Tamara & Andreas' home was exactly as pictured but far exceeded our expectations. It had lots of home away from home touches that made our quick vacation in Fort Lauderdale even more wonderful!
We had a super early flight into FLL and the front desk staff at Ocean Manor was amazing and over-accommodating! They gave us a great rate on a room in the hotel until we were able to check into our room. The hotel room must have been recently remodeled. Even though the hallways were a little outdated, the actual room was really nice, modern, clean and white. Anyway, we found a great Groupon deal to rent a cabana at the hotel and that turned out to be a great idea. They have full bar and food service in the cabana with a shower and tv and additional options like massages right on-site. It's also just a quick walk to the beach from there and an even quicker walk to the tiki bar which we loved! We could have thrown a rock and hit the pool but chose to spend our time in the ocean instead.
We checked into Tamara & Andreas' place at 3pm. Loved the balcony, especially at night with a great view of the city. The bed was really really comfortable, especially after getting a bit of sunburn on the beach. The shower was really nice and loved having a fairly stocked kitchen of all of the housegoods we would have needed to make a few meals. We did shop a little at the Winn-Dixie just across the street and up a block or two. Having the fridge and coffee maker on the premises was really a great help. We walked down to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea the first night and walked Anglin's Fishing Pier. It was an absolutely gorgeous night and a fun spot with lots of nightlife.
The second day of our trip we decided to try out the Water Taxi. We purchased tickets online and hopped a quick $5 Uber over to Bokamper's where we boarded. We decided to take a quick loop before determining our first stop for the day -- Las Olas Blvd. We had a nice stroll down Las Olas but it wasn't quite what we expected. There were lots of shops and restaurants, but it was busier and more expensive than we anticipated and not really our vacation preference. We took the Water Taxi to Margaritaville/Hollywood Beach that night and had a blast! The boardwalk had some fun souvenir shops and restaurants as well as a few street performers to make you smile. We enjoyed dinner outside at Rocco's Pizza on Hollywood Beach (one slice was more than enough for dinner!!!) and listened to live reggae music on the outdoor stage to wrap up the night.
On the last day of our trip we rented a convertible and headed to Key West. It was an absolutely gorgeous 3.5 hour drive with turquoise waters on both sides as far as the eye could see. We got our picture in front of the Southernmost spot (the line was pretty short) and then had lunch at Sloppy Joe's Cafe before heading back to FLL for our late flight home.
Overall, Tamara & Andreas' home was a great home away from home for us. The tiki bar was a nice stop for breakfast (go with the pancakes or something with breakfast potatoes) and lunch (try the club sandwich and fries -- they're delicious). It's close to the airport and even has a McDonald's across the parking lot for a quick bite to eat or to satisfy a late night sweet tooth. We would definitely recommend their home to singles or couples looking for a little getaway in paradise!