Florida: Naples, The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, Sun, Sand and Sea

Florida: Naples, The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, Sun, Sand and Sea. Families looking for a carefree beach vacation experience where it is is easy to unwind, have fun and rejuvenate will find The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club ideal. Sun, sand, golf, tennis and a spa plus a family friendly, attentive staff to take care of the details, sounds like the perfect family vacation recipe.

Resort: This 125-acre tropical beachfront resort in Southwest Florida is located in the heart of Olde Naples. Enjoy plenty of year-round sunshine, the warm gentle waters of the Gulf of Mexico, miles of white sand beaches, plus remarkable golf and tennis. We offer a selection of 318 guest rooms and suites, onsite championship golf, an award winning Tennis Center, large beachside swimming pool, complete fitness center and a world class spa. Plus for the benefit of guests we have four great restaurants, a sunset beach bar, and five retail shops.

Accommodations: One-bedroom suites offer spacious comfort for vacationing families, with separate living room, dining area and kitchen, which includes a microwave and refrigerator. Each suite includes all the same in-room amenities as our guest rooms 256 guest rooms - a mix of two double beds, two queen beds and king-bedded rooms. There are also 42 suites each with kitchenette, living room, bedroom, and refrigerator as well as 20 efficiencies each with bedroom, kitchenette with refrigerator and microwave. Room amenities include: color cable television, two telephones and voice mail, two data ports, wireless high speed internet access, refrigerator, shopper’s service, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, in-room safe and many with wet bars.

Activities: In addition to everything which goes with pristine white sand and the shimmering waters of the Gulf of Mexico, guests may enjoy pedal boats, kayaking, sailing a Hobie cat, volleyball or simply lie back and soak up the sun in a comfortable beach chair. Bonus points: Enjoying the heated beachfront pool is an important part of the first-class experience at the resort.

Go for tennis or golf. They offer private lessons or clinics for both adults and juniors under the direction of Chris Eddy, formerly ranked "Number One Women's 45 and Over Player in the State of Florida" by the USTA. If golf is your family thing this is the place. The championship par 72 golf course was built in the late 1920’s and is the oldest course in the Naples community. A beautiful new full-service pro shop and locker room facilities complement the overall golfing experience. Individual and group lessons are available through the golf school onsite. Practice facilities include: a warm-up range; a short game area; and, a 14,500 square foot putting green.

Only for kids. The resort’s “Beach Klub for Kids” entertains 5-12 year old kids daily with complimentary activities including; themed activities such as Pirates Day with buried treasure hunts, swimming, beach walks, movies, finger painting and great games all under the watchful eyes of our caring and energetic staff. A “kid’s night out” of dinner, movie and games is available Friday and Saturday evenings for a nominal charge. Teenage children are encouraged to meet others through volleyball tournaments, golf and tennis clinics and a host of other coordinated activities.

Value added: Complimentary Beach Klub 4 Kids daily (ages 5-12). Plus with this package you may enjoy afternoon tea & cookies daily at 4 pm; complimentary weekly golf clinic (Thursday's 10 am) and complimentary tour of the Resort's Orchid House (Tuesday's 10 am).

Discovery: The Naples Spa offers exceptional treatments, which have been cultivated for the purpose of heightening relaxation and beauty. Need to know: Guests ages 12 - 18 are welcome to participate in salon services when accompanied by an adult and guests 16 - 18 years of age are welcome to utilize the spa and fitness facilities and services, when accompanied by an adult. Bonus points: Enjoy yoga practice at the spa. They offer guests the practice of Kripalu Yoga; yoga dance for synchronization inner and outer energy; Yoga 4 Kids created for young guests to stretch, breathe and relax.

Here’s the deal. The resort’s “Family Fun Package” includes: deluxe or superior room accommodations for two nights; full breakfast buffet daily for two adults and up to two children (ages 12 and under); reserved beach chairs daily for two; sand pail kit for each child; complimentary morning activities in Beach Klub 4 Kids daily (ages 5-12); one extra hour of boat rental with one hour purchase; one extra hour of tennis play with one hour purchase; afternoon tea and cookies at 4 p.m. daily; complimentary weekly golf clinic; a tour of the resort’s Orchid House (on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m.); nightly turndown service; and valet parking. The “Family Fun Package” is from $870 from December 22, 2007-April 6, 2008; from $670 from April 7-May 26, 2008; from $490 from May 27-September 30, 2008, or from $670 from October 1-December 21, 2008.

Location: The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club 851 Gulf Shore Boulevard North, Naples, Florida 34102. Toll-free 1-800-455-1546, 1(239) 261-2222

Source : http://www.thefamilytravelfiles.com/

The Betsy Hotel

The Betsy stands out as the lone surviving ‘Colonial Masterpiece’ in an Art Deco-dominated neighbourhood on South Beach’s famed Ocean Drive. Pampering and comfort are unequalled with the assistance of the ‘Your Desires’ guest programme.

The Betsy is a sophisticated enclave reflecting impeccable service in an unpretentious environment. With stately lines marked by an expansive four-column front porch and rows of shutter-framed windows, it exemplifies refinement and style.

All 62 guest rooms and suites offer a welcoming, soothing canvas of understated elegance. Rich dark-wood floors highlight the hotel’s timeless, colonial style while infusing it with a relaxed contemporary feel. Guests receive private, personalised spa treatments at the lavish rooftop solarium, while admiring the stunning views of the Atlantic; alternatively, for a night to remember, the hotel’s B-4 Lounge is the ultra-VIP spot to begin an unforgettable evening.


Location

18kms from Miami International Airport.
Things to enjoy

Outdoor swimming pool, rooftop solarium, fitness centre, beach area, private massage treatments, VIP lounge.

Nearby: Beach activities, nightclubs, shopping, golf, museums, art galleries, helicopter and sea plane tours, fine dining, boating/yachting cruises, American Airlines Arena and Carnival Centre for the Performing Arts.
Attractions: Art Deco District, Lincoln Road, Star Island mansions, Miami Beach Convention Centre.

Source : http://www.slh.com/

Florida hotel added to Cipriani empire

The Cipriani empire of luxury hotels and exclusive restaurants is set to expand in the US, after the group completed the largest property deal in Miami over the past 12 months.

In the UK, the Cipriani name is best known for its upmarket restaurant in Mayfair, famed for celebrity clientele including David Beckham and Naomi Campbell. The restaurant's parent company, the Cipriani Group, runs eateries from Hong Kong to Buenos Aires.

At the end of December, a group of private investors teamed up with the company to buy the Saxony Hotel in South Beach, Miami. The deal, which has now been completed through a sale and leaseback venture, is understood to be worth about $250m (£127m). It was the largest property transaction in the city in the past year, according to sources close to the deal.

The hotel is now under renovation and will reopen at the end of next year as part of what will be called the Cipriani Ocean Resort and Club Residences.

The acquisition of the hotel was negotiated by Crédit des Alpes, a banking group that specialises in luxury hotel developments. It also holds a stake in Cipriani's Mayfair restaurant.

The Cipriani restaurant empire traces its roots back to an abandoned warehouse in Venice, Italy. It was there in 1932 that Giuseppe Cipriani opened Harry's Bar, whose patrons included Humphrey Bogart, Orson Welles and Truman Capote. The Cipriani Group is run by Giuseppe's son Arrigo and his grandson Giuseppe.

Source : http://www.independent.co.uk/

Florida Hotel Meth Lab Prompts Evacuations

A methamphetamine lab found inside a hotel room near Sea World prompted the evacuation of two floors late Monday, according to police.

Authorities responded to an anonymous call from inside the Extended Stay Hotel located at 6451 Weswood Blvd., and discovered a strong chemical odor coming from a fourth-floor room.

Guests from two floors of the hotel were immediately evacuated.

"They were talking about fumes and the floor below it and the entire floor up there," evacuated hotel guest Debbie Nixon said. "I'm asthmatic and there was a little girl staying a few doors down, that's dangerous."

Two people were arrested in connection with the discovery, police said.

Fire crews worked for seven hours to clean up the rooms before guests were allowed back inside the building.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the incident.

Source : http://cms.firehouse.com/