We recently booked this hotel for our 15th wedding anniversary. We stayed from June 20-22nd, 2008. I was a bit hesitant to book sight-unseen. I read all of the reviews from about 10 different websites prior to booking. My only regret is that I wish we could have stayed longer.

This was the BEST experience we have ever had at a hotel!

The Room: We booked a beach-front lanai room which is on the ground floor. There are only four of these rooms in the entire hotel. Yes, they are pricey but well worth every penny. If you want one, be sure to stress to the reservation desk that this is the room you are in fact getting. There are other rooms located on the same floor, but they are not as large and the patio is also smaller. We were literally just steps from the beach. Very nice, clean, and spacious. Our patio area was very large and overlooked the ocean. We woke up each morning and just walked a few steps for a morning swim, then were able to relax in our lounge chairs right on our patio. the only negative thing I can say about the rooms is that the coffeepot is located in the bathroom. Not the smartest of choices. They could very easily remove one of the many chairs in the room and put the coffee stand there instead. But aside from that the room was great.

The Grounds: The rest of the landscape is just as beautiful. Palm trees everywhere! It looked like paradise. The four pools were also beautifully landscaped, and the view from the restaurant is spectacular.

The Staff: Very friendly and helpful. Everyone smiles, everyone says hello to you. If you ask for something, it is gladly given. Our every need was catered to. From the moment we arrive we felt pampered. Our room was not quite ready when we arrived at 2:30 but we only waited about 15 minutes and it was available. We were greeted with a very nice surprise when we entered our room... the hotel had placed a chilled bottle of champagne there with a note congratulating us on our anniversary! Very nice touch.

The Beach: Part of your room surgharge includes the use of lounge chairs and an umbrella on the beach along with beach towels. If all of the beach chairs are full, simple ask at the cabana and they will quickly set you up with new chairs. They also offer full food and drink service on the beach. We did not utilize this because we had brought our own bottled water and other beverages in a cooler when we arrived (one of the habits of being a mom... I'm always prepared for anything). The room does have a refrigerator so we saved a lot of money by not having to pay for drinks all the time.

Hotel Services: I really can't comment on the Spa or the Golf course because we didn't use them. We spent all of our time at the beach or on our patio. I had every intention of getting a massage on Sunday, but sadly after all of that beach time I was too sunburnt for a massage. :-( Should have uses a sunblock of 50, but I only had a 15. Oh well. However after talking with other hotel guests I only heard good things about it from them. I will get one when we go back next year, though.

The Food: I will actually break this down into two sections... the Tiki Bar, and the main restaurant.

The Tiki Bar: After we unpacked our room, this was the first place we visited. It is located next to one of the pools that is closest to the beach. Great staff. It has a nice selection of items. We expected the usual given that it was a tiki bar... burgers, fries, etc. Honestly we didn’t have very high expectations. We so SO wrong! The food was awesome! He had Crab Cakes, the BLT salad, and Chicken Quesadillas. It was very good. Nice portions too... not too small, not to big. We were very pleased and hoped that the food in the main restaurant, Baleen, would be as tasty.

Baleen: You don’t have to make reservations here but I would suggest it if you have a large party. There are two main places to eat, one inside and one outside. Inside also has a bar/lounge area where you can just hang out if you like. Inside has beautiful tables and ambiance. Outside you can choose to sit on the patio area, down a few steps lower near the beach, or also directly on the beach. The choice is yours. Ok on to the food. I have one word... OUTSTANDING! Everything, and I do mean everything, that we ate for the whole weekend was amazing. Truly the chef there has a gift. We ate there for breakfast and dinner both nights and we were not disappointed once. The menu is someone limited though and gears a bit more towards seafood. Meals are not cheap either so be prepared. All side dishes are extra as well. But it was well worth it.

The first night we had the BLT Salad and Lobster Bisque for appetizers. Very tasty indeed. For dinner we ate the Roasted Grouper (with Artichoke Bacon Mashed Potato & Garlic-Caper Sauce), and the Chef’s special that night which was steak with lobster sauce and truffle oil. It just melted in your mouth! We were so full we skipped dessert. The next night we passed on the apps, and went right to dinner... Roasted Natural Chicken (with Goat Cheese Dumplings, Wild Mushroom & Sundried Tomato Sauce), and we also had the Pan Roasted Filet of Beef (Braised Short Rib Hash, Bleu Cheese Fondue & Red Wine Sauce). To die for! Dessert was the most amazing bread pudding we’ve ever tasted along with a delicious Creme Brulee, and capaccino. The hotel actually paid for our desserts and beverages for our anniversary. Very nice!

I understand some others on here have not had the best experience with this hotel. But we are VERY pleased with it and plan on going back again next year for our anniversary. We had a wonderful time. :-)

My wife and I just returned from an amazing trip to La Playa, where we spent our honeymoon. We stayed from June 15-June 22. It was the most wonderful 6 nights of our lives.
The service was wonderful! When we arrived, valet took care of unpacking our car while we checked in, and brought all of our bags to meet us in the room. Everywhere you go the staff of La Playa is so willing to help out with any of your needs. Unlike what other reviews have said, we never felt obligated to give tips to anyone who did a simple favor such as valet, although we did occasionally because everyone did such a great job. Housekeeping was great about keeping our rooms clean and organized twice daily (once not long after noon and at turndown, which we denied while we were still in the room a couple times).
There were so many great service that La Playa offered. On the beach, there were flags sitting by our chairs that when raised, a waiter would come by and take your order. The drinks were tasty. Spa Terre was also amazing. We had a japanese soak and couples massages that were worth the money and relaxing. The concierge was always willing to make reservations if we needed them. The neatest thing was that we were given a turtle pin at check in to remind us to shut our curtains at 9p.m. because the sea turtles nest on the beaches of Naples.
We stayed in the beach-front premium room which was magnificent. When we arrived in our room there was a complimentary bottle of champagne waiting on ice with a welcome card because it was our honeymoon. There was a window by the jacuzzi style bathtub that allowed you to open and see the ocean while you were bathing or showering which was very relaxing.
The balcony was our favorite part of the room. It was furnished with 2 chairs, small table, and a lay-out chair. The view was breathtaking at sunset. Our las night there we planned on eating on the beach at Balleens but to dine on the actual beach, the price started at $400. Instead we ordered to-go and moved a table on our balcony and had dinner and a bottle of wine for under $65. y wife said it was the most romantic dinner that she had ever had so that's a way to create a cheap romantic dinner.
The only downside to La Playa isn't a downside until checkout is that they charge everything to your room, so you don't realize how much you are spending. But all-in-all La Playa is a great place for any kind of vacation you are planning. I could not have had a better honeymoon.

Unfortunatly, we did a huge mistake by choosing the la playa beach resort. We booked the room on line for one price and paid the different one. The ,so called, "deposit"- was not a deposit , it was some kind of fee. The front desk people was changing the prices three times, or they didnt had any idea what they were doing there. They woudnt accept cash, but they want you to carry cash around for the tips,of course the gratudity was already included. But if you wont tip ,you will get the impressive attitude. We felt like we were not on the vacation, but we felt like we were at the dealership- a lots of liars,who want to steel every your penny.It gets better ,when we got back home. On the credit card was also added a charge for drinking 3 small bottles of alchohol from the bar room ,which was not true at all. The prices was ridiculous for that,so we did not touch that, but if you are not comfortable with alchohol in your room , they will take that out of your room for 25 dollars.Isnt that pathetic? when we called them back, they said: ' This is your word against ours." The only thing left to say- we will never visit that place again, and i will make sure all my friends will know about those ignorent and rude employees.They didnt care about your staying there, the only thing they were looking for how to add extra charges.So my advise to you guys,who is going there be carrefull -check your credit cards for extra 'fees' and"charges".! Thanks alot for reading my review and good luck to you!

My wife and I stayed at the La Playa 8-15 May 08, the second resort of a two week holiday in Florida, having driven down from Orlando (3 hours steady drive), after a week doing Disney and Seaworld etc. The La Playa was a much needed and welcome time to unwind and enjoy. We were not dissapointed. From the very beginning of our stay we were made to feel special, from the valet parking, porter and check -in; all was smooth, welcoming and friendly. Our room was in the tower building 5th floor with a balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico - Stunning! We can honestly say that this is the best hotel room we have ever had. The space and quality of the room, coupled with the stunning view was what we had been looking forward too. The turn down service in the evening adds that special touch, with the TV remote strategically placed, ice bucket stocked and soft lighting on behind drawn curtians; so that the sea turtles are not disturbed. Outstanding! My wife particularly enyoyed the quality complimentary Spa Terre toileteries, which are regularly replenished.
We didn't use Baleens, as we prefer to eat out and vary our places. However, it was always very busy with a lot of wealthy local clientel, as well as hotel guests and is obviously a very popular and inviting place to eat, although I suspect on the pricey side.
The hotel pool area is so picturesque, with pool depths to suit all (4 pools in total plus the spa). Pool staff are very attentive to your needs, pool towels and loungers abound with no problems. You can even hire a private Cabana for a half or whole day for that extra luxury touch. The beach front is equally well staffed. Nothing is too much to ask. The concierge was so helpful with advice and directions and even booked our Everglades City 'Speedy Johnson' airboat ride, which was absolutely brilliant.
Naples is a wonderful place to visit and explore. Fitfth Avenue and Tin City are a must, and watching the sunset from Naples Pier just has to be done - very romantic. The Coastland and Waterside Shopping Plazas will stress the wallet but should not be missed, whilst I can wholly recommend Ruby Tuesdays on Route 41 South, opposite the Pavilion Centre as a great place to eat. Whilst Naples is obviously an affluent area, you don't need to break the bank to have a memorable time
But it is the La Playa that was everything that we had hoped for in our holiday and more. We could not fault the cheerful, polite and helpful staff at whatever level; whilst our surroundings were quite luxurious. If you want a relaxing holiday in a spectacular setting, then Naples and the La Playa will serve your needs and more. We are already planning ot next trip.