jb3t

PLT100 here with a 25th wedding anniversary coming up in a few months. I live up near Boston and travel a lot for work, mostly around the U.S.

Anyway...I am looking for a great place to do a 5-7 day getaway in late August. It has to be this time as my wife is a teacher and goes back in Sept. I want to stay local to the U.S. or Carribean as we have two kids going to college around the same time and won't have time to do Europe.

I'm looking for opinions on great hotels or resorts based on the following criteria...

- US or Carribean
- Preferably a beach or outdoor focused location
- No cities in the north US. Been to Em all 10x over
- Looking for chill-time, walking around, eating good food
- Places like Vegas (never been), South Beach, Key West, Canada are options
- I have not been to SPG properties in Carribean so opinions?


So I am casting the net here on best hotels in the US and Carribean region. opinions?

mahasamatman

The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler. Most people only think of Whistler for skiing, but it's a great summer destination, too.

terpzone

http://www.canyonsuites.com/

MSPeconomist

It's great but Phoenix is unbearably hot in August. Vegas will also be very hot.

Maybe someplace along the California coast?

terpzone

That would explain the crazy cheap prices. The Phoenecian was $140/night....or 20,000 starpoints lol

MSPeconomist

Many locals try to leave town for the summer.

terpzone

I'd rather be in Arizona in August than here in NYC.

SanDiego1K

I really liked W Vieques. You take a short flight from Puerto Rico to get there. The hotel was nice, especially if you get a room with a good view. And there are a number of small excellent restaurants on the island. If you don't want all your nights on Vieques, the St Regis Puerto Rico is a solid property.

jb3t

Thank you everyone.... I am going to look at all of these.

The problem is August is not the greatest time to travel south and as we live in the north, that's what we do. Hopefully we can find an ocean or mountain breeze somewhere.

SAN-man

Since you have other options you are considering, I would caution against the Caribbean in late August. It's not at all out of the question that your trip will be interrupted by a hurricane, which seems like the absolute last thing you'd want to do on a short 25th anniversary trip. We keep moving our trip up earlier every year and we *still* lost 2 days last year due to a hurricane rolling through on August 1.

spgplat21

St. Regis Bal Harbour and St. Regis Monarch Beach are two options you should consider as well. Both properties are some of the nicest SPG properties in the US. If you're concerned about the summer heat, California is always a good option. In Florida you'll have the same potential hurricane issues as the Caribbean, but you could always book southwest and a refundable room rate to give you some additional flexibility if the weather looks terrible.

pageboy

I agree with the St. Regis Bal Harbor, FL. Easy Southwest flight to FLL, too (I noticed you have status there). One of the nicest hotels I've been to. Also noticed that Cash & Points (15K + $275) is available at that time. I was upgraded as a Plat75 to a 1250 sq. ft. suite and so was a friend a week later. And make sure to read the reviews. Enjoy.

jb3t

[QUOTE=pageboy;24856840]I agree with the St. Regis Bal Harbor, FL. Easy Southwest flight to FLL, too (I noticed you have status there). /QUOTE]

Good catch on Southwest Airlines. That is part of the equation here as I have a Companion Pass there and more points than I know what to do with!

I looked at Bal Harbor and it looks very nice. My question is, is it worth the points over something like Westin Key West, which is half the point redemption?

I going to checkout the other beach property mentioned above.

hhoope01

If you want a low points redemption beachfront option, then the 4-Pts in Fort Walton Beach my be an option. It is definitely isn't a 4 or 5 star hotel, but the beach there is beautiful and as a Plat you should at least be upgraded to an Oceanfront room.

It is a 4-Pts and not a St. Regis, but if you want a great beach for low points, it is a nice option.

jb3t

Not looking this cheap. Bal Harbor is 30,000 points a night. Key West is 15,000 points. Curious of the difference between the two.

As for Fort Walton... I'll actually be there in a few weeks for work and the wife will probably be with me.