escargot

My husband and I are in need of some pampering and hibernation. List some initial possibilities below, have compared on other web sites, etc -
but wanted your tried and true opinions of places from recent personal experiences or knowledge.

Facing crazy travel schedule (including flights, trains, autos) over next 7 wks for both business and personal but nothing restful - and I'm a few weeks away from total recovery from a recent surgery, -
so this would be what gets us through the craziness

My WISH LIST
May 10-15
Preferably Florida (easy, 3 hr non stop)- and not a long haul from airport to resort-prefer not to rent car

4 full days of complete R & R: luxury hotel, pool, beach - w/ umbrellas/cabanas, preferably where they bring you your drinks and I never have to leave my chair
spa and gym on premises
love (and have) kids, but a spot less likely to have tons of kids running around or at least has adult only pool area
and
ON premise restaurant choices:
Do NOT want to have to get in a cab/car and drive even 10-20 minutes to eat dinner - (MIGHT consider doing it once for an amazing restaurant, but being in Boston, NYC and other cities w/ enough fine dining, not the purpose of this trip but want hotel to have excellent choices)

Want to be able to walk from room to beach to pool to spa for a treatment/ to room/shower/ walk to outdoor and indoor dining options on premises, enjoy cocktails and bottle of wine w/ dinner followed by short stroll on premises or beach, an after dinner drink in a nice corner or bar, and walk back to room.

No driving to other spots, restaurants- shopping - movies - these are things we do all the time at home and on other trips, and when in Florida visiting relatives or on business several times annually, but we aren't staying then in this type of hotel- this is total FLA vegetation time, we are not seeing any relatives nor doing any business -If b/c of weather or some reason we MUST go off site, should be something w/in cab distance.

I am not putting into the mix any of the islands where, although we've been to many of them before and loved them- I don't want the extra flight time of even 30 minutes, or change planes or take a ferry. I don't want to be the least bit tempted to do anything off site or feel that I should.

Ritz Naples?
Breakers, Ritz or 4 Seasons in Palm Beach?
Any recent experiences at any of these or another resort that would fit this bill?

Much appreciation in advance for any suggestions.

GoTravel

I can't tell you about the Ritz Naples but your other choices in Palm Beach are not walkable to dining.

The Mandarin Oriental is not oceanfront but it is Bayfront and has an amazing spa.

The Delano
The Shore Club
The Ritz-Carlton South Beach

All three of these have exactly what you want and are in walking distance to amazing restaurants.


Slightly less expensive with what you want would be The Loews Hotel in South Beach. The spa should be open by now.

carolyna

I would vote for The Breakers--there are restuarants on site and they are VERY excellent pamperers. My husband and I were there for a conference a few months ago--absolute lap of luxury. There is a restuarant where the dining room looks right out to the ocean. Nice ambience--and excellent food.

Ike

The Ritz Naples is a good one along with Ritz Carlton Amelia Island. I have been to both twice and I would vote for Amelia Island. Fernadina Beach is a neat town about 10 minutes in a cab with some fantastic restaurants and neat shops. The RC AI has all you asked for in one building. Their fine dining restaurant is unbelievable with a wonderful view of the ocean. I am spoiled as we go to the beach at Destin, FL and there's nothing like the beach there in the US including AI and Naples. I vote for AI because you can fly into Jacksonville, FL and the RC will pick you up for the 30 minute ride to the resort. I don't think the beach at either resort comes close to comparing to Destin but the water will be cold in either place in May. Have a nice trip.

Ike

Links to RC Naples and Amelia Island. Naples is a pretty nice size city and not as much fun for me compared to Fernadina Beach. It's about same distance from the a/p at Ft. Myers to Naples maybe 10 miles further than Jacksonville to Fernadina Beach. I liked FB better than Naples for dining and shopping. You could take the ferry over to Cumblerland Island to visit the Greyfield Inn where JFJ Jr. was married.

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Proper...es/Default.htm

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Proper...nd/Default.htm

escargot

Thank you - I am looking at your suggestions -

GoT, I think I wasn't clear as there is some confusion about walking to restaurants -
I do NOT want to walk/drive to any restaurants - I would prefer they ALL be on premises of the resort and that resort have a few choices - sorry if it was not clear in post -
I want it all within the walls of the resort -

one night perhaps a cab to outside restaurant, but I'd prefer not to have to.

I'd rather be a bit removed and not tempted to ever leave - which is why I hadn't been considering South Beach -

and one of the reasons I was thinking Naples/Palm Beach b/c between relatives and business we are there enough we wouldn't feel the pull to leave a resort if that makes sense.

GoTravel

Gotcha! Makes perfect sense.

escargot

So GoT, that being the case, do any of the others in Palm Beach make sense now, from what you know ?

Carolyna thank you- and Ike, - I don't care about swimming in the ocean (I can do plenty of that up here in the summer) what I should have added is I would really like a beach I can walk.

If I ended up choosing between Ritz naples and Ritz AI, - I don't care about being near Naples, absolutely love it but have spent lots of time there as my mom used to live in Marco - never been to AI so if the resort is excellent, that would be something that interested me more -

thanks for the ideas.

joan

How about the Don Cesar Resort in St. Pete Beach? Beautiful beach, excellent restaurants on site, spa, 30 minutes from tpa airport, everything on your list:

http://www.doncesar.com/

Dreamer2

Can anyone comment from personal experience on the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort and Spa?

This one is on my "wish list" for what you're describing:
http://marriott.com/hotels/travel/mr...-club-and-spa/
But I haven't been there yet.

Good luck - Please report back with the perfect find!

escargot

Dreamer2, - while I have not stayed at that Marriott I have had friends who have, and I spent many many days walking that beach since my mom lived on Marco for well over 20 years and since she died, we sold her house so when I go back, I rent one b/c we like having our own pool, view on the water, etc and don't mind bbq/eating out for a week or so - different vaca for me then what I am looking for now.

So I can not speak to the spa services, or the actual rooms (although our friends who have gone there for long weekend/ 4 or 5 dy get a ways were pleased) - i enjoy the following at the hotel : Enjoying drinks and light dinner at sunset at Quinns on the beach - gorgeous sunsets on Marco, and lovely beach to walk from one end to the other (a bit past the Marriott on one side all the way to Tiger Tail and beyond/around the sand bar on the other - great beach for shelling - often when walking the beach we would stop there for lunch/pizza/ice cream -

a few reasons I did not pick it for this trip:
It wouldn't seem like 'somewhere new' to me - I had too many family dinners in the hotel dining room over many owners! - and want closer to an airport - I don't want to have to travel from Ft Myers to Marco and I don't even want to have to cross a street to play tennis if that makes sense - I want it all on premises and a tad fancier. But I hope you get to Marco some day, my kids grew up on that beach and it holds a special place in our hearts. I think there are some posts here on this hotel and on Marco Island, you can put it in the search bar and find them.

Meanwhile, I am busy looking at Don CeSar, Ritz in Amelia Island and Breakers.....seems that is what I might be down too, although someone just mentioned to me I should consider lago mar, but I don't think I want to be "in" a city like Ft. L, but trying for a bit of a 'remote' feeling if that makes sense

GoTravel

Escargot, I LOVE the Breakers. It is a fabulous old hotel. Everything about it is fantastic.

It has been years since I've stayed at the Don Csar so I don't feel qualified to chime in on that one.

OO

I've stayed at both the Don CeSar and the Ritz Amelia. Hard to compare those two hotels...one new (relatively speaking) and shiny, the other a 20's era wonderful old hotel. Ritz has what all the new hotels have...bigger rooms, a room size you can't get in the grand dame hotels. We had a junior suite at the Don...lovely, and perfect for the two of us, facing the Gulf and with a balcony. Their high end restaurant, Maritana Grill, is excellent and they have casual and poolside dining as well. Haven't used the spa, but they've got one, plus tennis on the premises. A couple of pools, including a children's pool. Cabanas and lounges poolside and beach-side.

Ritz Amelia doesn't have nearly as nice a beach as the Don, simply because beaches in that area aren't the pretty Gulf beaches, but the beach is OK. There were no lounges or cabanas beach-side during our visit. The water was rougher than I would have liked for swimming (drop off creating stronger wave action? I don't know) and I was a lifeguard and Red Cross swim instructor all through college so it's not that I'm at all uncomfortable in the water. Service is impeccable. They knew our name and used it from check-in on. Service is Ritz's middle name, more so than the Don, which is a Lowes.

Ritz is an easy drive from JAX airport as is the Don from TPA. TPA is a direct flight from many locations, less so for JAX.

Gosh...what a wonderful dilemma to be in...Breakers, Ritz or Don?

escargot

OO , if you return -
the beach being not 'nearly' as nice - exactly how 'not nearly' - I would dearly love a beach I can actually walk, at least one mile long if not longer - I don't care as much about being able to swim in the ocean since I have that all summer long - it's the walks on the beach I want more.

Also, a few critics of the Don CeSar mention the fact that it can be too busy for them at times b/c it can be a wedding destination hotel - I hate to sound like a downer, and I know many resorts could be having a wedding/ but if several are happening at the same time I wonder if individual service could suffer or it could be just too crazy - I wonder if it could be quieter at Amelia -

So I am still deciding - I want a beach I can walk but not at the expense of excellent service....I can get direct flights to all of them.... so if you could return to one, would it be Don CeSar or Ritz Amelia??

SiestaLinda

Ok maybe not the same caliber of the Ritz--but definitely a great place to veg--and if you are in the mood, St. Armands Circle with wonderful restaurants and shops only 5 minutes a way---and of course since I live here a good place.

The Longboat Key Club on Longboat Key, only an hour from Tampa airport and 20 min from Sarasota airport.

Miles of white beaches, wonderful pool and cabana, a new spa, and service is great.

www.longboatkeyclub.com

escargot

We enjoyed a trip to Longboat several years ago, but I am really looking for a spot where I never have to leave the property and I think a bit smaller size wise than what I remember this resort being.

wow

escargot: I was thinking of Lago Mar...great beach, wonderful restaurant (you can sit poolside for dinner) but I don't know about the spa. When you are @ LM you do not feel as if your are "in" the City! And, also it is not really "luxury" but very nice. I love LM...get a suite facing East. Ask for a "renovated " one. www.lagomar.com
Also, take a look @ www.pelicanbeach.com
Both LM & Pelican have the same great beach for walking. Pelican has a lazy river. Again, don't know about the spa. And, Pelican has a wonderful verandah overlooking the beach where you can sit & have your breakfast. Ask for a Suite @ Pelican facing East. Pelican's motto is "Nothing between you & the beach " & it's true! Both are very close to the FLL airport. Marriott Harbor Beach in FLL is another possibility.

OO

If I could return to one, it'd be the Don, but primarily because I prefer that area of FL--what most people think of when they think of FL, more tropical feeling than north FL which in feel is more an extension of south GA.

This may decide it for you: although I did not use the Don's spa, nor even see it, my husband has seen it and says it's "a joke"...this he told me tonight when I gave him your list of "must haves" and explained the situation.

The beach: yes you can walk a long way at the Ritz, but the sand is quite loose and deep, making it harder walking than the Don's, and it's not the beautiful white sand that you get in the Tampa Bay area. St Pete Beach has beautiful sand, easy to walk, especially as the tide recedes, exposing so many nice shells. (Shelling is the most relaxing of pastimes I find, and as many shells as I have, I simply cannot walk the beach without collecting more.)

The Don boasts of having more weddings than there are days in the year, but they are of all sizes and many are just small ceremonies with a handful of guests on a small section of the beach, especially at sunset. The night we stayed was our anniversary so we enjoyed watching a ceremony on the beach that night, wondering what things were in store for that couple as we celebrated our 3xth anniversary.

I haven't read all through this thread, but have you looked at the Ritz in Naples or the Registry? The latter has changed names, don't recall the new one. We've stayed at both and they are lovely as well, though not smack on the beach as the Don or Ritz Amelia are.

escargot

OO - Thank you -
I too am a shell collector/beach walker so I hear the Don calling me on that one, however, an excellent spa is important to us this trip, - from one review I found, it appears their spa was/is undergoing a 'much needed' renovation which was due to be finished in 07 - so I am going to do some research on this one, now if it was and completed early, I'm in luck -

otherwise, we are between Amelia Island or Naples Ritz, so I am down to final phone calls today.

Thanks for all your help - if the Don doesn't work out this time, I will definitely keep it on our list for other get a ways - the beach looked fabulous.

granniem

I would say "The Atlantic" Sheraton hotel in Ft. Lauderdale. They have everything you were asking for. Across the street from the ocean, pool, spa, restaurants on site. It is a "luxury Group" hotel, not just a plain sheraton