TL;DR
West Coast of Florida
For luxury on the west side of Florida, the Ritz-Carlton Naples stands out as a favorite. It has recently undergone a full renovation, offering beautiful beaches, spacious pools, and exceptional dining options [1:1]. Guests also have access to the Ritz Tiburon's lazy river and water slides
[1:1]. The St Regis Longboat Key received mixed reviews, with some finding it underwhelming
[1:4]
[1:7].
Miami Area
In Miami, the Ritz-Carlton South Beach is noted for its beachfront location and upscale vibe [2]. The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables is another excellent choice, known for its stunning architecture and legendary golf course
[2:1]
[2:2]. The Edition in South Beach offers fantastic vibes and dining options
[2:3], while the Four Seasons at The Surf Club provides historical allure but comes with a hefty price tag
[2:2]
[2:4].
Key Largo and Boca Raton
Baker's Cay Resort Key Largo is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton and is described as amazing [3:1]. Another option is the Boca Raton Waldorf Astoria, which offers an incredible experience despite no longer being a Hilton property
[3:2].
Gulf Coast Options
On the Gulf Coast, several properties were discussed, including JW Marriott Marco Island, Ritz-Carlton, and La Playa. The Ritz-Carlton is praised for its spa and restaurants [5:2], while JW Marriott is noted for its seclusion and family-oriented atmosphere
[5:1]
[5:7]. La Playa is smaller but offers direct beach access
[5:2]. Naples Grande was mentioned for its great location and proximity to Venetian Village
[5:5].
Additional Recommendations
For those looking for unique experiences, consider exploring Dutch hotels or other lesser-known luxury spots that cater specifically to tall guests or offer distinctive features. Additionally, checking out local subreddits or forums can provide more personalized insights into these properties.
Need a pre Christmas spot to take the family. What’s the consensus on the best hotel on the west side of Fl? Happy to drive anywhere from Naples to Tampa.
Anyone stayed at St Regis Longboat Key yet? Is it a good spot?
Ritz Carlton Naples is superb. They recently completed a full renovation. The property is stunning, and the spa is one of the best I’ve ever been too. Beaches are beautiful, and lots of space at the pools for adults and kids. The Mediterranean restaurant by the pool was so delicious (and with 5 star service) my husband and I kept joking we couldn’t tell if we were at a poolside bar or a Michelin star restaurant.
You also have access to go over to Ritz Tiburon and use the lazy river and water slides. But don’t stay at Tiburon, stay at Ritz Naples!
Another vote for RC Naples. And if you can spring for the club level, the newly renovated club lounge is 💯, especially with kids and their bottomless stomachs. It is apparently the second largest RC club lounge in the world. The staff, meal presentations, and wine/ liquor were amazing.
Definitely Ritz Naples! We have family in Fort Myers and wish we could justify the drive time to stay in Naples instead.
The St Regis was meh to me
Just stayed at St Regis Longboat last weekend - meh is right
This is disappointing! I was looking forward to this property it looked fun for families/kids
Seriously. It could be so much better
Ritz Naples is definitely the best. FS Naples is opening up in November
Gasparilla Inn - tough to get in though.
The west coast of FL is severely lacking compared to the east coast, unfortunately.
Let me know if anyone has anything to add or if there's anything I should change or missed. Or if you don't agree at all that's fine too! Haha.
PROS: Prime Location, Beachfront Amenities, Excellent Dining. CONS: Limited Pool Space, Older Building Issues.
PROS: Luxury & Exclusivity, Spacious Rooms, Family Friendly Options. CONS: Limited Nightlife & Entertainment, Expensive parking (Valet Only).
PROS: Spacious and Modern Rooms, Prime Downtown Location. CONS: Limited Nightlife, Pricey On Site Dining.
PROS: Historic Charm, Tranquil Atmosphere. CONS: Pricey In Room Dining.
PROS: Temperature controlled pools, Prime Beachfront Location. CONS: High Room Rates, Can be noisy.
NOTE: I've only included hotels that I've personally stayed at. So if I left out one of your favorite hotels there's a good chance I haven't stayed there (yet). Or maybe I just didn't like it. If that's the case, feel free to convince me otherwise! haha.
Love the mention of the Four Seasons at The Surf Club for its historical allure. But have you considered staying at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables? It's not on the beach, but it's dripping with history from the 1920s, and the architecture is just stunning. Plus the golf course is legendary and it's a nice break from the usual South Beach scene.
The Biltmore is delightful! Excellent food and wonderful, warm service from the staff. Spa, gym and pool are top-notch. Gorgeous architecture, such a great old school hotel.
We recently stayed at the Edition in South Beach which was fantastic! Restaurant in lobby and overall vibes were great. Honestly - I feel like you can’t go wrong with any of the 5 star spots in south beach.
The con you listed for the four seasons is expensive in room dining. The real con is that it is the most expensive hotel in Miami. And not worth the cost.
Lots of construction and hotel demolition going on in oceanfront Miami Beach right now. It’s a Shame for the Setai as a number of nearby and adjacent hotels…..The Delano, Raleigh, Shelbourne, etc . are loud dusty demolition sites. Cannot imagine how irritating that is if staying next door. It seems when the condo building collapsed in Sunny Isles a bunch of MB oceanfront property did not pass the 40 year inspections so they are getting torn down and rebuilt. The messy suspended construction site next to the Faena has been like that for years.
Any recommendations away from that?
Looking for staycation options for wife’s birthday. Willing to drive anywhere in state.
We honeymooned at the Boca Raton Waldorf Astoria - it’s no longer a Hilton property but it’s amazing.
Baker's Cay Resort Key Largo, Curio Collection by Hilton
Conrad Ft Lauderdale
Just checked out of the Conrad Fort Lauderdale yesterday. It was my second time there. Staff is great and the IRD food is phenomenal compared to a lot of hotels I’ve stayed (and worked) at. No complaints whatsoever.
The Bakers Cay Resort in Key Largo (Curio Collection) is amazing.
Let’s share some dream escapes. Whether it was a private island in the Maldives, a villa in Tuscany, or a $10,000 suite upgrade in Dubai — we want to hear about it.
Bonus points if you:
Here are a few we’ve been drooling over lately:
👉 Luxury All-Inclusive Resorts in the USA
Aruba for sure! The quieter parts of the island - Baby Beach - not even another soul there! Accessed from rented motor scooter!
I'm looking to spoil the wife with a weekend getaway to the Gulf Coast (we live on the Atlantic Coast of Florida) in mid-July.
I've looked into JW Marriot Marco Island, Ritz-Carlton, and Las Playa. They are damn pricey. Are they worth the shock to the wallet?
We are looking for a nice, quiet pool area, a pretty beach, maybe a nice massage, plus some great on property food.
Can any locals provide some insights/recommendations on these three properties?
Thanks in advance!
Ritz has the best spa — great restaurants too. The one on the beach is casual, almost like finger food, with a sushi restaurant and grill, etc. I’m not a big fan of the pool area — too much concrete.
LaPlaya only has one restaurant on the beach, Baleen. It’s not a big resort. The spa is good too, but very casual in comparison to the Ritz. Still pricey, but the service and offerings almost don’t match. The appeal is that you’re right on the beach. If you stay at the Ritz, you can walk to LaPlaya.
JW Marriott is very secluded. If you go there, you probably won’t visit Naples. It’s family-oriented. The beach is nice, but the walk from the hotel to the actual water is so long — in this heat, you get beat. I’d rate it third on the list after the other two.
If you want something less expensive, consider Naples Grande. It has a nice spa, but I’m not a fan of their food.
Edgewater Hotel is right on the Gulf, but in my opinion, it doesn’t get much sunshine.
You can stay at any of them and book her a spa day at Woodhouse Spa — the best in our area. It would probably be cheaper than any of the resort spas.
Edit: I wrote it all in one big sentence added ., lol
Naples grand is not quiet pool at all. Sometime can hear music from beach like mile away.
Came here to suggest Naples Grande. Great location and offers everything that the OP wants. You can also walk from here to Venetian Village which has at least 6 nice restaurants.
Vanderbilt beach resort or edgewater
Naples grande is awesome
JW does have a adults only section
Locals dont go to those properties too often. I've been a few times to each for dinners or events, but never stayed the night. Ritz Carlton and JW are both some of the most prestigious resorts in Marriott's collection. And I'd suggest searching the marriott subreddit, lots of people there have written about both properties. What I can say: Ritz Carlton has some amazing restaurants, including some new ones from post-Ian repairs. JW is a more family oriented resort. The beach is MASSIVE on Marco, much bigger than in Naples. La Playa has a restaurant called Baleen, which is consistently a highly rated restaurant.
If you're looking for a "quiet" resort, Im not sure you're going to find it with any of those options. The Ritz Carlton has almost 500 rooms (maybe more after renovation), and the JW has 700 or so. La Playa, Im less sure about it, maybe 200ish? In any case, they all are large, busy resorts that feature a TON of luxury accommodations. If thats what you're after, they're some of the best in the world. If you're after quiet, I'd recommend somewhere else. Escalante, for example, is downtown and much smaller, though not directly on the beach, it is pretty close.
Naples isn't really the quiet sleepy town it once was. I still love my town, but if you want "quiet" I'd look in to some other towns on the Gulf Coast.
Great answer
Going to Orlando for New Years, trying to decide which hotel do I stay at:
Jw Marriott Grande Lakes
Ritz Grande Lakes
Jw Bonnet Creak
I have stayed at JW Grande Lakes and loved it. It has just just been a well. Don’t know if they are under renovation etc.
Let me know thanks!
The Grande Lakes complex is nice but doesn’t feel very luxury to me given the sheer number of people around you at any given time.
The JW Bonnet Creek is smaller, newer, and IMO a bit more pleasant/less of a zoo scene, but if you’re after large scale amenities, pools, etc. then Grande Lakes has more of that.
I stayed at Bonnet Creek in November, and it was really nice. The only thing that was a small let down was the fireworks visible on the rooftop nightly, it's much farther away than I expected from the description, so wasn't worth watching. Getting to universal took a long time. Going to the airport was expensive via Uber. Getting to Disney springs was super easy.
Im.here at Grande Lakes now and its cool very spacious lots to do good food.....
My Zeddy used to say “New is new”. And JW Bonnet Creek is new.
Just stayed at the JW Grande Lakes. One of my favorite Florida hotels w use of the Ritz amenities
Have about 620k points. Looking for the best luxury experience I wouldn’t pay cash for. USA and Caribbean preferred. Initial research has my top three at 1) cayman ritz, 2) Santa Barbara ritz 3)JW Marco island. TIA!
Throwing in my .02 on the JW Marco Island. It was a great property but very heavily traveled by business folk and conferences, etc. While it was very, very nice and I loved the property, I didn’t walk away with baby moon vibes. Sounds like another poster on here loved it so maybe I didn’t get to see that side of things since I was there for work.
I love this hotel but in the 21+ Sirene section. Guessing that is not the business conference area.
Would you say the sirene side had more intimate vibes? Still have to go to dinner at the main resort. Debating between here and the Rc Naples
Just spent a few nights at the JW Marco Island for a conference. Couple of things to note:
-it's a huge hotel. Lots of conference space...not something real romantic or intimate.
-Feels like a Marriot, nothing real special IMO.
-Rooms are pretty worn, and housekeeping wasn't great.
St. Regis Kanai resort (Mexico) - super new & fancy.
St. Regis Punta Mita (Mexico) - a bit older, but renovated and one of my favorite resorts worldwide.
Cayman ritz is a bit dated, don't know about the other ones).
I literally just got back from St. Regis Kanai and the amount of pregnant women there was unbelievable.
So many!
These would be my choices. Especially if you’re into it Kanai is a 3 hour drive from one of the 7 wonders of the world. Also Tulum is nearish I think. Very unique property. But if you prioritize beach and sand, then this ain’t it. I’d shoot for Punta Mita.
We did our babymoon at Zadun in San Jose del Cabo, which is a Ritz Carlton Reserve property. They go above and beyond to treat you to the best vacation experience possible. Plus it was only recently that you could book a Reserve property using points. Congratulations and best of luck on your search for your special getaway!
Oh that sounds wonderful I’ll have to check that out! DM me if you have any additional details. Thank you!!
The Bacara (Santa Barbara Ritz) is great, we’ve really enjoyed stays there. Nice pool and great beach for beach walks. There is a natural tar that will get on your feet but they’ve got stuff for it. It’s not technically in SB so just know it’s an Uber to get to town.
Definitely worth looking up historical weather to be sure it’s warm enough there in February. It may be fine as that area can be pretty temperate but just worth checking
Amazing property. Requires a lot of points.
But February weather could easily be chilly.
You can't compare Marco island to the other two you suggested.
I would rather stay at St Regis Miami for a US property, especially in February when it's nice there.
Internationally, there are lots of better options.
Last December they had 1 pool not finished. I'm sure you can call the property and ask. We did last year and they told us the exact situation. We didn't mind the 1 pool unavailable.
I have the three free nights sign up bonus 50k w 15k top off So anything 65K/night and below
Any tips on a family friendly place to take our family if 5? (Kids 6,3,1)
I have seen these places- Ritz Amelia island Ritz Naples tiburon JW Marriott turnberry Miami JW Marriott Clearwater
Thanks!
Marriot Grande Vista Orlando. Beautiful resort. Huge, and for kids.
Wow thanks! Seems like a huge 3 bedroom villa is easily redeemable!
The one pool has a movie screen and they play Disney movies
Can you do them at MVC resorts?
Seems like you can
Marriott Curacao is a great way to use those certificates
I’m new to bonvoy points but just looked up this property. How many points are free rooms ? Or is that completely seperate
Not sure I understand your question. It varies on dates but compared to other Caribbean resorts, they are much lower.
The property is amazing and amazing location to everything
Amelia Island is the tits. The Salt restaurant is cool, pool is awesome. The Ritz isn’t optimal for kids, especially at their ages. I wouldn’t take my kids there (4 & 6).
Why not do a Gaylord? The one in Nashville is super cool.
Hey there! What is the best luxury resort on the keys? No price limit, just best luxury and service experience.
Edit: where children are allowed.
little palm island?
E: with kids, thanks to u/Soft_Knee_2707
Hawks key Cheeca Lodge
Little palm island is 16 and older
Casa Marina
I was a server in Key West and have heard a lot of bad things about Casa Marina from guests. Definitely doesn’t seem like it’s worth the $1k per night price tag
I stayed there for a week a few years ago and we loved it! We used Hilton points, and the value is actually pretty great overall. We have been to Key West a few times and never had beach access like we did here. We plan to go back to the Casa Marina in a few months for another week.
Confirmed! Stayed there last year with kids and it was great. Do it!
Little Palm Island
Need one where children are allowed.
Sunset Island - Key West
Then it’s not a best luxury and service experience 😂😂😅
Kinda kidding…
Cheeca?
Hawks Cay Cheeca Lodge
Surprised no one has suggested Isla Bella in Marathon.
There are no great luxury resorts in the Keys in my opinion. You’ll pay 5* prices and get 4* amenities and 3* service. You’re paying for location more than anything else. That is to say any of these recommendations are probably as good as any other. Look for the best deal you can find.
I’ve always been pretty disappointed by the hotels in Miami Beach because they’re either not truly 5 star status or they’re too wild and party-like/loud. Ideally we’d avoid south beach, was thinking Faena, Carillon or Four seasons surf club. I haven’t stayed at any of them yet so I’d appreciate any input.
I’ll be visiting people in the area so we’re looking for something Miami accessible and not on the gulf coast for example. It is simultaneously my babymoon for my husband and I, it will be our last trip we can take before baby arrives. We’d consider something further north in Broward or other counties as well.
We want to be at a nice part of the beach that is mostly relaxing, ideally not packed with children and less of being seen/nightlife/gaudy restaurants. Thanks!
Any recommendations for restaurants that are also truly good and not just Miami Beach Instagram hype would also be much appreciated!
Carrillon, Aqualina, Faena, Surf Club, Edition are all great. Fontainebleau is a mess, as is the W and 1 Hotel. Setai is also very nice albeit a tad overpriced. One block from the ocean, the PaliHouse is the best. Signed, a Miami Beach Local.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it a ton. I’m actually an ex-local born and raised (not the beach) and things that were amazing growing up (fountainebleau) are awful now and I hate feeling as clueless as someone who’s never lived there!
If you had to choose for a baby moon specifically would any of these win for you? Thanks again!
Carillon and Acqualina will be the most relaxing. Faena swankiest. One of those three. PaliHouse if you want nice and quiet and at a lower budget (200/night v 500-800/night) but still very nice and convenient
Why do you say 1 Hotel is a mess? Stayed there for babymoon last April and had a great experience. Curious to hear your thoughts
Four seasons surf club if you’re ok being further north. There is no other choice.
Have sent tons of babymooners there. Great spa. Lmk if you need to be VIPed.
The St regis in Bal Harbour checks all of these boxes for you and is very luxurious.
Incredible service
I would have recommend fointainebleu but it’s gotten bad lately
Thanks I’ve noticed the same. They’ve really gone down hill over the years. I avoid it now.
1 vote for FS surf club! Never been but heard good things from friends
best luxury hotel in florida
Key Considerations for Choosing a Luxury Hotel in Florida:
Location: Consider what part of Florida you want to explore (e.g., Miami, Orlando, Key West, Naples). Each area offers unique attractions and experiences.
Amenities: Look for hotels that provide high-end amenities such as spas, fine dining, pools, beach access, and concierge services.
Room Quality: Check for spacious rooms or suites with upscale furnishings, stunning views, and luxurious bathrooms.
Reputation and Reviews: Research guest reviews and ratings on platforms like TripAdvisor or Google to gauge the overall experience.
Unique Experiences: Some luxury hotels offer exclusive experiences, such as private beach access, golf courses, or curated local tours.
Top Recommendations:
The Breakers, Palm Beach: A historic oceanfront resort known for its stunning architecture, exceptional service, and luxurious amenities, including a private beach and multiple pools.
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples: Offers a blend of luxury and comfort with beautiful beachfront views, a world-class spa, and fine dining options.
Faena Hotel Miami Beach: Known for its opulent design, this hotel features a vibrant atmosphere, luxurious rooms, and a renowned restaurant by celebrity chef Francis Mallmann.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World: Perfect for families, this resort combines luxury with proximity to Disney parks, featuring a water park, golf course, and exceptional dining.
Recommendation: If you're looking for a blend of luxury and unique experiences, The Breakers in Palm Beach is highly recommended for its rich history, beautiful setting, and top-notch service. If you're interested in a vibrant city atmosphere, consider Faena Hotel for its artistic flair and beachfront location.
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