. EVERYTHING was perfect as we wished. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change anything about it. My now husband and I are very thankful with all the staff that made this dream possible. Thank you Sonesta!!!

Amazing and breathtakingly beautiful!! Wedding was perfect!!

My husband and I were married at the Penthouse of the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale on October 29th. Not only was the wedding beyond what we could have asked for, the whole weekend was amazing. We live in the Boston area, but spend a good amount of time in Miami/Fort Lauderdale as my in laws live in the area.

Being an event planner myself, I looked at 7 different venues in the area and immediately fell in love with your hotel. Not only are the views amazing, the penthouse layout is a dream come true for a planner; ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all on one level. Perfect event flow!

I could go on about the great location, delicious food, gorgeous and modern accommodations etc., but the staff is what truly made our wedding weekend unforgettable. They are responsive, thoughtful and professional. There honestly is not one thing that could have been done to make our wedding weekend better. It was perfect.

My groom and I could not be more pleased with our ceremony and reception.
The venue itself is absolutely breathtaking, and having the stunning views of the beach without the Florida humidity was priceless.
Planning a wedding is undoubtedly stressful, but the Sonesta team made it easy with the catering selection and setup.
During the event, the staff made us feel like royalty as well. They made sure we took time to eat and even made plates for us since we were so busy, we didn't have time to get it for ourselves.
It was Also a great value for a buffet, open bar and cake.
The view takes the cake though. The rooms for the ceremony and reception were equally as gorgeous and we were extremely happy with our decision!

Beautiful views of the sunset and the ocean! The staff was a pleasure to work with. We couldn't have made a better choice for our reception!

Beautiful property, nice scenery, and very warm and friendly staff, accommodating. They are across the street from the beach but they angle outside ceremonies on property in a way that makes them unique. All the upgrades to the property were well worth it.

We had an incredible experience for our wedding at the Sonesta on 10/24/15. All of our guests were blown away by the penthouse views as well as the food, location from the airport and beach, and the rooms. We wouldn't have changed a thing. A minor hiccup was a slight lack of communications from our hotel coordinator in the final few weeks before the wedding, but nothing was affected by it and everything was worked out just fine. The overall experience was more like a dream and I just wish I was able to have more of the food and have it last longer! Bravo

We had our wedding at the Sonesta last weekend, October 17, 2015. My Mother-in-Law hosted the rehearsal dinner there as well which was on Friday night. Honestly, from the moment our wedding/event planner showed us the penthouse, we just knew that this was the perfect place to have our wedding. Close to the airport, beautiful rooms with breathtaking views plus it was directly across the street from the beach.
Considering that about 90% of our guests were traveling from out of town, the location was perfect!
I wanted to share a few things that really made a huge difference. The service was TOP NOTCH! I came down with laryngitis Friday morning, therefore, I could hardly speak on Friday night. The staff working at our rehearsal just went over and above my expectations. I wish I could remember the one ladies name, she was so sweet. She made it a point to have hot tea with a lot of honey at my table at all times while always checking in on me. The rehearsal dinner was located downstairs in the room by the pool, I think the name was Saio? We had about 30 people in that room with a great dinner and of course cocktails. It was perfect as well as private.
We also selected this hotel due to the fact that it has a contingency plan in case it would rain. Our heart was set on having our wedding on the beach but we both live in South Florida so we know that it can start raining at any moment of the day. They offer a room up in the penthouse that you can reserve if it is too windy or rainy. To be honest, it is such a beautiful room where if we weren't able to have our wedding on the beach, I wouldn't have been too disappointed, did I mention the views??????
After the beach ceremony, our guests were directed up the penthouse for cocktails before entering into the ballroom. I can't believe how this room was transformed. It was magical! The space is perfect for a wedding of our size about 155 or a lot more! I would highly recommend booking this hotel!!!

Beautiful location. Food and service were excellent. Flexible packages.

We got married 9/12/15 at the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale. I can not say enough about how wonderful the entire process was from planning through the event. I worked with Catering Director and he was very accommodating to our needs. We had a small wedding, just $38 people and it turned out AMAZING! I used all of the hotels recommendations when it came to music (Chenzo), Flowers/table design (Panche Style) and photographer (Wendy J Studios). I don't think i could have found better quality vendors for reasonable prices. The combination of these vendors and the hotel itself were on point! The fact that they had all worked at the venue before really helps make the planning smooth and stress free. All of our guests are still talking (2 week later) about what a great time they had, how beautiful the setting was and just how great the hotel is in general. All of our guests were from out of town and they absolutely LOVED staying at the hotel; every room has an amazing view. For anyone looking for a beach wedding but doesn't want to have their feet in the sand this is the place to go! The views from the banquet rooms make you feel as if you are on the beach. Floor to ceiling windows over looking the Atlantic. We were in the Horizons room I, II and III. Just a great layout for a small wedding.

STUNNING VIEWS, we had our ceremony and reception here and it was beyond beautiful! The food is absolutely AMAZING, I received many comments on how delicious it was! great catering staff waited on my husband and I, making sure we ate and had whatever we needed and same went for our guests. We would def recommend the Sonesta Ft. Lauderdale!

The penthouse wedding and reception venues was gorgeous, the food was amazing and the service was exceptional! The wait staff at the reception were extremely helpful and provided top notch service. My husband and I had several guests tell us how much they enjoyed the event and we would like to thank the staff at Sonesta for making it a truly awesome day for us and our guests. The rooms were wonderful and our out of town guests had a great stay at the hotel. Thanks to Noha, Arthur, Jeff as well as the reception wait staff!

We chose Sonesta Hotel for its location away from the congestion further south on Ft. Laud Beach. Room rates and sizes vary which allowed all our guests to stay together allowing for more quality time. There are entry of activities and site seeing walking distance.We requested all our guests booked on the tenth floor close to our suite. The rooms all have ceiling to floor ocean views,comfortable beds and nicely decorated. The entire staff was genuinely sincere and welcoming.
We chose an all inclusive location so there would be no worry about transportation or weather concerns that could have ruined our day.
The entire weekend was perfectly executed by Catering Mgr Noha Ghali, Beverage Mgr. Daniel Meys and Executive Chef Mark Heinemann.
Banquet Mgr. Jeff Carlson and his staff showcased Marks food with attentive but not intrusive service.
We and our guests have happy memories after a weekend long wedding celebration at the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach.

This is THE place to have your wedding! Not only is the view breathtaking but the service is amazing! My guests were floored by how beautiful everything was. They described my wedding as " something that you see on tv". I agree!!!!

We just got married there June 6th 2015 and after 14 months of planning our wedding was perfection! Noha was so sweet from the beginning and very clear about the way things work best there. We had 125 guests with 80 staying in the hotel and there were a lot of happy people there the whole weekend !
The location is fantastic with beach and pizza and bars. Guests from out of town do not need a car at all.
The rooms are so nice and the staff was very helpful during a check-in overload.
During our wedding and reception the staff was amazing and never let us as bride and groom forget to eat or drink water!
The pictures do no justice to how beautiful the views are from the hotel. Just being in the penthouse during sunset was so magical.
I am so glad I got married at the sonesta . The food, the service and best of all the views were perfect!!

The weekend was absolutely perfect. Anyone who is looking for a hotel for their wedding will not be disappointed if they choose the Sonesta. We worked with Noha from the start and although she was not there the day of our wedding, everything went very well. Rehearsal dinner at the Bistro was the perfect setting for what we were looking for, good food, chill atmosphere and we moved to the bar after dinner to continue to enjoy our guests. Daytime everyone enjoyed the pool, beach, etc. The Penthouse was the perfect location for our main festivities. The view is breathtaking and most guests could enjoy the same view from their rooms! Food was top notch. And brunch the following day was excellent as well. Choose the Sonesta, you will not be disappointed!

Arthur Sands was incredibly responsive, professional, knowledgeable and kind from the beginning- even before we even decided that we seriously wanted to hold our wedding ceremony and reception at Sonesta. That goes a long way with me since it seems these days most places just want to sweet talk you and sell you impossible things. Everything Arthur promised us was delivered and then some. He made the entire planning process a breeze. He always answered any questions I might've had in a timely manner and never thought a single question I had was silly. He took the time to explain things, which meant a lot to us!

The Sonesta is just a breathtaking location for a wedding. The Horizon ballroom was picture-perfect for our brunch reception. The photos came out so well with the ocean as the backdrop. Our guests kept raving about the food and how scrumptious it was! The brunch spread was amazing!!!! We had the omelet chef, and he was a hit with our guests. We barely had a moment to eat, but what we did have was really tasty! We were told the smoked salmon and beef tips were the best.

The wait staff we had made our event all the more better. Each and every one of them was so attentive to us, the bride and groom. We always had filled champagne glasses and they even served us our food from the buffet. That kind of quality service stands out even on a special day like a wedding day. We stayed on-site that weekend and the hotel staff helped to create a special ambiance for us. They sent us champagne and a sinful dessert with a handwritten card to congratulate us. That was a thoughtful, personal touch that we both enjoyed!

The Sonesta provided a great value for our dollar and we could never imagine having our wedding anywhere else!