Naples, FL
 

my husband and I planning to go to Florida in the begining of April, somebody suggested Naples. We want to have a nice beach - sand and be able to swim (so it's warm enough). we also want some area to walk around in the evening, restaurants. we will be renting a car of course. probably will go sightseeng once or so, maybe Everglades.
Is Naples sort of nice upscale kind of place? we heard it's better than Sarasota? We also considered east coast, but heard that beaches better on the west.
Any info please, maybe specific beach, hotel/condo to stay for 5 nights, want to spend $100-$130,max $150 per night
Thanks

Yes, Naples is very upscale. April is height of season. I don't know of anything in that kind of budget or even near it on the beach -- I didn't understand if that's what you're looking for. I would probably stay at one of the chains -- LaQuinta or Fairfield, for example, that are on Fifth Avenue South/Davis Blvd, just about a half mile from the beach, and very close to Tin City shopping and dining complex, perhaps available for even under $100? Fifth Avenue South is the entertainment/restaurant center of downtown or "Olde" Naples. There are others further north and east.

The beaches in Naples are very nice, but within the bulk of the city itself, while all beaches are public access, there are no hotels or condos until you go further north -- it's all private homes and estates. And even north condos are quite limited and VERY upscale rarely renting by the week, and even more rarely less than that. Vanderbilt Beach is an area of condos about a 20 to 30 minute drive north of downtown Naples, but I doubt you'll find any condos is that price range on the beach there either.

Naples is very nice, but I think your budget is too low for a good hotel on the beach during prime season. You might try www.vrbo.com and see if you can rent a a studio for $1000/week. They usually rent for a week, but you might get lucky. Do some homework and report on areas, others here can advise you.

I wouldn't say Naples is better than Sarasota and I would certainly say the beaches around Sarasota are better than Naples.

Try Siesta Key, and vrbo.com is a great place to start.

No point in getting into a "which is better" argument -- to each his own. But it's hard to deny that Naples is generally warmer. At this minute, in fact it's 7.3 degrees warmer in Naples than Sarasota, which is pretty typical during the winter.

Will the water be warm enough for swimming? Well, not to many of us locals, but you'll find lots of tourists in the water loving it.

IMO Naples has a lot more to offer than Sarasota. While it might be nice, you don't need to get a hotel on the beach. Naples spans about 15-20miles of beach, and we like to go to different beaches each day when we are there.

Naples also offers a lively arts scene - be sure to check out groups such as the Naples Players. I've heard they have some fantastic talent.

You will have to double your budget for Naples... triple for a place on the beach...

gary, you are probably right about tripling it for the beach. But the above mentioned LaQuinta has rooms for $119 first week of April. (Motels further inland are as low as $79 a night). The rather funky and dated but delightful Cove Inn overlooking the city docks next to the Dock Restaurant in Olde Naples has rooms for some nights as low as $94. I haven't checked other places, but there is plenty of availability at prices within the OP's budget -- just not a beachfront resort hotel or condo!

J62, thanks for the plug. I saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels this past week at the Naples Players and it is really terrific. I begin rehearsals tonight (directing) for Rumors which opens Easter week for a month.

wow, you guys great! thanks everybody!
My husband hoping to get hilton on priceline, it's not on the beach though. Any info (I checking tripadvisor) appreciated, how hard is to park in the downtown or other area to eat walk or check sunset at the pier. Would that be a major problem since we are not planning just sit in the evening in the hotel? Also is that correct that Everglades NP is 1 hour away. I saw some entrance withing 1 hour, but not sure if that is the one

mariya, here's a clean and quaint spot right across the street from Vanderbilt Beach: Lighthouse Inn. It's the place we wanted to stay when we were house-hunting in Naples this time last year. Unfortunately they had no vacancy then but with almost a month to go, you may have better luck. Winter rates are between $130-150 per night.

As I said, we have not stayed there, but TA and other reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Many posters praise the "old Florida" atmosphere and the convenience of kitchenette.

For another lodging idea, I can recommend the Residence Inn, located between Vanderbilt Beach and the "downtown"/5th Ave./Olde Naples area. Located on US 41, they offer a shuttle to Lowdermilk Beach. We're partial to RI's all-suite config and also to their terrific breakfasts. Might fit your budget w/AAA or other discount--I did not check against your timeframe.

Re: temps in the gulf...my most recent trip to a local beach was 3 weeks ago. There were dozens of ppl in the water that day, and it has averaged 80 degrees (high air temp) during the weeks since--so you should be able to take the plunge.

Hope you receive answers to your other Q's. Enjoy your trip to beautiful SW Florida !

Patrick... you are correct.. when I read the post I missed some commas... as in "specific beach (comma) hotel/condo...want to spend $100-130, max $150 per night."

punctuation is a nuance that I have not yet mastered..

Because the beaches are public, parking near the beach can be at a premium, but there are parking meters on dozens of streets next to the beach, and you will have no problem finding a space before 10 or after 3.

If you stay at the Cove Inn -- and I have friends who could stay at the Ritz but choose to stay there for its funky atmosphere -- you won't have to drive at all. You can walk or easily ride a bike to the beach and have lots of restaurants within walking distance.



One of the great things in Naples is to park on one of the side streets south of the pier and walk behind the mansions which line Gordon Drive. You can walk all the way to the Pass and see how the other half live.

Parking may be tight near downtown/pier, but there is plenty of parking at other beach access points in Naples. Vanderbilt Beach has a very large parking garage right near the beach.

There are two very large parking garages right off 5th Avenue South. (off Eighth Street between 4th and 5th Avenues South and between 5th and 6th Avenues South). They are NEVER filled during the day unless there is a big parade or art fair going on, and only sometimes fill up at night, usually after 7. They are FREE as is all downtown parking, even on the street. The only place you have to pay to park is within two blocks of the beach access points -- take a big roll of quarters for the meters or park in the free lot behind Tommy Bahamas or in the free underground garage right at the end of that parking lot. Enter off Broad Avenue between 3rd St. South and 2nd Street South. That garage seems to be an undiscovered secret and I've never seen it more than half filled.

thank you all!