This Super Bowl Sunday, Colts and Saints fans will be watching with bated breath to see which team reigns supreme on the football field. But at Oyster, we have another contest on our minds: Which team scored the nicest hotel? The question matters more than you might think — a more relaxing hotel stay just might translate into a better performance on game day.
Get ready to place your bets.
Inside the Colts’ Super Bowl Hotel:
Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa
- Price: $442/night
- Rating: 4.0 Pearls
- Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fresh off its $25 million makeover, this 650-room Marriott in Fort Lauderdale has plenty to keep a football team entertained: direct access to a great beach, an 8,000 square-foot free-form pool with food and drink service, a steam room, Jacuzzi, sauna, and full range of massages at the spa, plus a large, bright 24-hour fitness center. The recently renovated rooms are clean, comfortable, and quiet, with 32-inch flat-screen TVs, iPod docks, stocked minibars, and plush, comfortable beds that will help players get a solid night’s sleep. The hotel might just be the Colts’ lucky charm: The team stayed here in 2007 before its Super Bowl victory against the Chicago Bears. In fact, some players are staying in their former rooms. You don’t mess with success. Read full review
Inside the Saints’ Super Bowl Hotel:
- Price: $405/night
- Rating: 3.5 Pearls
- Location: Downtown, Miami
This huge, pink 776-room downtown tower 15 minutes from the beach has been renovated over the years (the lobby was redone in 2008, for example) but some of the non-refurbished rooms still look 20 years old, with tube TVs and stale-smelling air. The small gym and spa also fail to impress (the sauna and steam rooms are hardly larger than shower stalls). Still, the service is attentive, the lovely pool has a view of the bay, the beds are soft, and the minibars well stocked. Read full review
The winner: Sorry, Saints fans — the champion of the Super Bowl hotel showdown seems pretty clear: The Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa, where the Colts are staying, has better rooms, better amenities, and a better chance of sending its team on to Super Bowl glory. (Having one of the best quarterbacks of all time doesn’t hurt the Colts’ odds, either.)
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