It's vacation planning time...

Looking for where to go sometime between the begining of March and the end of April using points. Suggestions? Favorite Marriott properties? Open to pretty much any and all suggestions - beach, city, mountains, historic/tourist sites, foreign, domestic...

Thanks in advance for your input.

Last April we stayed at the Amsterdam Marriott. It was tulip season and the flowers in the Netherlands were beautiful. We went to Keukenhauf Gardens which was spectacular. There are great museums to see as well. We did what we called the "flowers, art and chocolate tour". We combined the trip with a trip to Brussels.

My brother and his lovely wife had their honeymoon at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa and they had nothing but good things to say about it.

Unfortunately, my most common Marriott is the LAX Marriott so I can't give you a personal suggestion

JW Guanacaste in Costa Rica

I leave for Waikoloa on Saturday for 10 days... - using hard-earned points...

Flying AA F on 763 via HNL (free on miles)

Literally counting the hours...

Renaissance Vinoy, St. Petersburg FL.

I think that the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina on Oahu is one of the very best hotels or resorts in the entire chain. I last stayed there in late January 2008, ON POINTS, and was upgraded to a WONDERFUL suite overlooking the pool and lagoon area on the 10th floor with a bathroom to die for. There was no rain that I recall, and the service at the hotel was superlative in every way, including the superb buffet breakfasts poolside.

I also stayed at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on Maui later in the same trip, and it was also terrific. The service was great, and I had a super upgraded room with a view that was not to be believed!

If you want a really great trip, then go to Hawaii and split it between two or three islands in Hawaii. I would recommend going to those two hotels, three or four days each. I would NOT recommend the Kauai Marriott Resort. I also stayed there on the same trip, and I had a terrible experience there. Kauai is a terrible hotel! While you are there, schedule appointments to visit the timeshares. It will take 45 minutes to one hour for each, it will be interesting, and they will give you 15,000 points for each one you visit. If you visit one at Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club and another in Maui at Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club or Marriott's Maui Ocean Club - Lahaina and Napili Villas, A Marriott Vacation Club you can pick up 30,000 to 45,000 points total. You need to make an appointment, but you can do it from your hotel, they have a vacation club desk in the lobby and will schedule you and give you a written confirmation form. Of course there is no obligation to buy. Have lots of fun!

Marriott Ko Olina Resort, down the road from the JW Ihilani in Ko Olina. These are studio, 1 bdr, and 2 bdr timeshare units that sometimes are available for points. The property and the nearby lagoons are beautiful.

JW Marriott Bangkok: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalboz/...7622147537990/^^^

JW Marriott Phuket. Trancendental experience.

JW Costa Rica (as noted above) is not far off--and of course, much closer to home.

For a city experience, The Renaissance Chancery Court in London.

I would second JW Mariott Bangkok. Best Club Lounge I have experienced! Great staff and lots of food cooked to order at bfast and cocktail hour!

Another favourite is Mariott Budapest..horribly ugly building from outside. But all rooms have a great view. But best if you stayed in a corner suites with great views of the castle and chain bridge.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/photo...WGRD&imageID=4

Thanks. I've been to the JWs in BKK and Ko Olina. Both are great properties. Hadn't thought of Amsterdam. Hmm, that's a possibility. So is Budapest. Have always wanted to go there... Phuket sounds like a possibility, too... Costa Rica would be a shorter flight. I'll do some more digging this weekend. Thanks for the input.

Freeupgrade - have a good vacation. CMK - having been at the LAX FS several times, I'm feeling your pain. Nice people, but depressing hotel. (Location and darkness in the common areas.)

+1.
Beautiful with wonderful service.

As you have gotten some great ideas for round the world locations; am going to recommend some closer to home and less well known. Most would be better for long weekends - we are rarely able to do a full week, so have gotten to be experts on secondary cities!

Ren Aruba (NOT the Marina, the Suites) - although nice, the hotel may not be particularly "spectacular" - but the the private island that "comes" with it IS -especially the spa at the end of the jetty! Depending on when you choose to go an oceanfront suite may be an option as a Plat upgrade. Aruba loves tourists and treats them very well. Lots of great restaurants within walking distance. Car not needed. Could split with the Marriott if you wanted a full week. Completely different experience between the 2.

Ren Pittsburgh - especially if you like baseball. We consistently receive corner K that overlooks the stadium - surreal to watch the game out the window while listening to the play by play on TV. A wonderful staff.
FallingWater not too far. Some nice museums. A very good microbewery/restaurant in an old church. An underated city.

Ren Austin - again, not spectacular -smack in the center of a shopping center! but the staff makes up for location! Fun city w/ good outlying areas/small towns for a day trip or 2. We enjoyed our stay here far more than we would have expected.

Wentworth by the Sea (New Hampshire) - historic hotel with great restoration. Lots to see and do in the area. Could tie in with Boston, Newport, or Providence RI if have that interest and make it a full week trip.

I have stayed at the JW Marriott Bangkok, a gorgeous hotel to be sure, and has been on and off TRAVEL & LEISURE MAGAZINE'S top 100 hotels in the world list, and to be sure, Thailand is a wonderful country, and Bangkok is one of the world's great cities. This particular hotel is a true bargain, since Thailand in general is a relatively cheap place to visit, and for one of the best hotels in the world, it is ONLY CAT 5! NOTE - by March/April Thailand is already very hot and humid, since it is a tropical country so close to the equator, and basically they have 9 months of summer, with only November, December, January being non-summer months, so be prepared to shower 3-4 times per day.

Regarding the JW Marriott Phuket Note - there have been some recent reports of not so great experiences at this hotel, when using points as opposed to cash, and Marriott Corp. has backed the hotel management instead of the guests. Also, climate issues same as above.

I have stayed at the Renaissance Chancery Court in London, a truly wonderful hotel in a wonderful location in London, walking distance to so many sites, plus only about two blocks to the High Holborn tube station, and great breakfasts in their restaurant. Also, they have a very nice CL, nicer in the PM than the AM in my opinion.

Yes, true that!

I have stayed at both the Amsterdam Marriott and the Amsterdam Renaissance, and there is no comparison between the two hotels IMHO. The Renaissance is a much better, and a much more INTERESTING and BETTER LOCATED hotel, right in the center of Centrum, where the Marriott is more on the outskirts of Centrum, if that makes sense. You can walk to much more from the Renaissance, and Amsterdam is a wonderful walking city. Also, the Renaissance has recently undergone a big renovation, and the concierges there are much, much, much, much better than the concierges at the Marriott, by leaps and bounds. I have been to AMS many, many times, and I have stayed in the Renaissance over ten times, but the Marriott only twice. [TIP - great car service for AMS, Nils en Wilfred (+31) (0)6-103-208-16 I have used them for years and they are very reliable, friendly, and reasonably priced. They always have a new Mercedes and they take credit cards.]

Vegas --- any Marriott in Vegas... cause when you wake up from sleeping you are in Vegas.