Family Package at Naples, FL Ritz makes luxury attainable

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I love the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. I spent a weekend down there just shy of a year ago, and it’s become my mission in life to get back there. Until that happens, though, you may ant to see it for yourself. Even if you don’t play golf (personally, I hate the game), there is plenty to enjoy.

The Family Summer Package, which starts at $239 a night, is available from the first day of May to the last of October this year, and it comes with enough perks to make that seem like pocket change. In addition to the roof over your head, you’ll get breakfast for four, a free kids’ menu meal with each adult entrée you purchase, a $50 resort credit and a $50 gift card which is good at the resort’s retail shops. A similar packages is available at the golf resort’s sister property (which is on the beach) for $299 a night.

I know … free meal offers make me skeptical, too. What do you get? At the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, you’ll have breakfast at Lemonia, which, I assure you, is outstanding. Also, make sure you get over to the spa at the beach resort. I received the best massage of my life there as part of the Elements treatment. Don’t miss it.

While you hit the links (36 holes in total), your kids can take advantage of the Nature’s Wonders program, which is on the beach resort property. It’s an environmentally-focused program that is conducted by a team of certified Master Naturalists who can give some great insights on Florida wildlife. The Ritz-Carlton does take its environmental seriously, as I found while participating in the “Giveback Getaway” program last summer.

If you need to dash off for a few days this summer, the Family Summer Package gives you an affordable option to have an upscale experience. My only hope is that I get back there before you do (I miss the place).

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Flee the cold at the Ritz in Naples, FL

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It snowed today. It was cold and wet, and my feet were drenched by the time I got home. It sucked. My soggy, frigid feet felt even worse when my mind turned to a pair of Ritz-Carlton resorts in Naples, FL. The golf resort and the beach resort ooze luxury, and the airport is accessible from most major airports. JetBlue, admittedly not my favorite airline, puts Naples in reach (via Fort Meyers) from several cities in the northeast, and Delta can fly you in from anywhere, though you may make a quick stop in Atlanta.

So, why does all this matter?

I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, and it was one of the few times in my life I’ve actually felt relaxed. I’m not a golfer-at all-but I understand the courses are fantastic. Called Tiburon, they 36 holes are named for Greg Norman, whose nickname is the English equivalent (Shark).

A heads up from course pro Roger James: the second and seventeenth holes on the “Black” course (as opposed to “Gold”) are the toughest. I’m happy to take his word for it.

Over at the Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort, on the other hand, I felt right at home in the spa. The beach is probably the big draw, but it’s not really my style. Soak in the salt bath for a while, as I did, and you’ll feel like nothing outside that tub matters. Follow it up with a massage, and you’ll probably book an extra night at the hotel.

So, on a day like today, I couldn’t think about anything but sitting on that hotel room balcony with a glass of wine next to me and a cigar in hand. If you need a fast getaway for the nasty winter months, remember that there are some corners of Florida that cater to adults.

Herculaneum on display in Italy

by Jamie Rhein on

I can still picture the Time Life book photograph of a child turned into stone from the eruption of Vesuvius. It was one of those elementary school images that captured my attention and hasn’t let go.

Okay, I think it was a Time Life book and I think the photo was a child, but for sure that eruption in Pompeii centuries before I hit 2nd grade has had the power to show just how fragile we are when it comes to natural disasters. Pompeii wasn’t the only town that met with destruction from Vesuvius’s handiwork. Herculaneum was also destroyed. According to this USA Today article, Herculaneum was where wealthy Romans liked to frequent because of its seaside views.

There’s an exhibit of the artifacts that have been uncovered over the centuries at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, Italy. Among the bounty are large marble statues and smaller bronze ones that highlight the opulence of the time.

The exhibit is up through April 13. This Wikipedia photo is of a boathouse in Herculaneum.

Naples is chucking muck in Germany’s backyard

by Jamie Rhein on

There’s a song I remember from Girl Scouts that had this refrain: “Don’t chuck your muck in my backyard, my backyard’s full.” The song came to mind when I saw the photo of Naples, Italy’s garbage and read how Naples has no where to put its trash so it’s sending it to Germany.

After the song played for a second or two in my head I thought, “Gee, Naples is probably not be the best place to go for a vacation in the summer months.”

There is an increasing garbage problem in much of Europe, according to the New York Times article, but Naples is the pits. Consider what a 56-car train filled with garbage will look and smell like. That’s what’s heading to Germany so the Germans can take care of it. Because Germans have trash recycling and reduction down to a fine art, their services are being called upon.

Maybe Naples needs to have some sort of pack it out policy for travelers. As you leave town you have to prove that you are leaving with what you brought in. Perhaps Naples could even entice guests to take extra trash out with them when they go. If you do go to Naples, please don’t litter. People have enough troubles wading through the streets as it is.

Strike now, while Naples is hurting!

by Grant Martin on

Following a well publicized trash crisis in Naples earlier this year, tourism has plummeted in the Southern Italian city. Despite the fact that rubbish has been cleaned up and the streets are cleaner than ever, images of the garbage bags piled high in the streets have driven tourists away and the hotels and restaurants are now empty.

Which is exactly why it’s time to go to Naples. Hotels expect to be booked at 30% of capacity through the summer, so they and anything related to tourism alike are going to be hurting for business. So you can probably get a great deal on packages to the city while demand is low.

If you’re quick, you might even be able to get in on one of the recent deals that hotels have been offering: since street crime has been so out of hand over the last years, some properties have been giving away plastic watches to wear on the street instead of wearing your expensive jewelery.

A cheap hotel room AND a free watch? What a bargain!