Riverside Hotel Review- Historic Hotel Near Disney Cruise Port (2024)

Fort Lauderdale is home to one of Disney Cruise Line's newest terminals. This Florida destination offers plenty to see and do before or after your cruise. One of our top recommendation's for a Disney Cruise is to fly in the night before your cruise departs and this often leaves guests wondering what hotel is the best? I recently stayed at the historic Riverside Hotel on Las Olas Blvd and found this to be a great hotel near the Disney Cruise port!

The Riverside Hotel on Las Olas Blvd is one of the most popular hotels in the area, not just for cruisers, but for anyone visiting the area. Las Olas Boulevard is Fort Lauderdale's premier destination for shopping, dining, events, entertainment, galleries and things to do. Riverside Hotel is located directly on Las Olas Blvd which makes it a popular place to stay in Fort Lauderdale.

During my recent Disney Cruise on Marvel Day at Sea, we left from Fort Lauderdale so I had the opportunity to research the area and find the best hotel near the Disney Cruise Port. Keep reading for my full review of the Riverside Hotel on Las Olas Blvd, near Disney Cruise Port.

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Fort Lauderdale Disney Cruise Port

The Disney Cruise Line's dedicated cruise terminal at Port Everglades, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, opened in late 2023.

This newer Disney Cruise Port is located nearby three international airports making this an extremely easy cruise port to travel to. Fort Lauderdale is right on the beaches of Florida and is also just a short drive away from the Florida Everglades.

Fort Lauderdale is known for its art scene and Las Olas Blvd is full of amazing art galleries to walk through. You can also find reasonably priced prints in some of these galleries which makes for a pretty neat souvenir.

When picking a hotel in Fort Lauderdale near the Disney Cruise Port, you need to decide what interests your family most. Would you rather have beach access? That may come at a higher cost but worth it for some families. Do you want to be near general shopping malls? There's big box stores near the Fort Lauderdale airport with hotels nearby.

For our needs, we thought we'd stay on Las Olas Blvd at the Riverside Hotel so we would be steps away from all the dining, shopping, and art galleries. Fort Lauderdale is often called the “Venice of Florida” because of all the canals that run through the town which are easy to see from Las Olas Blvd. And of course, just a short car ride away from the Disney Cruise terminal.

Riverside Hotel Review- Historic Hotel near Disney Cruise Port

I was impressed with the Riverside Hotel from the moment we entered the lobby. This was such an unique hotel and I always love the opportunity to stay at hotels that aren't necessarily associated with a large chain.

This can be hit or miss but in this case, I found the hotel to be charming although do not expect modern rooms. This can be a dealbreaker for some but I didn't mind at all, especially for a one night stay. I loved the decor of this hotel, it fit the vibe and atmosphere of Las Olas Blvd nicely.

You have the choice of a room in the older building or you can upgrade to the tower which is the newer rooms of the two.

I choose to stay in the tower and the rooms were huge, I was surprised to see how large they were. There was more than enough space, more than we really needed. There is a large closet for storage, in case the space wasn't enough!

There is a coffee maker, mini fridge, and tv equipped with anything you'd want to watch.

There is also a second seating area with windows that overlook Fort Lauderdale.

The view is beautiful from most of the rooms and the hallways in the tower.

The bathroom is where you see the age of this room, while it was spacious, I didn't like how dark it was and the shower wasn't too impressive.

However, it really worked just fine for a one night stay. The charm and the location of the hotel helped make up for it, although for the price I would have expected more when it came to the bathroom.

Overall, the room worked well and everything was clean and spotless. The view from the room was fantastic and it was plenty spacious.

Riverside Hotel near Disney Cruise Port Amenities

The Riverside Hotel on Las Olas Blvd has a small bar in the lobby which was bustling in the evenings. There is also a second bar aside from this one. This is a pretty large hotel for its historic location!

The restaurant that everyone raves about is Boathouse at the Riverside- Waterfront Dining. The Boathouse is located just across the street (more of a walkway) right next to the hotel's pool with the gym located upstairs.

The Boathouse is one of the most popular restaurants in Fort Lauderdale since it overlooks one of the river canals in the town.

The pool is right next to the Boathouse and also overlooks the river canal. You can see boats cruising by as you lounge by the pool which is a decent size. And conveniently located right next to the bar at the Boathouse! There is no hot tub, which I found disappointing, but works fine for an evening swim before you prepare for your Disney Cruise the next day!

Riverside Hotel Near Disney Cruise- Worth It?

The Riverside Hotel on Las Olas Blvd is higher priced than some of the hotels in the area, especially those located near the Fort Lauderdale airport. For a one night stay during spring break season, our room was $370 for the night. You are paying for the location at this hotel which is the only hotel right on Las Olas Blvd. If you are interested in the dining, shopping, and art galleries before your cruise, this hotel is a no brainer.

If you're just looking for a place to rest your head, then you can easily find cheaper hotels in the area. For our experience, we enjoyed the Riverside Hotel and for a one night stay, I felt it was worth it so we were close to the locations in Fort Lauderdale we were interested in. The hotel was clean and safe plus I loved the charm of this unique hotel.

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