Riverside Hotel predates nearly every other property in this market, sitting directly on Las Olas Boulevard among the shops, galleries, and restaurants that make the street Fort Lauderdale's best-known downtown corridor.
Its meeting space reflects that history: smaller rooms with genuine architectural character rather than the large, flexible ballrooms found at newer resort properties, which makes it a fit for groups that value setting and walkability over floor space.
The hotel has expanded over the decades with additions built to echo its original architecture, so while the property has grown beyond its 1936 footprint, the newer sections were designed to match rather than contrast with the historic core facing Las Olas Boulevard.
Execution priorities
- Fort Lauderdale's original Las Olas Boulevard hotel, dating to 1936
- Walkable downtown position among shops and restaurants
- Small-meeting scale rather than convention-hall capacity
- Later additions were designed to match the hotel's original 1936 architecture
Fort Lauderdale's original Las Olas hotel
Riverside Hotel opened in 1936 and has operated on Las Olas Boulevard longer than any comparable property in the city, giving it a genuine architectural and historic character that newer construction cannot replicate.
That history shows up in the building itself, older room configurations, period details, rather than the standardized layouts found in more recently built resort properties around the beach and convention corridors.
Walkable downtown positioning
Las Olas Boulevard's shops, restaurants, and galleries sit steps from the hotel's entrance, which makes evening programming genuinely easy: groups can walk to dinner or a reception venue without arranging transportation.
That downtown position also puts the hotel a short drive, not a walk, from the Broward County Convention Center and Port Everglades corridor, useful for groups splitting time between Las Olas events and a nearby show.
Riverside Hotel offers valet parking on site, a practical choice given that street parking directly on Las Olas Boulevard is limited and metered, busier than the surface lots found near beach or convention-district properties.
- Direct walkable access to Las Olas Boulevard dining and retail
- Short drive to the convention center and port corridor
- Historic 1936 building with period architectural details
The New River backdrop
The hotel sits along the New River, which runs through downtown Fort Lauderdale and adds a waterfront element distinct from the Intracoastal or ocean views found at the beach and convention-district properties.
River-facing event space here offers a quieter, more downtown-scaled waterfront view than the marina or ocean settings found elsewhere in the market.
Small-meeting scale on a historic footprint
Riverside Hotel is best suited to smaller meetings, board retreats, VIP dinners, or a boutique reception tied to a larger show, rather than any program requiring exhibit-floor square footage. Its appeal is character and location, not capacity.
How the hotel grew without losing its character
Riverside Hotel's expansions over the decades added guest rooms and meeting space beyond the original 1936 building, but the additions were designed to echo the property's original architecture rather than depart from it, which keeps the Las Olas Boulevard frontage looking consistent with the hotel's early history.
For planners, that means meeting space booked in a newer wing still carries some of the same architectural character as the historic core, rather than feeling like a mismatched modern addition bolted onto an older building.
The hotel does not carry the large spa or pool-deck amenities found at the beachfront resorts, its appeal rests on location and architectural character rather than resort-style leisure facilities, which is worth setting expectations around for a group used to beachfront properties.
The hotel's downtown position also means parking rates and valet service run closer to a big-city standard than the more spread-out surface lots common at beach and convention-district properties, worth factoring into a group's overall budget.
None of that changes the hotel's core identity: it remains a small, character-driven property best matched to boutique meetings rather than a venue built to absorb convention-scale exhibit-floor traffic.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Riverside Hotel?
It opened in 1936, making it one of the oldest operating hotels in Fort Lauderdale.
Is Riverside Hotel walkable to restaurants and shops?
Yes, it sits directly on Las Olas Boulevard among the district's dining and retail.
Can Riverside Hotel host a large trade show?
No, its meeting space is sized for smaller groups rather than exhibit-floor programs.
Is Riverside Hotel on the ocean or a river?
The New River, which runs through downtown Fort Lauderdale, not the ocean or Intracoastal.
Has Riverside Hotel been expanded since 1936?
Yes, though later additions were designed to match the original architecture rather than contrast with it.
Is parking easy near Riverside Hotel given its downtown location?
The hotel offers valet parking; street parking on Las Olas Boulevard itself is limited and metered.