Where's the best place to stay in Naples, Florida? We are a married couple , (no kids (yet)), mid 30's. Would like some comfort and walking distance from restaraunts. We are considering Hotel Esplante (going a little out of our budget), or the Inn on Fifth / The Trianon. Any suggestions/comments or othewr ideas very much appreciated! Thanks.

Vanderbilt Beach is Very nice!

You have chosen some really nice places right in the middle of everything--a great walking area. Vanderbilt Beach is very nice, but not a walk to the center of things.

You have chosen very solid locations for downtown activity. The Inn on Fifth is very nice and in the middle of the 5th avenue nightlife. For a beach setting that would be close to downtown, the naples beach club is great. A little more noise and most of the rooms are somewhat older but the sunsets are great. Is more of an Old Florida hotel and not that far from downtown. The hotels on the north side of town fall more in the category of destination resorts. So you almost have to have a car to get downtown (about 25 minutes). However, they can be great as well. For directly on the beach there is the Ritz Carlton, but for better value, the Inn at Pelican Bay isn't bad and also is owned by the same group as the Inn on Fifth. If you just want to walk and be near shops and restaurants the Inn on Fifth is the way to go.

I would also recommend the Inn on Fifth. It's not terribly far from the beach and nice to be near the shops and restaurants. Fifth Ave. is very pretty at night. Angela

All three are good choices. The Escalante would be my first choice and worth the extra money if you can swing it. Then probably the Inn on Fifth, right in the middle of things. The Trianon is a nice, more of a "businessmen's" hotel, and just a couple of blocks from the start of the Fifth Avenue places, but I'd prefer Inn on Fifth over the Trianon.

I can report better after a stay at the Escalante later this week. FYI: the best prices I could find for the Escalante were on quikbook.com; the quoted rate of $175 was $125 less than what the hotel quoted me.

Thanks to all of you replied so far, to our message. We'll look forward to hearing how you find 'The Esplante' John, enjoy your trip.

The Naples Beach Club is great, but seems to be mainly a family spot. We loved it, but without kids I would probably prefer another spot. They usually have a band at the Naples Beach club every Sunday night that alot of locals come out for. Starts around 6pm.