my husband and i are traveling to naples the last week in may. the 1st half of the week we are staying at the ritz in naples - a work trip for him. the 2nd half of the week, we were thinking we would like to go to sanibel or marco islands. this is a vacation away from our kids so we are looking for a place that's not overrun with children. also, i'm sure the ritz will be nice, but we are not looking to spend that kind of $$ the latter part of the week. any suggestions for a nice reasonably priced place and how do we decide between marco and sanibel? thanks

In my opinion, there is no decision between Sanibel and Marco Island. It's definitely Sanibel hands down! Marco Island just doesn't have the charm of Sanibel. But, having said that, I haven't been to Sanibel lately so I will defer to others to help you with lodging. Do a search here for Sanibel and you'll see very recent postings concerning restaurants, etc.

Have a great time!!

While I've been to Sanibel only a couple of times, my family and I go to Marco every April. So, I'll try to give you better info. on Marco.

Marco is a community that caters mostly to the senior set. The shopping, restaurants and outdoors activities are mostly limited to what you might find anywhere in the country. What Marco does have is are beautiful beaches-but mostly filled with families with kids, like myself. The month of May will be a lot quieter but with all the grandparents living on Marco, you're still going to see lots of kids. Most of the waterfront hotels (Marriott's flagship is on Marco) cater to families. Dining, and shopping all cater to families. Lots of early-bird specials, only average cuisine. Yeah, so Marco is what it is, great for the weather and the beaches, the Gulf and some of the natural beauty that abounds but it's not great for really anything sophisticated. There have been some recent improvements with upscale boutiques here and there, a couple of better restaurants but my husband and I always go to Naples for a night out.

Sanibel might offer quieter options. The beaches and gulf are very similar to Marco. Both have gorgeous, white sand. Lots of shells. Dolphins swimming in the distance.

Anyone else have some insight or info. to compare?

I sgree with Austin- Marco has no charm anymore.Just a long beach lined with hotels and condos. Sanibel at least has some trees and places to bike. I like to go up a bit to the end of the island at Captiva, too. You should be able to find a good deal in May; kids will still be in school for the most part and it should be pretty quiet. Take a look at Sanibel Moorings- it gets good reviews.

sounds like sanibel it is - thanks so much - i'll check out the moorings and would love any other suggestions for lodging - thanks again!

Sanibel is wonderful! We have spent the week of Memorial Day there for the past several years. We usually rent a condo but since you are staying less than a week, you might consider Song of the Sea, the Sanibel Inn or the Seaside Inn. They often have special packages available. Rates go down after May 15 when it becomes off-season. Have fun!

we have narrowed it down to the sanibel inn, song of the sea, or sanibel moorings - any recommendations ??

I've stayed on Sanibel and Captiva many times, and have stayed at Song of the Sea twice. I loved it. The rooms are spacious, they have tiled floors and well equipped kitchenettes, a nice pool, and a lovely complimentary continental (really, much more than that) breakfast on the terrace every morning. The also have free movie, book and bicycle rentals. There's no on-site restaurant or bar, but it's very close to many options. Clean, beachy-luxurious, and quaint. Recommended.