My best friend and I are looking for a long weekend getaway spot in Florida (probably March timeframe). It's a weekend away from the kids- so obviously no Orlando destinations and we're in our 30s, so no Panama City or Miami destinations. And Key West seems a little too "rustic" (for lack of a better word).
I'm invisioning something warm, quiet, where we can sit by the pool or the beach and be served drinks. Not entirely high-end, but something with a bit of a luxury feel.
I've been looking into Sanibel Isalnd, Marco Island, Palm Beach but I'm just unfamilar with Florida, I don't know what places kind of fit this bill. So does anybody have any location/resort suggestions?
just seeing what everyone here recommends, as we're going to check out Clearwater Beach this week for the day!
Your Girl weekend getaway in March sounds Fab.!!
E&O Sanibel Island would probably be a good choice for what you are looking for. There is a really nice spa hotel, I think it's called Sanibel Island Spa.
JLRenheos, I love Clearwater Beach. So much fun stuff to do. I used to live in Clearwater, now we're about an hour north of there but we still go for the day every now and then.
The Ritz Carlton in Naples is also really nice. Nice pool and beach.
Actually a gf and I just went to Key West for a weekend and had a great time. We went at a quiet time so that made a difference. We
stayed at the Westin Key West Resort and Marina. They have a great spa on their private island Sunset Key.
I love Naples most and have been there lots of times. There are many nice beaches in and around town. The town itself is pretty and on 5th Avenue you definitely have that luxury feeling. If youŽd like to go to the east coast, I would go to Jupiter or Palm Coast. But judging from your description, you should be pretty happy with Naples.
However, I'm confused as to why Miami wouldn't be a consideration. If you're interested in hanging by the pool and sipping cocktails, there are some spectacular hotel choices on South Beach (W South Beach, Fontainbleu, Eden Roc, Ritz South Beach and the Setai come to mind) and of course the Ritz on Key Biscayne.
Bumping up for some more information on Clearwater Beach. I think there are some local ladies on the boards. I am trying to figure out where the best place to stay is. We would like a 2br condo ideally. Also, looking for fun suggestions to do with our 4 year old.
I don't know about condo rental, when we go to the beach for the weekend we usually stay at the Sheraton Sand Key. There are a ton of condos on Sand Key so I'm sure there are plenty of rentals, we've just never looked into that.
As far as things to do, definitely go to the Clearwater Aquarium to see Winter. There is a pirate ship cruise right out of Clearwater Beach that's fun. Every evening there are vendors and magicians and jugglers etc. at the Clearwater pier and during season there are water slides, bounce houses and those bungy cord trampolines. St.Pete and Tampa both have nice children's museums and Tampa also has a great Aquarium. There is also a Surf Style store right at the Beach with indoor surfing.
I would do VRBO for Clearwater Beach and you will get tons of possibilities. The closer you get to Clearwater Beach itself the more "action" there is, but there are lots of smaller, quieter beach communities too. My parents rented a place in Belleair Beach a couple of years ago and it was nice. Indian Rocks and Redington Beaches are also nice and pretty close to Clearwater. I agree with Dragonfly that Sand Key is worth checking.
Florida Beaches
Reply With Quote
