When my husband and I decided to make a quick weekend getaway (sans kids) after our Thanksgiving in Ft. Myers, we knew we were headed to Naples which was only 30 minutes away. Having only stayed in town once, I initially looked up the Ritz Carlton as it is what’s most talked about among so many we know in Miami. But after seeing a rate that was a bit more than we wanted to spend, we decided to look elsewhere. I jumped on my go-to site for hotel searches, hotels.com. Luxury lover that I am, I immediately sorted by the hotels.com star rating (high to low) and went from there.

La Playa Beach & Golf Resort caught my eye immediately as they had reasonable rates, a 4 star rating, great reviews, beachfront property, and an “Outstanding” 4.6 hotels.com rating. Plus, several of our family members who are locals highly suggested it. So we booked it and as soon as we arrived, I knew we were in for a treat. This is no small hotel with 189 rooms, 4 pools, 1 main restaurant, 2 bars, and a 4,500 sq. foot spa. But, they’ve somehow managed to create a boutique hotel feel once you step inside. La Playa is cozy & luxe and, when we arrived the day after Thanksgiving, decorated with stunning Christmas decor that looked as if it was straight out of Neiman Marcus.

We even received a surprise upgrade upon arrival to a beautiful, spacious Beachfront Premium room with marble bathrooms, a private balcony, and whirlpool bathtub…which made it difficult to even leave the room and see what else they had to offer.

That is, until we saw our view…

We dined on the outdoor porch at Baleen for lunch and devoured their delish Crunchy Grouper Tacos with spicy slaw, jalepeño ranch, and guacamole and a Black & Blue wedge salad with blackened cajun shrimp, blue cheese dressing, and bacon. To quench our thrist? Tasty Bloody Marys, of course.

The guests at La Playa Beach & Golf Resort were a mix of families with young kids, tweens, grandparents, and even a few couples like us who escaped parenthood for a minute. The young, energetic La Playa staff was genuinely kind and accommodating throughout our stay. When we hit the beach, their Beach Butlers quickly had us set up with full lounge/umbrella/towel service in, I think, 30 seconds flat. Not to mention, my favorite part…the flag they left us to raise when we wanted food & drink service. Aaaahh…great service, luxury accommodations, and our toes in the sand? Heaven.

As if we didn’t already think we were in paradise, our walk to the spa had it’s own caribbean soundtrack by the live poolside steel drummer who was playing everything from Bob Marley’s “One Love”  to “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus and “Roar” by Katy Perry. Clearly, this wasn’t your Grandma’s Flaaa-rida. Upon checking in for a massage at the resort’s SpaTerre, where it smelled so florally divine inside, I found out mani/pedis were given with Deborah Lippman nail lacquers and you get to keep the bottle when you leave…in case of chips. How fabulous, especially for travelers as these bottles are perfectly petite.

One evening, we headed to Downtown Naples and experienced the city’s annual holiday “snowfall”, cocktails at Campiello, and a divine dinner at Sea Salt (more to come on that later) followed by tasty dessert chocolates from Norman Love Confections. These were almost too beautiful to eat…almost.

When we arrived back at the hotel that chilly evening, we headed straight for the beachfront fire pit stopping only for a toasty cup of coffee courtesy of the Baleens Bar. This moment here was one of the highlights of our trip…

Needless to say, it was a weekend to remember and cherish always. As we were leaving, I found out my sister’s best friend in Dallas was headed to La Playa the following week for a bit of R&R. I also noticed several friends, some even as far north as New York, commented on my social media pics of La Playa that weekend saying how much they loved the place too. Hmm, so maybe everyone’s just keeping a really good secret to themselves? Well, sorry, friends. The secret’s out…this one’s too good not to share. Head to La Playa Beach & Golf Resort for your next Florida getaway. You won’t be sorry. In fact, you won’t want to leave. I’ll definitely be back…maybe even before this holiday season is over. I mean, did you see those beautiful wreaths?

La Playa Beach & Golf Resort is part of the Noble House Hotels & Resorts group, was #31 Best Resort in the U.S. and Canada by Travel + Leisure, won Top Spa Resort in North America by Condé Nast, was #12 Best Resort in the United States by Condé Nast, and #1 Golf Resort in Florida in 2010 & 2011 by Condé Nast.