smahk

Marco is tonier, more upscale PLACE - less "night Life"

Miami property is HUGe and splashy (maybe a little more tired on non-premium floors) and tons of activities and night life.

Marco is beach, golf, quiet.

Miami is beach, golf and lots more stuff to chose from.

You've got to decide what you're after.

dweebe

Can't speek about the Marco but mostly enjoyed my stay at the Fontainbeau. In March 2003 stayed there as a gold and was upgraded without asking to a corner room on the 14th floor (which required a key to access). HHonors lounge on the top floor was nice. Right on the beach along with a nice large pool. They only downside is they're building the Fontainbleau II condos.

[This message has been edited by dweebe (edited 05-23-2003).]

coplatua1k

If you haven't been to the FB its interesting to see. It does show its age however. Marco all the way! Fly into MIA, rent a car and drive to Marco perhaps just cocktails or lunch at the FB.

Football Fan

I just realized that Marco is a premium property and will be a level 6 property, so that it would require a GLONP while I only have a GLON. So I am looking for the next best choice.

My situation is the following - my parents and I will be on a cruise in November, and afterwards, I would like to use a GLON or two GLONs for my parents and myself to stay in a nice hotel in Florida (where they could possibly also play golf). If possible, I would only use one GLON and share with my parents "to save a GLON", but only if it is a suite with 2 rooms. The only such property I could find was the Embassy Suites Boca Raton/Deerfield.

Anyway, as of right now, available ones for a GLON I could find are that one, the Fontainebleau and finally the Hampton Inn in Key West.

Which one should it be?

Thanks again!

sassamanlaw

Be careful about the Hampton Inn in Key West. A couple years ago I had a client who was attacked by bed bugs at that property. I still have the corpse of one of the little critters in the file.

Football Fan

Uh! Thanks for that tip. Anyway, I realized that the Hampton Inn would not be a good value for a GLON since it is only about $ 100 a night, so it would probably be better to pay for the room if one was to go there. The Embassy Suites is about $ 200 for the room and it is actually perfect for three people as it is actually 2 rooms and 2 bathrooms! Also, I have almost only read good reviews about this hotel (it's the Embassy Suites Deerfield Beach, not the one in Boca Raton).

So I think it will be this one. The Fontainebleau might be a better value in theory since it is more expensive to buy the room, but for three people the Embassy Suites sounds like the best.

USAFAN

I personally don't like the Fontainebleau. It's a huge hotel with the flair of a central train station.
There is a nice new Hilton in Naples, which is a 2 hour drive from MIA on I-75 or US-41.
It is not on the beach, but near the beach and a first class shopping center (Waterside Shops). Golfing is not a problem, Naples has 100+ golf-courses.
Read what NY Times writes about Naples
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/14/travel/NAPLES.html

Donna D

any advice on good/bad properties nearest bal harbor, fl would be much appreciated. i am only going for business, not vacation, so more concerned with quality of rooms, service etc than vacation features such as pool, beach access.

skyfaye

I'm going to Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale at the end of June for a week. I like to stay at the Hilton. Are there any discount codes I can use to book my reservation online?

NCRBILL

I'll be in the area in July and need to know which property would be best to stay for 4 nights. I've looked at the HGI but the hotel near the airport offers high speed internet.

Anyone stayed in the area have any ideas?

Donna D

I have only stayed at the hampton inn out by the university mall and it was several years ago - it was clean and ok and room very large, certainly nothing special, but then i have never stayed in any hotel in the panhandle area that is. Also, it might have appeared nicer than it actually was - I had just returned from a trip to london and had to stop for the night in PNS on the way home for business - I was just happy to have a room I could move in and a/c!!

What is the purpose of your trip? Are you just there for business or a vacation? If for business, airport area should be fine. I don't know offhand where the HGI is located, but probably newer than the hamptons in the area, so from that perspective its probably a better deal [depending on where it is and why you are going to PNS], although from the outside, the hampton at the airport looks decent for a pensacola hotel. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[This message has been edited by Donna D (edited 06-23-2003).]

mjbnoles1

I stay quite a bit in the panhandle and can tell you that other than the new HGI at the beach, your best bet is the Hampton in at the airport. It's very clean, upgrades are given (try #320- I think), they have a business center, AND they have a manager's reception every Wednesday night- free booze and food (meatballs, nachos, etc.) and the front desk staff is second to none- I have been staying there for about 2 years and arrange my schedule around Wednesday nights only because each time I make a reservation the staff asks " Are you ready to get your drink on?" it's stupid but after being on the road and having to go to Pensacola, it makes it a little more bearable.

hnechets

FWIW,

I've not stayed at any of these properties, but geographically speaking, the locations by the airport and University Mall are only a few miles apart. So on that basis alone, pick the best property.

As to the beach HGI, if you are in the area on business, be aware that traffic on the bridge/to/from the beach can get really slooowwww in high-season summer. If you're gonna stay on the island, though, that's not really a problem. Plus, you have the option of heading east toward Navarre as well. Traffic not too bad on that bridge. Why would you want to cross that bridge? Why, to get to the road going to Gator's, of course.

Just depends on the purpose of your trip.

NCRBILL

I'm on business and work in the early afternoon so I hope the bridge traffic is not too heavy. Also, I'll be going to cities outside of the Pensacola area and these properties are central to them.

[This message has been edited by NCRBILL (edited 06-24-2003).]

myleguy

Just had a nice stay at the HGI on Pensacola Beach. The property was very "resort-y", with a nice location on the beach, a large free-form swimming pool, etc. It had a nice fitness center and the restaurant had a good breakfast buffet, with poolside seating if you wanted. Very nice hotel at a very nice location. If you're travelling on business be aware that the beach is 20 -25 minute drive from the airport/ city and requires crossing 2 bridges (one toll).