The Other Hollywood
- Stefanie
- Aug 1, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 26, 2024
Our trip to the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida
Growing up as the daughter of a Cuban immigrant with an American father afforded me a worldview that was colored in a spicy way and I loved it!
I recall so many parties growing up where my great aunts and uncles could carry a volume as high as you can imagine but none louder than my Great Uncle Mario's roar. I didn't know that it wasn't common to have a party with 3rd cousins running around like siblings until years later when my school friends would look confused that I knew so many of my extended family members. I always felt like I need to draw them a map.
It wasn't out of the norm to have your typical American barbeques one day with hotdogs, hamburgers and those little ice cream cups that came in a pack of 10 with a swirl of strawberry or chocolate and then the next day we'd gather with a mix of all our American and Cuban family for arroz con pollo, or picadillo with plátanos fritos and a crowd favorite pastelitos de guava. Mmm! ¡Que rico! Family was everything and I'll always cherish my crazy melting pot roots.
But the thing is, as my relatives have aged or passed on, my cousins have married and we've all adopted so many more American traditions with our spouses. It's all wonderful but sometimes it sadly feels like our Cuban traditions I enjoyed as a kid have started to fade. I think it's one of the reasons I love getting down to South Florida.
There is just something about flying into Fort Lauderdale or Miami that screams you've entered a portal into Latin American cultura with a slice of Little Havana and I love it!
We capped off our summer vacations and had the best time last week staying in South Florida at the Diplomat Beach Resort #theDiplomatBeachResort, which is a #CurioCollection hotel that falls under the Hilton brand.
The hotel is a large resort, sitting 36 stories tall overlooking the Atlantic ocean on one side and the Intercoastal Waterway on the other. It has a spacious infinity pool that cascades down to a lagoon pool below, a kid zone splash pad, a spa and conference center and is the perfect spot for a family getaway or a couples retreat to clear your mind from all of life's stresses. #balancedliving
It sits right on Hallandale beach about a 15 minute drive from the Fort Lauderdale airport, a 30 minute drive to Miami and about a mile and half from the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk #Hollywoodbeachbroadwalk (aka the boardwalk) with many great restaurants options onsite and nearby.
You could stay on property the whole visit if you like, and my kids were thoroughly entertained all day, every day with the Splash Pad slides, which are supervised by a hotel employee and open daily until 5 pm.
We enjoyed the prime spot we snatched each morning on one of the poolside terraces that also overlooked the beach 20 feet away. It was the perfect landing place to monitor the kids while also enjoying some R & R and catching up on my summer reading.
I was totally enthralled in finishing up two of my summer reads, People You Meet on Vacation and Where the Crawdads Sing. I highly recommend both for easy reads. I couldn't put them down. Check out the Amazon links below for reviews.
For breakfast options on site, a quick coffee and donuts each morning from the Diplomat's café, Counter Point, did the trick. The café opens daily from 6:30 to 5 pm and you can take your food to sit outside on the terrace overlooking the pool.
Because of the pandemic and the nationwide staff shortages that seem to be prevalent these days, some dining options on property were limited and restricted to openings later in the week.
One seated breakfast option, Point Royal, which we enjoyed the last time we visited this property, was closed most of the week with a limited schedule Thursday to Saturday. The steakhouse, Diplomat Prime is also restricted from Wednesday to Saturday.
Instead, one night we got take out and ate while enjoying the lively vibe in the hotel lobby by #theDiplomatHotelBar that stays open until midnight every night. There are so many tables and seating options for groups to gather during the day and late into the evening making the large Hotel Bar and lobby a popular hangout.
The Hotel Bar served great tropical drinks inside and outside onto the pool deck. Our kids loved their pina coladas! Virgin of course.
We also frequented the Diplomat's beachfront Nuevo Latino bar and restaurant, Playa #thediplomathotelplaya throughout the week.
The food is decent but be ready to spend a pretty penny for the sheer convenience of it. We loved snacking on their house special, Tropical Guacamole, that mixes a sweet flavor of mango and cotija cheese into the avocado for a sweet twist to your traditional guacamole. It was delicious but be careful, it has a little kick to it.
As far as off property dining, our favorite local restaurants were just down the road.
First up Taverna Opa, #TavernaOpa, is an authentic Greek restaurant that overlooks the intercoastal waterway and transports you to a taverna in Greece with their cobblestone floors, whitewashed walls and cascading pink bougainvillea flowers reminiscent of our time walking the streets of Santorini. If you're lucky you'll spot a table dancing belly dancer to serve up authentic Greek styled entertainment while you dine.
The kids loved making fresh hummus served in a mortar and pestle style bowl you receive when seated. The chickpeas are served in a delicious olive oil mix ready for grinding and they pair so well with the fresh bread they serve you.
We heard the restaurant turns into a popular dancing scene late at night and believe it because the cars were coming one after the other by the time we wrapped up dinner.
Next on the list is Cuban food! No trip to South Florida is complete without some good Cuban food in my book. For a great authentic Cuban meal, I highly recommend Padrino's, which is about a mile from the hotel. Their arroz con pollo served with sweet plantains was delicious and for dessert you can't go wrong with a sweet velvety caramel topped custard flan. ¡Que rico!
And last, my husband's wish list included a visit to the Margaritaville Hotel, since he is the biggest Jimmy Buffett Parrothead you'll find. We dined at the hotel's LandShark Bar and Grill restaurant one night and enjoyed views its prime spot overlooking the Atlantic and the Hollywood Broadwalk's stage where bands perform nightly in the summer.
Hollywood was a great spot for the Grande finale of an amazing summer! We had a wonderful week on our second trip to the Diplomat and I have no doubt it won't be our last!
Disclosure: All opinions above are my own and I did not receive any compensation from the Diplomat Beach Resort or any restaurant in exchange for my consideration in my article. I hope you find this post helpful and if your travels take you to South Florida, I hope you enjoy your a stay at the Diplomat and Hollywood, Florida as much as we did!
Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program and am eligible for commissions by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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