Just because Fort Lauderdale offers a plethora of luxury hotels and beach resorts, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy Fort Lauderdale on a budget. A little research reveals there are quite a few reputable cheap hotels in Fort Lauderdale, all offering comfortable accommodations and freeing up some extra money for restaurants, transportation, or activities such as tours of the Everglades and snorkeling trips.

Vistamar Motel

Centrally located near shopping, dining options, and many Fort Lauderdale attractions—and less than three blocks than Fort Lauderdale Beach—is the Vistamar Motel. It is also only six miles from the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport and four miles to the Everglades cruise port. The grounds of this motel back up against the popular Bonnet House and Museum grounds, offering a landscape that is quieter and more serene than other Fort Lauderdale cheap hotels. Choose between a studio room with a kitchenette and a larger one bedroom suite with a separate living area and full kitchen. Every guest room offers air-conditioning, cable television, and free wireless high speed internet. The rooms are set off a landscaped courtyard with a heated pool and a barbecue area for guest's use. Laundry facilities are also available. Guests can also take advantage of the motel's arrangement with a local dive school for scuba diving and snorkeling excursions, an amenity not commonly found at cheap accommodations in Fort Lauderdale.

Birch Patio Motel

The Birch Patio Motel is another one of Fort Lauderdale motels comfortably situated minutes from Las Olas Boulevard and the Fort Lauderdale beach. Their heated freshwater swimming pool rests on a tropical patio complete with palm trees, tropical plants, and cascading waterfalls. Shuffleboard and barbecue grills add to the amenities. Each room at the Birch Patio comes with air-conditioning, television, a refrigerator, a microwave, and a coffeemaker. Coin-operated laundry facilities and internet access are also available, helping to make the comfortable Birch Patio Motel one of the most popular Fort Lauderdale motels.

Fort Lauderdale Map

Eddy Motel

Well-equipped, affordable studio apartments are the pride of the By Eddy Motel, ten minutes from the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood airport. Consisting of fewer units than most other Fort Lauderdale motels, the sixteen units at the By Eddy offer comparable amenities, including laundry facilities and full kitchens. It is conveniently located near a grocery store, a pharmacy, and a large selection of Fort Lauderdale restaurants. Each air-conditioned unit has a view of the garden or the pool area. The By Eddy can also book a tee time with one of Fort Lauderdale's popular golf courses.

Ocean Manor Resort

Having celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2008, the Ocean Manor Resort Hotel is one of the Fort Lauderdale cheap hotels that glorifies the city's glamorous celebrity past. Located in the popular Galt Ocean Mile neighborhood, the Ocean Manor provides affordable standard rooms, efficiency rooms with kitchenettes, and one- or two-bedroom suites. If you want to splurge, enjoy one of the four newly renovated penthouses that have breathed new life into this legend. The Ocean Manor (pictured) is one of the few cheap hotels in Fort Lauderdale offering brand new floor-to-ceiling windows that resist hurricane strength winds while providing a beautiful ocean view. Indulge in the private pool or the 200 feet of private beach, or enjoy the fare at the dining options, which include a full-service restaurant and a tiki bar.

If you're looking for a dependable chain hotel among all the cheap hotels in Fort Lauderdale, consider the Ramada Plaza Fort Lauderdale, located only one mile from the Monterey Golf Club. Standard amenities with many reservation packages include complimentary wireless internet, an outdoor pool, cable television, a fitness room, an on-site restaurant, and a complimentary breakfast. In addition, this hotel offers an arcade, a salon, a pool table, and a tiki bar. An on-site theater showing family movies on the weekends makes the Ramada unique from other Fort Lauderdale cheap hotels and a good choice for anyone traveling with children.