Shopping for Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos means choosing a lifestyle as much as a residence. The barrier island between the Atlantic and the Intracoastal Waterway has the city’s best beaches, its most famous marinas and quick access to Las Olas Boulevard and downtown. This guide from our team covers what it is like to live around St. Regis Residences Bahia Mar, and why this stretch of the coast keeps attracting buyers from around the world.
Where St Regis Bahia Mar Sits
St Regis Bahia Mar occupies the historic Bahia Mar Yachting Center on the Fort Lauderdale barrier island. The Atlantic beach and the A1A promenade are across the street; the Intracoastal Waterway and the marina are at the foot of the towers. Few Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos can claim both the sand and a deepwater marina at the same address.
The Beach
Fort Lauderdale Beach runs for miles along A1A, with a wide promenade for walking, running and cycling. Residents of St Regis Bahia Mar also have the private St. Regis Beach Club, so a beach day comes with chairs, umbrellas and service rather than a cooler and a parking hunt.
Las Olas Boulevard and Downtown
A short drive west across the Intracoastal, Las Olas Boulevard is the city’s main street for dining, galleries and boutiques. It continues into downtown, where the Riverwalk follows the New River past restaurants, the performing arts district and the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale. The city’s water taxi connects many of these stops by canal, which is the most Fort Lauderdale way to get to dinner.
Parks, Culture and Weekends
- Hugh Taylor Birch State Park on the barrier island offers shaded trails, kayaking and a quiet stretch of green between the ocean and the Intracoastal.
- Bonnet House Museum & Gardens preserves a historic oceanfront estate with gardens and art.
- The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show fills the waterfront each fall, with Bahia Mar at its center.
- Fishing, diving and sailing start right from the marina, with open water a short ride away through Port Everglades.
Getting Around and Getting Away
For buyers who travel often, the location is practical. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and the Port Everglades cruise terminals are a short drive south. Brightline trains from downtown Fort Lauderdale connect to Miami, West Palm Beach and Orlando, and private aviation is available at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. For second-home owners from the Northeast, Latin America and Europe, getting here is part of the appeal.
Fort Lauderdale Beach vs. Miami Beach
Buyers often compare the two. Fort Lauderdale tends to feel calmer and more residential, with a stronger boating culture and more space per dollar, while Miami Beach offers a bigger nightlife and hotel scene. Branded waterfront pricing in Fort Lauderdale also sits below Miami’s top projects; our post on the St Regis Bahia Mar price per square foot breaks down the numbers.
Choosing a Residence at St Regis Bahia Mar
Within the neighborhood, the right residence depends on how you live. The Resort Collection suits seasonal owners and investors who want a flexible rental program, and the Private Residences and penthouses suit full-time living with wraparound terraces. Compare the St Regis Bahia Mar floor plans, current prices and the amenities included with each collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is St Regis Bahia Mar directly on the beach?
The towers sit on the Intracoastal side at the marina, with the Atlantic beach directly across the street and a private beach club for residents.
What other luxury condos are nearby?
Along the coast, buyers also consider W Hotel Residences Pompano Beach to the north and Viceroy Residences Fort Lauderdale downtown. Our team can compare them for you.
Daily Life Around Fort Lauderdale Beach Luxury Condos
Life on the barrier island runs on an easy rhythm. Mornings start early on the beach promenade, when runners, cyclists and dog walkers share the path along A1A before the heat of the day. By mid-morning the water is busy with paddleboards, sailboats and fishing charters heading out through the inlet. Afternoons are for the pool, the beach club or the boat, and evenings move west toward Las Olas or stay close to home on the terrace as the sun sets over the Intracoastal.
That rhythm is a big part of why buyers choose Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos over a house inland. Everything that defines the lifestyle, from the sand to the marina to dinner, is within a few minutes, and the building takes care of security, maintenance and service while you are away.
Dining and evenings out
The beach itself has a long strip of casual cafés and oceanview restaurants, and the resort at St Regis Bahia Mar adds a signature restaurant, a poolside bar and grill, the St. Regis Cognac Room and Tea Room. For a bigger night out, Las Olas Boulevard and the downtown Riverwalk offer steakhouses, seafood rooms, wine bars and rooftop lounges, many reachable by water taxi. Owners who entertain at home often use the resort for private events, with two ballrooms on site.
Shopping and errands
Las Olas Boulevard covers boutiques, galleries and home design stores, and the Galleria Fort Lauderdale shopping center sits a short drive north on Sunrise Boulevard. Grocery stores, pharmacies and everyday services are spread along the mainland side of the bridges, so day-to-day errands rarely take long.
Healthcare, Schools and Family Life
Families and full-time residents look closely at services, and Fort Lauderdale is well covered. Major hospital systems, including Broward Health Medical Center and Holy Cross Health, are located in the city. The area also has respected private schools, among them Pine Crest School, along with public magnet programs throughout Broward County.
For families, the St Regis Bahia Mar resort includes a Children’s Club, two resort-style pools and a family pool, which makes the building practical for grandchildren visits and school holidays as well as everyday living.
Weather, Seasons and Hurricane Readiness
Fort Lauderdale has a subtropical climate with warm winters, which is why so many owners spend the season from November through April here. Summers are hot and humid with afternoon storms. Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and buyers of Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos should understand how a building is designed and managed for it.
- Broward County falls within Florida’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which requires stricter building standards for windows, doors and structure.
- New towers such as St Regis Bahia Mar are designed to current Florida Building Code requirements.
- Ask about backup power, storm preparation procedures and how the marina secures vessels before a storm.
- Review insurance costs for the residence and contents as part of your ownership budget.
The Cost of Owning Fort Lauderdale Beach Luxury Condos
The purchase price is only the start. A realistic ownership budget for Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos includes association fees, property taxes, insurance for the interior and contents, utilities and, for branded buildings, the cost of services. Ask for the estimated operating budget for any building you are considering, and compare it per square foot, not just per month.
Florida also has advantages for owners. There is no state personal income tax, and owners who make a Florida residence their primary home can apply for the homestead exemption, which reduces taxable value and limits how much the assessed value can rise each year. Speak with a tax advisor about how these rules apply to your situation.
Who Buys Fort Lauderdale Beach Luxury Condos?
- Seasonal owners from the Northeast, the Midwest and Canada who spend the winter in Florida.
- Boat owners who want their yacht and their home at the same address.
- International buyers from Latin America and Europe who value Fort Lauderdale’s airport access and stable market.
- Relocating executives and families who want a full-service home without the upkeep of a house.
- Investors who use rental programs in branded buildings such as the St Regis Resort Collection.
Fort Lauderdale Beach vs. Other Fort Lauderdale Neighborhoods
Buyers often compare the beach with Las Olas Isles, where waterfront single-family homes line the canals, and with downtown towers near Brightline and the Riverwalk. The beach offers the strongest resort lifestyle and the most direct ocean access; Las Olas Isles offers private homes with docks and more upkeep; downtown offers city energy and lower entry prices. If you want ocean, marina and full service with no maintenance, the beach is the clear fit, and St Regis Bahia Mar is one of the few addresses that offers all three.
To see how pricing compares, read our breakdown of the St Regis Bahia Mar price per square foot and our comparison of branded residences in Fort Lauderdale.
Why Buyers Choose Fort Lauderdale Beach Luxury Condos
- Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos offer miles of beach with a calmer, more residential feel than Miami Beach.
- Boating culture: many Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos sit close to marinas and the Intracoastal Waterway.
- Fast travel through FLL airport, Port Everglades and Brightline.
- Branded options such as St Regis Bahia Mar add hotel-level service to home ownership.
What do Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos cost?
Pricing ranges widely by building, view and services. At St Regis Bahia Mar, residences start around $2.56 million in the Resort Collection; other Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos start lower or higher depending on brand, size and location.
Which Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos have a marina?
Very few. St Regis Bahia Mar is one of the rare Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos with a deepwater marina at the base of the towers and the beach across the street.
In short, Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos give you the ocean, the Intracoastal and a full-service building in one move. When you compare Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos, put location, service and marina access side by side, then look at price. That is where St Regis Bahia Mar stands apart from other Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos.
A Week in the Life at St Regis Bahia Mar
To picture what owning one of the Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos at Bahia Mar really feels like, imagine a typical week in season.
Monday to Wednesday: settling in
You land at FLL, and a car is waiting because the concierge team arranged it before you left home. Butler service has stocked the kitchen and opened the terrace doors. The first evening is quiet: a walk along the beach promenade at sunset, then dinner at the resort restaurant. Over the next two days you fall into the routine of a morning swim, a workout in the residents’ fitness center and lunch by the pool.
Thursday and Friday: on the water
The boat is ready at the marina, steps from the tower. You head out through Port Everglades for a day of fishing or cruise north along the coast. Friday evening you take the water taxi along the New River to Las Olas for dinner with friends, then return by boat under the bridges.
The weekend: family and friends
Grandchildren arrive for the weekend. They spend Saturday between the Children’s Club, the family pool and the beach club, while the adults book a cabana. Sunday is brunch on the terrace and a late afternoon at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park before everyone flies home. When you leave, the building takes care of the residence until your next visit, and Resort Collection owners can place it in the rental program.
Questions to Ask When Touring Fort Lauderdale Beach Luxury Condos
Whether you are touring St Regis Bahia Mar or comparing it with other Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos, these questions help you compare buildings on equal terms:
- Which direction does the residence face, and what will the view look like after nearby projects are built?
- What services are included in the association fees, and which are charged separately?
- What are the rules for short-term and long-term rentals?
- How are deliveries, guests and contractors handled, and what are the security procedures?
- What are the marina terms, if you plan to keep a boat?
- When is the building expected to be delivered, and how are delays handled in the contract?
- What is the full deposit schedule, and where are the deposits held?
Our team keeps a written answer to each of these for St Regis Bahia Mar, and we can request the same information from other buildings on your shortlist so the comparison is fair.
How to Start Your Search
Most buyers begin with a short call to define budget, timing and how they will use the residence. From there, our team sends a shortlist with floor plans, pricing and views for the residences that fit, then arranges a private tour or a video presentation. If you are coming from abroad, our Fly and Buy program and concierge team can organize the visit. Read our guide on how to buy a condo in Fort Lauderdale from abroad and our step-by-step preconstruction buying guide.
Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos with deepwater marina access are a small and shrinking category. If St Regis Bahia Mar fits your plans, the best time to review availability is while the widest choice of floors and views remains.
Fort Lauderdale Beach Luxury Condos at a Glance
- Setting: a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, with miles of public beach and the A1A promenade.
- Boating: some of the best marina access in Florida, including the Bahia Mar Yachting Center and quick access to open water through Port Everglades.
- Culture: Las Olas Boulevard, the Riverwalk, the performing arts district, the NSU Art Museum and Bonnet House Museum & Gardens.
- Nature: Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, the beach dunes and the waterways for kayaking and paddleboarding.
- Travel: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport for private aviation, Port Everglades cruise terminals and Brightline service to Miami, West Palm Beach and Orlando.
- Services: major hospitals, private and magnet schools and everyday shopping on the mainland side of the bridges.
Taken together, these features explain why demand for Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos has stayed strong among seasonal owners, boaters, families and international buyers. The supply of new buildings with true beach and marina access is limited by the geography of the island itself, which is one reason buyers watch St Regis Bahia Mar so closely.
If you are weighing the barrier island against other parts of South Florida, our team is happy to walk you through the trade-offs in plain terms, including price, fees, travel time and lifestyle, so the decision is based on how you actually plan to live.
Talk to Our Team
Exploring Fort Lauderdale beach luxury condos? Call our team at +1 305 571-6319 or tap the WhatsApp bubble on this page. We will send live availability, floor plans and the full deposit schedule.
Prices, sizes and terms are approximate, subject to change and based on published developer information at the time of writing. Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating the representations of the developer. For correct representations, make reference to the documents required by Section 718.503, Florida Statutes, to be furnished by a developer to a buyer or lessee.