Hotel restaurants are rarely inspiring, but the new boutique-style Hollywood Beach Marriott makes a big splash with its oceanfront Latitudes, which sits on the Broadwalk with a picture-postcard view of sand and surf.

While there's an air-conditioned inside dining room at the refurbished $30 million hotel, site of the old Howard Johnson's, you won't want to miss dining outdoors, where this South Beachy-style setting transforms a sleepier stretch of shore.

After sunset, ceiling fans suspended from lovely wood panels stir the night's Atlantic breezes, even in August, or you can dine directly under the stars. During the day, some patrons lounge by the pristine pool, stopping by the tiki bar for a cold one.

Our friends liked the attitude at Latitudes. Servers are friendly, attentive -- no hotel aloofness. As for the menu, Latitudes trots the globe, with stops in the Caribbean, Italy and Asia with a focus on Floribbean cuisine. British chef Andy Gayler, with experience cooking in London, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Caymans, uses lots of Florida fruits, like mangoes, Key limes and citrus to complement his fun, flavorful fare, which incidentally, doesn't come with an inflated tab. Except for a few specials, entrees are less than $20, and sandwiches, salads or pizza from $7 to $13.

An assortment of sweet and savory breads, including cinnamon raisin crisp, rosemary focaccia, crostini and sesame flatbreads with a scoop of perky chili-spiked whipped butter, impresses from the start. But leave room for a stellar appetizer list. Our table was raving about the salmon and brie crostini, with apple-wood smoked salmon, brie, guacamole and sun-dried tomatoes layered on ciabatta rounds with a pinch of Parmesan and scattering of capers.

Another winner: the delicate crab and lobster cake, packed with bluefin crab and Florida lobster -- not filler -- rolled in a thin coating of grease-free cornmeal, topped off with a kicky mango chipotle aioli and pickled fruit chutney made from pineapples, papaya and bananas. Or go for the portobello fries, marinated in a tempura batter, served with a roasted garlic aioli and dip of tomato sauce.

At lunchtime, salads were landing on nearly every table, with good reason. They're perfect hot-weather food, cool, crisp and here ranging from simple mesclun mixes to steak salad with Gorgonzola crumbles.

The menu lists four flatbread pizzas, but don't expect a typical thin, crisp crust. The dough on our ample andouille pie was thick and puffy, though still very good, brushed with pesto.

As for entrees, we had mixed results. Our landlubber choice of a skirt steak dish labeled Fire and Spice didn't seem to have either, and the steak was a bit chewy. Fish and seafood dominate, and most are good picks except for a disappointing yellow snapper which was overcooked and dry. We liked an accompanying Puerto Rican mofongo cake of mashed green plantains. The popular sea bass, however, is succulent, perfectly cooked and attractively presented, served with frisée, fried potato sticks and stir-fried veggies.

We were also hooked on the rustica seafood, with a Florida lobster tail; firm, fat shrimp; chunks of fresh grouper and salmon; tomatoes and red and green bell peppers in a delicious, sofrito-enhanced sauce sweetened by coconut milk.

Before you head for a beach stroll, don't miss the terrific desserts. The pina colada-tini is an update of an old-fashioned parfait, just heavenly, with a sinfully rich coconut mousse with chunks of almond biscotti, coconut rum-soaked pineapple, garnished with whipped cream, fresh berries, mint, mango coulis and a white chocolate stick, served in a Pilsner glass. Another treat: a creme brlée trio with samples of espresso, banana and a classic vanilla custard, each topped with tufts of whipped cream.

With its waterfront location, fun menu and laid-back atmosphere, Latitudes is bound to be a hot destination.