help! need a naples spa!
 

just booked a last minute trip down to naples to suprise my mom for her bday... i'd like to take her to a spa on saturday.. but, i dont think i've ever been to one down there?

is there an outstanding one? i'm not concerned with $$$ -- just want to give her a bit of a splurge!

thanks, aimee

Uh-oh, a Naples question I can't answer!
All I know is that the Ritz Carlton and LaPlaya both have pretty complete spas. Even the yellow pages here don't list anything.

Are you looking for more of a beauty spa (lots of those) or a full fledged health spa?

oh patrick! i knew you could answer!
you helped me last year with that little hotel on the corner of 5th and 3rd.. that i dont think is there anymore! what a GREAT little place!

i wonder if the registry has a spa? im lookign for massages. ill call the ritz!

and then im looking for a place for dinner sunday night on 5th-- we have a cafe lurcat in mpls.. and love it.. and been to the naples one... so, dont want that. is there somewhere else on 5th?

Oh, I hate it when I can't get good answers. I just called a friend who I knew would be the expert. She didn't pause a second. She said the best is the new one they built at the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, full massages, facials, you name it. Their number is 239-659-4304. (But by the way, she said her price for the answer is to invite her too!!)

Also the Escalante is still open. I just posted on that a couple days ago. A new investor bought it before full bankruptcy with the plan of replacing it with new villas, but instead they are still operating it as a resort hotel.

Dinner on Fifth? Chops is awfully good. Mangrove Cafe is a little more offbeat in menu -- semi-Caribbean. But Pazzo is still probably my favorite on Fifth. I haven't been to the "chain" Truluck's which is on the plaza facing the lobby of the Sugden theatre, within the Inn on Fifth building. It has been getting a lot of raves for its seafood, which tends to be a surprising "hole" in Naples. And of course, there's Campiello on 3rd. There's also now a Bice right across from Escalante, but I have yet to hear a lot about it except comments about the snobby attitude.

Also take a look at spafinders.com, you can search by city and state. They list day spas as well as destination spas (i.e., hotels).