Thunderroad

Lots of great advice here. All I can add is that Paris is the most romantic city my wife and I have ever been to and the Park Hyatt there one of the nicest hotels. One of the best possible uses of your free Hyatt nights, not that should be your only consideration for your honeymoon.

Excellent advice from UASPG:

That Hyatt Diamond breakfast perk will include a nicer room and wonderful complimentary breakfasts.

More generally, one factor I'd take into account is: When is your honeymoon? If spring, fall or even summer, Paris would be great. Winter, less so; that might be a good time to head to a more tropical clime.

Wherever you go, email ahead to the hotel to make sure they know it's your honeymoon.

Anyway, congratulations!

index411

My favorite was St. Regis Bora Bora - simply stunning. Spent 8 nights there last year and loved every second of it.
Another option is the W Maldives, which I heard is really nice as well.

remymartin

Do Paris on your anniversary. Go somewhere sunny and private and enjoy your honeymoon!

pricesquire

Such great advice--thanks for everyone's feedback. Hell, keep it coming. I'm sure I'm not the first to ask about SPG/honeymoon, and I sure won't be the last. Anywho, still haven't made up my mind

GREAT advice UASPG re: status match & Hyatt (if I chose the Vendome).

UASPG

Enjoy your trip, whatever your choose, and you can PM me if you need advices on Bora Bora and how to get a good deal at the IC Thalasso, without going to the full thread on that property.

PS: I agree with remymartin - Bora Bora for the honeymoon and Paris for the anniversary, but understand that preferences vary.

pricesquire

NOT comparing Florida/the Caribbean to Bora Bora. I understand it's night and day, and that any comparison is downright laughable. Having said that, the seclusion and beauty of a beach when you're used to seeing the beach everyday (and frequenting the Caribbean at least once a year) loses its novelty. Hence, we're leaning towards a more cultural experience (Paris, for instance). Still considering Bora Bora, though. Just wading through the glut of fabulous hotels is a job in and of itself.

UASPG

You are right! The Caribbean has many beautiful islands, some with perfect beaches. Some are like in the Maldives (islands by themselves are not interesting - only the beaches and sea are), but some have beautiful mountains, like St Lucie or others. Plenty of choices not far from where you live. Also, JAX-LAX + LAX-PPT + PPT-BOB might be overwhelming.

pricesquire

Exactly. Flying East w/ a 5-6 hour timezone change isn't much compared to flying West towards Bora Bora.

vandalby

We're kind of all over the place with this thread with Paris, beaches, whatever, but I'll list the couple of "honeymoon worthy" hotels within the SPG system where I've enjoyed the pleasure of staying:

Blue Palace - Elounda, Crete
St. Regis Princeville - Kauai, Hawaii
The Lanesborough - London, England
Hotel Alfonso XIII - Seville, Spain
Vedema - Santorini, Greece
The St. Regis - New York, New York
W Ft. Lauderdale - Florida

pricesquire

All over the place is fine by me. Your list is exactly what I'm looking for: honeymoon worthy. Thanks a ton for the Vedema recommendation! Gorgeous, and always wanted to go to Santorini.

Breston

Vienna, Imperial

spainlover

If doing Paris, I recommend considering pairing with Spain. There are a number of classic "old-world" SPG hotels, mainly in Luxury Collection, and several very nice modern hotels.
*Maria Cristina (Lux Coll) in San Sebasti�n in Basque Country near French border. Beautiful hotel in heart of town and blocks from the beach. Highest per-capita Michelin stars in the world. Three 3-star Michelin restaurants.
*Marques des Riscal Luxury Collection. Designed by Frank Gehry - modern and incredible. Got an upgrade to a massive suite while using two free nights there. In the heart of La Rioja wine country, great spa, super romantic. Also ~90 minutes from San Sebasti�n.
*Alfonso XI (Lux Coll) in Sevilla. Haven't stayed there, but near top of my to-go list. Just completed major renovation. Sevilla's great and quintessential Spanish city. Very hot in summer though.
*In Barcelona, the W which is on the beach, very chic and happening; and the Le Meridien that is more in central Barcelona. Have received wonderful upgrades on many occasions there, and above-and-beyond customer service.
*Westin Palace in Madrid. Grande dame in the city, old-world glamour, yet also hosts modern events e.g. fashion shows and GQ Men of the Year. Perfect central location, also have generally gotten suites there.

Just my 2 cents, but I think many Spain destinations are a perfect complement to Paris.

Have also been to the Le Meridien Monaco. Beautiful hotel and location. No recognition of Platinum status there, though, and was disappointed at cold vibe on service.

Happy honeymoon!

JK

I'm with spainlover on this. You can have the perfect variety required forces honeymoon in Spain. SPG covers many areas well, and you'll get everything you need: sun, sea, sand, wine, culture, fantastic food, history, modern world... I believe there is very little quite like it in SPG Europe.

For my money, France and the French territories are totally over-rated. Do a day or 2 max, and then move on...

Personally, I'd also consider Bora Bora, Mauritius, many if the Thai properties or the Bali one's. the fiancée I'm sure would love any of these!

Good luck!

jill65

Our family just returned from the St. Regis in Princeville, Kauai and had a wonderful experience. We used Starwood points for our stay and were upgraded (twice!) from a basic mountain view room to an ocean view room overlooking Hanalei Bay. It's the same view as you see in the movie "South Pacific." The staff is warm and very attentive, the food is outstanding and the amenities are top of the line. Everything from the high end Waterworks bath fixtures to the pool attendants who cater to your every whim (and don't limit you to one pool towel!) makes the St. Regis the perfect resort to pamper you on your honeymoon.

P.S. We also stayed at the Sheraton on Po'ipu Beach in Kauai and the Westin on Ka'anapali Beach in Maui, and while they were both nice resorts, they don't compare to the St. Regis!

milesmuncher

We did the exact same list of properties, just in the opposite order, and 4 nights at the Moana (5 at the Sheraton). It was absolutely outstanding, and the St. Regis in particular is an incredible property. Unfortunately, it just moved up to Cat 7, which is a bit rich for my blood...