What to expect: Located in Pompano Beach, this sleek, 10-story, beachfront hotel is popular with leisure travelers seeking health, fitness, and spa services in addition to oceanfront activities. Ocean Sands All Suite Resort & Spa is eight miles from Fort Lauderdale, 12 miles from Port Everglades cruise ships, and 14.5 miles from the Las Olas Riverfront entertainment complex.

Amenity highlights: The spa and salon provide a range of services (surcharges), including facials, body wraps, and hair and nail care. A Vichy shower, sauna, and steam room are also available. Fitness classes (surcharge) include Pilates, yoga, step aerobics, and spinning. Vegetarian dishes are the specialty at Ocean Palms restaurant, and Pompano's Bar serves cocktails, beer, and wine.

Insider tip: Eight miles away, the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is a plantation-style estate built in 1921 by the artist Frederick Clay Bartlett. The 35-acre grounds include tropical gardens, a shell museum, and an orchid house. Guided tours (surcharge) explore the home's art collection and history.

What to expect: Set on a stretch of white-sand beach, this Mediterranean-style resort hotel features a red roof, arched doorways, Spanish-tile floors, and ceiling fans. Located within Greater Fort Lauderdale, the hotel offers both ocean breezes and close proximity to South Florida attractions.

Amenity highlights: Beachcomber Resort & Villas offers a shuffleboard court and two outdoor splash pools. Guests also receive complimentary passes to a health club one mile away. Dining options include the casual Ocean Grill, an adjacent piano lounge, and a poolside tiki bar. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in the lobby and other public areas.

Insider tip: Within seven miles of the hotel, the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is a plantation-style estate built in 1921 by the artist Frederick Clay Bartlett. The 35-acre grounds include tropical gardens, a shell museum, and an orchid house. Guided tours (surcharge) explore the home's art collection and history.

Amenity highlights: The oceanfront heated splash pool is surrounded by a large sundeck with lounge chairs. The Turtle Tiki Bar, located poolside, is named for the turtles who come ashore throughout the year. Steaks and seafood top the menu at the US Steakhouse, a casual spot overlooking the sundeck and pool. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in the lobby.

Insider tip: In the early days of the railroad, Pompano Beach was the southernmost station of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway. Frank Sheene, a railroad employee, gave the city its name by writing down the fish he had for dinner on the shoreline survey he was working on. Today, pompano is a popular fish found in abundance in the waters off Pompano Beach.