Beach vacations don’t have to break the bank, since a little research and a lot of planning can go a long way in achieving a luxury vacation without spending a ton. At least according to Marc Eisenmann, the owner of Hollywood Beach Hotels, a budget-friendly lodging solution for families visiting the South Florida area. Eisenmann says that people commonly think that taking a vacation to Florida will be cost-prohibitive, but that is simply not the case. “Of course, I am somewhat biased on this topic, given that guests can book a week in one of my hotels for just $500 or $600,” he says. “But beyond just my own hotels, I have been in the industry long enough that I know all sorts of tips and tricks that people can use to keep costs down when planning a beach vacation.”
Among the easiest ways to save money on a beach vacation is by not eating out. “No matter where you go, meals are going to be one of your biggest expenses,” he says. That is why Eisenmann recommends searching specifically for hotels with small kitchenettes or full-sized kitchens in their rooms. “Even if a room with a kitchenette costs slightly more upfront than a room without, families can easily make back that money by cooking their own meals instead of going out to expensive dinners each night. A family can live very, very well for a week at my hotel and have an amazing time by ordering pizza most of the nights and going out to just two or three nice dinners during the week,” he says.
Eisenmann estimates that feeding a family of four for one week can be done for as little as a few hundred dollars with proper budgeting and grocery shopping and by taking advantage of an in-room kitchenette to make meals and snacks for the kids. Meanwhile, guests at certain five-star properties can expect to spend up to $200 for just one dinner by itself. “And obviously you have got 14 to 21 meals in a week,” he says. “So that adds up fast.”
Many of the lodging rentals in Hollywood Beach, FL, include outdoor eating spaces where families can sit and enjoy meals they made or pizzas they had delivered from a nearby pizzeria. “Even ordering pizza for a couple nights is going to save guests money,” he says. “And who wouldn’t want to enjoy a relaxing meal outside?” At his own hotel, Eisenmann says he offers guests a full kitchen, dining area, and plenty of outdoor tables and eating space for as little as $80 or $90 per night. “That is a really nominal fee, considering all that you are getting,” he says.
Certain mega resorts don’t just make it difficult to make your meals in your room, they also make it difficult to get out of the hotel at all. “In certain big hotels, you can easily start to feel boxed in,” he says. “I mean, they make it so that it can take five or 10 minutes just to get the kids outside and into the pool.” Because hotels can be somewhat expensive for most vacationers, Eisenmann recommends being strategic about the lodging rentals you book in Hollywood Beach, FL. “In most of these big hotels, you are going to be paying triple the price of what you would be paying at a smaller motel nearby.”
Finding a hotel that makes it easy to get to major attractions, including the beach, the boardwalk, amusement parks, and any activity rentals in Hollywood Beach, FL, can help save money on transportation costs. It is also important for people to remember that a new parking garage built along Hollywood Beach makes it much easier for vacationers to get to the beach and find a place to park than it would be in other larger cities in the South Florida region.
Eisenmann admits that it can be difficult to tell which budget-friendly lodgings are going to be worth your while when planning a vacation at home, which is why he recommends checking out review websites beforehand and getting advice from friends who have visited the area before. “I usually find that people can get a good sense about the hotel just by calling and seeing how they are treated by the person who answers the phone,” Eisenmann says. “Usually if there is a professional and courteous staff member answering the phone, then that is a good sign that the hotel has got its ducks in a row.”
