Hi all,
I usually post on the Asia Forum as our last 5 or 6 trips have been to Asia. Having recently returned from a long trip to japan, I am looking for a closer to home (New England) warm weather destination which has a lux Hyatt Hotel (. I have 4 free nights which I would like to use).. Any suggestions would be appreciated, but not Hawaii as we've been there several times and would like to try someplace new. We like dessert scenery as well as beach scenery, and would like to be able to leave the hotel and see some interesting things outside of the resort.

We enjoyed the Hyatt Key West.

What time of year? I haven't been there, but I hear good things about the Hyatt Tamaya between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

Lee Ann

Thanks for your replies. I'll take a look at both Hyatts. We want to get away in Feb. or early to mid March. Our free nights expire the end of March.

HappyTrvlr-Did you drive from Miami or fly to Key West.

There are several Hyatts in Key West. Three are timeshares and one, the Hyatt Resort and Marina is on Front Street. It's a nice hotel in a great location, but its "beach" - like almost all beaches in Key West - is very tiny.

February is right in the middle of high season, so you'd need to make reservations as soon as possible.

We also loved Hyatt Key West. The large room was beautiful and so peaceful. The location made it easy to walk everywhere, and in fact we never used our car until we left the island.

I did wonder if there was some kind of time share program associated with this hotel because we kept getting voicemails asking us to call about something like that, but we just ignored them.

I have stayed at Hyatt Tamaya in early April and it is really wonderful, great desert/mountain scenary, great walking trails, horse facility, great pools, wonderful food, good spa, loved everything about it. Get a room with a balcony facing the mountains.

This wouldn't be a beach vacation, but we really enjoyed the Hyatt Carmel Highlands. I'm not sure what the weather would be in Feb, but I imagine much better than the 4 degrees I woke up to in the northeast today. The views are stunning, and it's an easy drive to the towns of Carmel and Monterrey, and all of Big Sur. We especially enjoyed using bikes from the hotel to visit Point Lobos. Spectacular!

Tamaya is a stones throw from my house. It is beautiful and the restaurants are excellent. The surrounds are classic southwest. BUT it is not warm until May. It will be warmer than New England...but it won't be a warm getaway. Lots of great sights to see and things to do but not warm.

We drove from Miami at night which I do not recommend. On our return, they were making a movie on tne long bridge and we were stuck, almost missed our flight. However, it was knteresting to see all the Keys, but don't do it after dark as all you'll see are headlights coming at you.

Sep/Oct are the only months I'd consider remotely "warm" on the Monterey Peninsula but the views from Highlands is stunning and there's lots to do nearby.

Any number of Hyatts here in San diego and some in Palm Springs/Palm Desert area alos.

DebitNM is right - Hyatt Tamaya won't be warm in February or March.

Lee Ann

Hyatt Indian Wells in the greater Palm Springs area.

There are several really nice Hyatts in FL. Hyatt Grand Cypress in Orlando...very nice resort with beautiful grounds, fantastic pool with grottoes, swim up bars, natural rock slides, swinging wooden bridge,, small lake with paddle boats and Sunfish, tennis courts, golf, bikes. There tend to be a lot of families there because of its location. They have a Camp Hyatt for kids if you have them and would like a little time to yourselves.

Hyatt Coconut Point, close to Bonita Springs, and about 40-45 min from Naples depending on time of year (traffic). You'd fly into Ft Myers. This is set on the coast, but mangroves and waterways separate it from its actual beaches. They have gorgeous pools, and a free water taxi that runs back and forth between the hotel and it's island beach. The grounds are almost as gorgeous as Grand Cypress.

There are a few of Hyatts in the Miami area, Miami proper, South Beach, and Coral Gables. I've staid at only the Coral Gables property, not my favorite and it's an inland location. On second thought, the South Beach hotel, The Victor, might not still be a Hyatt. It's a boutique hotel, top of the line in the chain. I haven't seen it, but it's location would be terrific.

Hyatt Key West Resort (not the time shares). Small hotel on the water, with a nice pool, tiny beach. Key West is fun, the hotel is nice, and recently renovated.

There is a Hyatt in Sarasota, on the water, but not on the Gulf. It too has had a recent renovation, but I haven't seen it since it's been done. It doesn't have the grounds, nor is it considered a resort like some of the other FL Hyatts

DH, now retired, was a Hyatt GM so I've stayed in, and know, a whole lot of Hyatts! Of those in FL, my favorites are Grand Cypress in Orlando, and Coconut Point, both full scale resorts. 3rd would be Key West, but not for the hotel, (which is still very nice) but because Key West is a lot of fun, especially if you've never been.

Another rec for the Hyatt Grand Cypress in Orlando. It is quite nice.

bahamas or palm springs came to mind

Thank you all for your suggestions, especially 00 for your lengthy reply. The Hyatt Cocanut Point sounds very nice, as I'd like to have access to a beach, although I would not want to spend more than an hour or two a day at the beach. I enjoy the beach for its scenery and for walking, not for sitting and sunning.

I've narrowed our decision to either Florida or California. This will be our winter vacation so I plan to add 10 days of touring/sightseeing to the 4 days at the Hyatt to make a 2 week warm weather vacation. We've been to CA several times, but not for at least 10 years , and we have not been to Florida for at least 35 years, so I'll have to spend the weekend seeing how touring would fit with Hyatt stays in either CA and FL. I'm open to any suggestions.

As stated previously, at this point in my life, I am more familiar with tourist sites in Asia than with tourist sites in CA or FL. However, I do look forward to this vacation where the plane flight will be several hours rather than 24 hours.

California isn't going to be warm anywhere in February and March. It seems the Florida options will be best if warmer weather is your first desire.

nevermind then I was coming to suggestion the Hyatt on Waikiki Beach.