andyc

Could someone suggest a nice resort on the east coast of Florida. We are coming from the UK in March - we have stayed at places like the Bal Harbor in Miami, Marriott Rancho Las Palmas in Palm Springs, Cypress Harbor in Orlando - that is sort of thing we are looking for. Any suggestions would be appreciated - esp if available on the likes of Priceline.

bamakelly

Your title says Gulf Coast; your post says east coast. Which are you looking for?

vivienleigh

Do you mean the West coast of FL (aka Gulf) or the East coast of FL (aka Atlantic side)?

Finally- could you perhaps narrow down the choices by selecting a city or an area. Are you looking into areas like St. Pete Beach or Clearwater? Or do you prefer areas further south like Naples? Or, have you considered the Keys?

andyc

Sorry for the delay in replying - been working away from home. I mean the west coast of Florida - the Gulf Coast.

Been to the keys (loved it) - want to try the west coast this time. Not really sure where. Is Pete Beach a bit "down market" compared to the likes of Ft Lauderdale, Bal Harbor - another post suggested it was. Probably further south (just consulted my Miami map) - maybe Naples area.

4khansen

We spent three nights at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Beach Resort and attached Hyatt Plantation.

Very nice resorts with wonderful pools, especially at the plantation, which you have access to as a hotel guest, with shuttle. Nice corner room on the 15th floor. Make sure if you go here, you ask for an odd numbered floor as they have bigger balconies.

The downside is that you have to take a boat out to their private beach, which is fine, just secluded and not a great beach but ok, and you are far from anything as far as other activities/restaurants etc. You do need a car while there. It's located in Bonita Springs.

4khansen

OHh and forgot, it is the only resort available on Bonita Springs on Priceline. We got it for $130 two summers ago. Haven't seen many wins on it lately, but check BiddingforTravel.com and see what has happened in the area.

JJ5

I've been all over this coast because all my friends are there. And one ex-husband. LOL!

I love the Sarasota area around St. Armand's Circle. There are tons of resorts there or on Longboat or Siesta Keys. St. Armand's is on Lido Key. I stayed at a now renamed resort on Lido within walking distance of St. Armand's.

I just loved it.

amwosu

I second the Sarasota area for a great trip. Although I don't know of any bona fide "resorts" in the area it is a beautiful area.

Flying into Tampa and driving just a bit(1- 1 1/2 hours)to the Sarasota area beaches is usually cheaper and more direct flights are offered into Tampa than flying into Sarasota.

Siesta Key beaches regularly get rated as tops in the country because of the fine white sugary sand that reflects the sun's rays rather than absorbing the heat so its easier to walk on. The beach is wide and long and makes for wonderful walks. Lido also has nice beaches and great proximity to St. Armand's Circle of eating and shopping (but casual, nothing so upscale like Miami, FL).

JJ5

Yes, it's the combination. Like the best of both worlds. And there are so many resorts on Longboat that the competition seems immense. I got mine on Priceline- and it was a 4 star on Lido.

mah1980

Why don't you look on biddingfortravel.com, a website that helps with priceline bidding.

Scoll down and look at "Florida-South/Central Beaches" for a list of hotels that are the usual Priceline suspects for Sarasota/Ft.Myers/Naples. Also look at "Tampa/Clearwater/St. Pete."

Then go to tripadvisor and look up the reviews for the hotels that generally come up (which you can tell when people post their successful bids) in different zones.