One week in Sept - where to go from PHL
Feb 24, 2015, 7:30 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 15
One week in Sept - where to go from PHL
Hi!
My husband and I are trying to plan a getaway for our 10th anniversary this upcoming September. We have lots of SPG and US Air miles so trying to use those to go somewhere for about a week. Any suggestions for somewhere that's not too difficult to get to (nonstop from PHL would be ideal). We like beach trips, sept is hurricane season so we don't want to go to the Caribbean. We also like St Regis hotels and were thinking about st Regis Princeville or maybe somewhere in Europe. Would love any suggestions of excellent hotels that aren't too difficult to travel to from Philly.
Thanks!
My husband and I are trying to plan a getaway for our 10th anniversary this upcoming September. We have lots of SPG and US Air miles so trying to use those to go somewhere for about a week. Any suggestions for somewhere that's not too difficult to get to (nonstop from PHL would be ideal). We like beach trips, sept is hurricane season so we don't want to go to the Caribbean. We also like St Regis hotels and were thinking about st Regis Princeville or maybe somewhere in Europe. Would love any suggestions of excellent hotels that aren't too difficult to travel to from Philly.
Thanks!
Feb 24, 2015, 9:11 pm
#2
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
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Posts: 10,820
Congratulations!
Though I haven't been there, people rave about the St. Regis Punta Mita in Mexico. It's going up to category 7 next month, so if award stays are available this is a good time to grab it. I've been thinking of going there with my wife, and messaged (via Tripadvisor) several folks who stayed there in August and September in past years. All said that it was fine being there that time of year.
I suppose Greece is another option, though perhaps not for an easy or straight shot to get there. Stay clear of the Blue Palace in Crete...we had a very middling stay there.
Now, if you're not confined to the beach and have not been to Paris, it's the most romantic city in the world and September is a great time to be there. If you have enough points, the Prince de Gaulles would probably be your first choice, though the W and the Westin likely would also be very nice. (My wife and I have been to Paris a few times, though not at Starwoods there so can't comment in detail on them.)
Though I haven't been there, people rave about the St. Regis Punta Mita in Mexico. It's going up to category 7 next month, so if award stays are available this is a good time to grab it. I've been thinking of going there with my wife, and messaged (via Tripadvisor) several folks who stayed there in August and September in past years. All said that it was fine being there that time of year.
I suppose Greece is another option, though perhaps not for an easy or straight shot to get there. Stay clear of the Blue Palace in Crete...we had a very middling stay there.
Now, if you're not confined to the beach and have not been to Paris, it's the most romantic city in the world and September is a great time to be there. If you have enough points, the Prince de Gaulles would probably be your first choice, though the W and the Westin likely would also be very nice. (My wife and I have been to Paris a few times, though not at Starwoods there so can't comment in detail on them.)
Feb 25, 2015, 12:30 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2004
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US flies nonstop from PHL to Lisbon, Barcelona, and Athens -- and uses good Airbus 332s to BCN and ATH if you're going in business. (I would note, though, that while coach availability at 60k round trip is abundant, you're probably looking at 220,000 or more miles for each round-trip ticket in business for these nonstop flights).
I would personally go with Barcelona - spend two outside weekends there (there's a Le Meridien and a W), maybe head south to El Vendrell (there's a Le Meridien there too) and then rent a convertible during the week to head north. Check out Palamós, Girona, maybe stay for a couple nights in a B&B or guest house in some place like Palau-Sator. Good restaurants at Peratallada. No Starwoods when you get out that way, but so worth the trip.
I would personally go with Barcelona - spend two outside weekends there (there's a Le Meridien and a W), maybe head south to El Vendrell (there's a Le Meridien there too) and then rent a convertible during the week to head north. Check out Palamós, Girona, maybe stay for a couple nights in a B&B or guest house in some place like Palau-Sator. Good restaurants at Peratallada. No Starwoods when you get out that way, but so worth the trip.
Feb 25, 2015, 9:06 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 15
Thank you for the suggestions! We did go to St Regis Punta Mita about 5 years ago and really liked it so that is a place we'd consider going back to. We've also been to Greece. I like the idea of Paris maybe combined with another city since we haven't been there together.
And thanks platbrownguy for the Spain suggestion. I was thinking of maybe Barcelona and Mallorca. Any feedback on the St regis there? But I'll look into some of these other cities you mentioned.
I've also wanted to visit Austria, are there any great Starwood hotels there?
And thanks platbrownguy for the Spain suggestion. I was thinking of maybe Barcelona and Mallorca. Any feedback on the St regis there? But I'll look into some of these other cities you mentioned.
I've also wanted to visit Austria, are there any great Starwood hotels there?
Feb 25, 2015, 9:36 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: MR-Amb, Hyatt-Globalist, AA-EXP
Posts: 1,744
Thank you for the suggestions! We did go to St Regis Punta Mita about 5 years ago and really liked it so that is a place we'd consider going back to. We've also been to Greece. I like the idea of Paris maybe combined with another city since we haven't been there together.
And thanks platbrownguy for the Spain suggestion. I was thinking of maybe Barcelona and Mallorca. Any feedback on the St regis there? But I'll look into some of these other cities you mentioned.
I've also wanted to visit Austria, are there any great Starwood hotels there?
And thanks platbrownguy for the Spain suggestion. I was thinking of maybe Barcelona and Mallorca. Any feedback on the St regis there? But I'll look into some of these other cities you mentioned.
I've also wanted to visit Austria, are there any great Starwood hotels there?
I've been to the St. Regis in Mallorca and loved it. That said, it is far away, very expensive and does not have a beach (it does, but it's very small, public and doesn't have any chairs or hotel services). I wanted to experience it once and it was worth it for that, but I don't think I'll go back because of the distance and $$$$$. Depending on what type of trip you're looking for though, I love the idea of pairing Mallorca with Barcelona, Paris or another European city. There are also a lot of things to do and see on Mallorca. We still talk about our trip there and it was definitely one of the most memorable. There are lots of things to dislike about Mallorca (crowds, overdevelopment, traffic, parking, etc.), but it's truly a beautiful place and the St. Regis is a top notch property all the way around.
Feb 25, 2015, 11:57 am
#6
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
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Aruba and Barbados, among other islands down that far South are generally out of the Hurricane zone.
Feb 25, 2015, 1:20 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: San Francisco, CA
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Posts: 769
StR Princeville is fabulous - if you've got enough points to cover a week at a Cat 7 that is!
Would also be at least 1 stop from PHL. Likely via LAX or PHX. Or if the program merger between AA and US happens soon enough, SEA/PDX could also be an option on AS.
Would also be at least 1 stop from PHL. Likely via LAX or PHX. Or if the program merger between AA and US happens soon enough, SEA/PDX could also be an option on AS.
Mar 2, 2015, 6:05 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 15
1) 7 day split between Paris and St Regis Mallorca
2) 7 days at St Regis Princeville
3) 7 day split between San Fran and Napa/Sonoma
So hard to decide! Which would you choose?
Mar 2, 2015, 8:10 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 4.4.2; en-us; LGL31L/V100 Build/KOT49I.L31L10d) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Chrome/30.0.1599.103 Mobile Safari/537.36)
1) Princeville (2) Princeville (3) Princeville.
1) Princeville (2) Princeville (3) Princeville.
Mar 2, 2015, 9:45 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: MR-Amb, Hyatt-Globalist, AA-EXP
Posts: 1,744
#1 by a mile for me. If you were on the west coast and Hawaii was closer I may lean towards Princeville, but not from the east coast. Princeville is nice and the St. Regis there is a great property, but to me it's just not a super memorable once in a lifetime trip that Paris and Mallorca would be. This is coming from someone that loves the St. Regis Princeville too.