I want to take my husband to the Caribbean for a long weekend. Looking for something that's not too expensive, but a place where ther will be fantastic beaches and delicious local food. Any ideas for hotels/ inns/ islands? thanks so much.

Hard to give you any recommendations without more input from you. If you are just going for a long weekend you'll probably want to visit an island you can reach in the least amount of travel time (and hopefully non-stop) from your nearest "Gateway City". Thus it would be helpful if you could tell us where you are coming from. Also, the term "not too expensive" is really vague as it has a different meaning for everybody. Give us a price range you are considering for accomodations, food and airfare and you'll get many more meaningful responses.

Tough to make a suggestion without knowing when you are going, and where you are going from. However, given that you are just looking at a long weekend, I would suggest you focus on someplace you can get to quickly and easily. If you're flying from a larger East Coast city, you can easily get to San Juan, Puerto Rico by lunch time. San Juan gives you all the buzz of a historic, happening city with great cuisine and beautiful beaches.

There's such a variety of accomodations in San Juan, you should be able to find something in your price range -- we've gone all over the board from very pricey (Ritz Carlton) to mid-range (Water Club, off-season) to downright cheap (El Conquistador, over President's Weekend last year, using Priceline). I will note that El Con is about an hour's drive from the airport, so if you're really anxious to make the most of your time, you might want to choose something closer.

Depending on when you are traveling, Bermuda and the Bahamas are easily accessible from the U.S. -- but Bermuda is chilly in the winter, and the Bahamas are not reliably warm from December through March.

Yikes! Look like A_Traveller and I were thinking nearly the same thoughts at nearly the same time!

Sorry, I should have been more specific. We live in Washington DC, and not too expensive means $200 or less per night. I'm trying to surprise my husband for his birthday in February over President's weekend. I'd like something relatively close and direct. I'm from the West Coast, so I really don't know very much about distances or the basics regarding the various islands. All I know is we'd liek to relax on a beach for a few days and eat some fresh local food. Thanks so much for any advice!

Your price range may be a challenge as that is peak season and since it is President's weekend, many resorts may be already fully booked. These two places may be a little above, but close to your price range -- Curacao Marriott (2 1/2 hour flight from Miami) and Shangri La Caribe, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (fly into Cancun). I have been to both and thought they were an incredible value during high season.

Yes, eileen is right $200/night for president's week is going to be a challenge. You can find rooms for that price at a few of the non-beachfront hotels in San Juan (places like Howard Johnson's, Hampton Inns and perhaps Embassey Suites plus a few others - you'll be within walking distance of a nice beach). You might also check out places in the Dominican Republic, Cozemel or Cancun - these destinations are among the least expensive in the Caribbean, but $200/night might still be tough. Going just for a long weekend during President's Week is going to present a challenge because many resorts and hotels have one week minimum stay requirements.

You might want to check for a package deal - you'll see them advertised in the Travel section of your Sunday newspaper, on some of the airline websites, at your local travel agent or on websites like Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, etc.

I agree with what both Eileen and A_Traveller stated about the challenges of planning the trip given the timeframe and budget. I think they also offered some excellent suggestions in terms of possibilities (i.e., package trips, DR/Mexico/PR, staying at a property that is not beachfront) to keep within your budget. In addition, I think you can find more economical options on several of the more expensive islands, but you are going to have to sacrifice amenities, hotel quality, and/or location to do this.

Another consideration is travel time. If by "long weekend", you mean Friday to Monday or shorter, I would suggest that you limit your options to places that you can reach nonstop and require short ground transportation after arriving on the island. I live in the DC area too, and American Airlines offers the most extensive Caribbean routes, but flights to many destinations have connections in either Miami or San Juan. With a connection, especially traveling to one of the further islands, you are not going to arrive at your destination until mid to late afternoon probably. On the return, the flights out are usually are in the afternoon too. Getting a package deal may help cut down travel time if they are using charter (nonstop) air, especially to one of the closer or more popular locations (i.e., Cancun, DR). Also, consider flying out IAD, DCA, and BWI to increase your options.

Check out these two options.

How about the US Virgin Islands? They are easy to get to and may be cheaper than other islands. For a comprehensive rate sheet of the Islands, goto http://www.usvitourism.vi/en/pdfs/ratesheet.pdf

(I got there by going to http://www.doitcaribbean.com/ then click on Accomodations under "Do It All" then clicked on "US Virgin Islands" then click on Accommodation Rate Sheet.

Grand Cayman is easy to get to. If you go to http://www.caymanislands.ky/vacation...mmodations.asp there is a box that says Book Your Vacation Now, click on hotel (or packages) and put in your dates, will bring up places and rates in the Caymans.

On Grand Cayman, the Reef Resort has studio's for $275 per night.
http://www.thereef.com.ky/ The Sunset House is $200 a night.

Thanks to all for such great suggestions! Will inquire right away.