I thought I would see if I could get a recommendation from the experts!

Our family of 4 with an 18 yr old son, and 15 year old daughter, are trying to come up with a spring break destination over Easter week 2018. Our son is graduating HS, and he is not interested in doing any of the big group trips like cruises/all inclusives... with his friends. He doesn't LOVE the beach, but he likes a good pool. If he were to plan this for us, we would all go backpacking someplace cold. Not happening.

We do have a 7 night certificate left from a travel package, and can add points to it to upgrade it. We prefer to stay in the 48 states, but could go further if anyone has a great idea.

We are looking for a destination that has natural beauty, history/culture, great food, and is warmer than Michigan! Ideally, we like to sit and eat outside, and see the sun. It doesn't need to be hot, but sun is important.

Two of our favorite spring breaks have been to the JW San Antonio Hill Country, and JW Desert Ridge (combined with Sedona and Grand Canyon). We are hoping to go somewhere new this time.

The only 2 places I can think of that he might enjoy, and we also would, are JW Starr Pass Tucson and any nicer hotel in New Orleans. He's a great kid, and I'm hoping to show him a great new place to explore. Any other ideas? We do have MR platinum status, but a lounge/benefits are not really important to us as we don't usually get them anyway at resorts. Thanks!

Maybe take a look at the historic Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club in downtown St Petersburg FL. Downtown StPetersburg has a plethora of museums including two fine art museums, The Dali Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, art galleries, a number of first class restaurants, music venues, great waterfront parks and Tampa Bay views. The Vinoy has on campus clay tennis courts and its own nearby golf course. A number of America's best beaches are within a 20-minute drive. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...and-golf-club/ http://mfastpete.org/

Thanks, that looks like a place we would love! The idea that we could walk to restaurants at night is very appealing for a 7 night stay. And we could just catch the tail end of the Star Wars costume exhibit. Bonus!

Have you looked at the Starwood hotel options too?

Great idea. I learned to fly in this downtown and you could get some flying sightseeing tours relatively cheap at the airport there. Plus a bunch of spring training clubs in the area, the Tigers aren't too far away in Lakeland. Also the St. Pete Marriott is about 10 minutes away with a lounge if you wanted a much cheaper option to base out of and drive to activities.

I haven't, mostly because I have this travel package certificate to use. Those currently can't be used for Starwood properties, correct?

Correct. I'm sure you'll find a number of great options among the Marriott legacy properties.

What about Southern California? Lots of things to see and do in Los Angeles or San Diego. Plenty of different properties too.

Sorry, I missed that part of your original post!

San Diego is certainly an option! We are trying to avoid any theme parks on this trip because of the timing/crowds, but certainly plan to do other sight seeing. My husband lived a few years in LA and isn't real excited about battling traffic. I thought about Palm Springs/Joshua tree area, but didn't know if it was just super busy around Easter.

2nd the Southern California suggestion.

(1) SoCal can hold one's attention for a full week. (It's one of the few places in the United States where I can stay in a single hotel for that long and not get bored or restless.)
(2) There are some really strong properties there that *aren't* classified as "resorts", so you would get some elite benefits.
(3) You should get the weather you're looking for.
(4) Could easily throw in some state/national parks if you want to escape beach/urban life for a day or two.
(5) Lots of properties where you could walk to restaurants and such. JW Santa Monica is walkable to the beach, pier, etc.

Only catch is that you would almost certainly need a rental car and parking isn't free. I suppose it would be possible to mix Uber/Lyft and 1-day rentals when you need 'em, but everybody knows that LA in general isn't the world's greatest public transportation town.

You should check out JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort. We spent a couple of Spring Breaks there with our teenage daughter. The resort itself is great with multiple pools, restaurants, a spa and golf on site. The Mikado Japanese restaurant was a hit with our daughter, although it was a little pricey (like most resorts).

Joshua Tree is an easy day trip. Lots of things to do in Palm Springs, like the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Our daughter loved relaxing by the pool and felt really pampered when she could order a virgin pina colada and charge it to the room while lounging poolside.

Just an FYI, the JW Desert Springs during Spring Break gets more crowded towards Easter Weekend with families and smaller children and all of the Easter festivities going on (Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Bunny pictures, etc).


Regards,

RIP...

I know you said 48 states but there are several nice Marriott properties along the coast of Puerto Rico that would put you in a nice location for hiking in the rain forest, kayaking the biobay and sightseeing in Old San Juan, which is absolutely charming and historic.

Thanks! We don't have an issue renting a car/driving. I think our fear is spending our week in endless traffic!

Good to know! I wondered if this property was family friendly or more party oriented. We learned about how crowded those JW resorts can be when we stayed at JW Desert Ridge over Easter. It was a MADHOUSE! And then cleared out the next day to a large extent.