The 10 Best Fort Lauderdale Luxury Hotels

The Best of Fort Lauderdale: Yachts, Las Olas, and the Good Life on the Water

Fort Lauderdale is the yachting capital of the world, and the city wears that title without apology. Some 165 miles of inland waterways go through it, connecting the Atlantic to more than 50,000 registered vessels and the quiet, extraordinary wealth that moves between them.

Every October, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show draws over 100,000 attendees and more than four billion dollars' worth of vessels into the waterways. The show includes seven venues across the city and covers more than three million square feet of exhibits. For the right traveler, it's less about buying a boat and more about access to a world that doesn't normally open its doors.

Away from the water, Las Olas Boulevard runs a mile through the heart of the city with independent boutiques and restaurants that bear no resemblance to the usual South Florida strip. The best luxury resorts in Fort Lauderdale position themselves between the two, close enough to the boulevard's energy and the marina's quiet extravagance.

Fort Lauderdale is best for travelers who know where to look, while most people are still looking at Miami.