Naples, FL Trip Report
 

Just returned from a fabulous week in Naples (11-27 thr 12-3).

The weather was exceptional and somewhat humid which was okay with us because we left the chilly north.

Arrived on Tue via Delta, flight was early, the aircraft was near full and unfortunately was not the cleanest. Picked up our car from Budget and we were off to LaPlaya!

Arrived aprox 11:00 a.m. and we were able to check in early. After doing much research and narrowing down our stay between LaPlaya and the Ritz, I was happy we chose LaPlaya. Our room was on the 1st floor of the Beachouse; which meant our room had direct access to the beach.

The room itself was nice, king size bed, nice linens, towels, etc. There was a small size fridge packed with soda, beer, wine, etc. which we emptied and replaced with our items that we picked up at the grocery store. Again, the location of our room was perfect, we came to Naples to relax and enjoy the beach and it was heaven.

Dinner that evening was at Dock's Restaurant. Great view, food and service. After dinner we walked the dock area and admired the boats and just relaxed.

Wednesday another picture perfect day at the beach. After walking onto the beach, LaPlaya attendents do a quick set up for you (chairs, towels, umbrella & table). Dinner Wed evening was at Tommy Bahama's, again wonderful view, food and service. Unfortunately the lady sitting at the table behind us had a drink dropped on her. The manager quickly wisked the party of 4 to another table and insisted that the lady go into the store and pick out a new/dry dress. Very generous of him! After dinner, we strolled the area and admired the Christmas decorations and lighted palm trees.

The next 3 nights were spent with family (we actually came in for a wedding).

Thursday night a very large group headed down to McCabe's Irish Pub. DH and I were able to check out a room at the Inn on 5th. Wow, what a neat hotel and great pool/deck area. McCabe's closed at 11:00 (or maybe it was midnight) due to the guests at the Inn.

Our final dinner was at Gumbo Limbo at the Ritz; again we were able to check out the rooms. The view from the 7th floor was breathtaking, looking directly over the courtyard and out onto the gulf. Room size was comparable to LaPlaya, but again, I wouldn't have changed due to the fact that our room went directly to the beach.

Gumbo Limbo was located outside overlooking the gulf. We walked along a wooden boardwalk/bridge to the restaurant; the set up was tight as they had tables set up right along this bridge. The meal was exceptional but the service was not; our waiter decided to talk with another party for the better part of 15 minutes, forgetting about us. This is a very casual restaurant.

Overall our stay at LaPlaya was great. There are 4 outdoor pools and 3 of the 4 were heated. Valet service was super, housekeeping and front desk were very pleasant. Naples itself is a beautiful area and we can't wait to return!

Thank you for the report, very enjoyable. What price range are we talking about at the properties you mentioned?

We payed 349 for our room at LaPlaya, then they add: 18 valet per day, 17 resort fee, 15 tax after all was said and done, I believe we paid 420/night. The Ritz was right in the same price range (except if you stayed club level then the price went to 649/night, plus all the extras).

And you never came and knocked on my door? LOL

Is "Docks" the casual "The Dock" at Crayton Cove and the city docks in Olde Naples, or is that a newer place up near LaPlaya.

I'm curious when you "checked out" the rooms at the other hotels. Was this because you had friends there, or did you ask to see them and they accommodated you?

NeoPatrick, believe me, I thought of you while in Naples; since you provided very detailed info that helped w/ our trip.

Funny you should ask which Dock's restaurant. This was our first outing in Naples with our navigator (brougt ours from home) and entered in Docks Restaurant and sure enough it popped up, I figured it had to be about 7-10 miles either north or south, so we were off to Dock's....in Bonita Springs. When we arrived, the surfin' looking dude parked our car and we headed to the restaurant. Hmmm I thought is this right? Very casual atmosphere, no one greeted us at the door, so I approached a lady and asked if we should sit anywhere and she nodded and said we could sit outside if we wanted. This sounded nice so across the parking lot toward the beach and we sat. I told DH I didn't think this was the "right Docks." So we waited a few more minutes and watched everyone on the beach drink beer and decided it was time to go. So I scoured the tourist info that was given to us and came across Docks in Crayton Cove. That was our final destination; again, great atmosphere, food, and service.

We checked out the rooms at other locations just to see what we possibly missed out on and for future stays. Each location that we checked out was very accomadating; I did want to check out Naples Grande since that was also on the beach, but we couldn't pull ourselves away from the beach!

Ah, how much difference a little thing like an "s" makes. The right one was The DOCK (not Docks), so that must have been the problem. I thought the name "Docks" was ringing a bell, though. We live just a few blocks from the one at Crayton Cove and it has been a favorite for over 30 years now! It's about as "laid back" as Florida eating can be.