<< Return to news releases

Plan an Affordable Cool Season Getaway to Florida’s Paradise Coast
November 22, 2010

Great values, fantastic shopping and festive holiday celebrations entice travelers to visit Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades

---

Naples, Fla.- (November 22, 2010) Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades -the Paradise Coast - turns up the heat with exciting events, beautiful beaches, wonderful wildlife, fine dining, shopping and culture during the area’s value season. Through December, visitors can find exceptional deals on hotel accommodations with rates as low as one third to one half of what they are in the peak winter season of January through April. In addition, travelers can take advantage of lower greens fees, mild fall weather and some of the smallest crowds of the year. Plan your next Paradise Coast getaway with the following offers and activities.

NOVEMBER HAPPENINGS FOR GREAT LAST MINUTE GETAWAYS

Fall into savings

Dive into hotel discounts, resort credits, additional hotel nights, free golf, spa and more through theParadise Priced Perfectly promotion. With these value-priced offers, it leaves plenty of room in your travel budget to enjoy dining, spa treatments, shopping, fishing, eco tours and more.

For additional savings, pick up the Paradise Coast V.I.P. Values In Paradise card now through December 15, 2010. The program, typically offered between May and December, has been so popular that it is being upgraded and expanded to become a year round promotion starting in January 2011. It offers visitors thousands of dollars in savings at participating restaurants, attractions, tours, shops and more. Some of the savings for 2010 include attraction discounts, buy-one-get-one-free or half-off offers and other great discounts and deals. The V.I.P. card is free to all visitors, can be used immediately upon arrival and is easily found at area visitor center locations: the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center (relocating in December to the corner of Fifth Avenue South and Tamiami Trail in the heart of downtown Naples), the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, the Greater Eastern Collier County Visitor Center in Immokalee and the Everglades Area Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center.

Hotel & Resort Packages and Activities This Thanksgiving, celebrate a memorable waterfront holiday at Naples Grande Beach Resort on Southwest Florida's Paradise Coast with a fun-filled getaway Nov. 19-27 with guestroom rates from $179 per night. Engaging activities for all ages include swimming, water sports, championship golf and tennis, restorative spa treatments and supervised adventures for ages 5-12. You'll be especially thankful when you gather family and friends to enjoy a sumptuous array of holiday favorites enlivened with inventive tastes of Florida by Executive Chef Herve Cuyeu at the Naples Grande Thanksgiving Feast on Thursday, Nov.25.

Tee off with exclusive deals and a newly renovated, par 72 championship golf course at the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. Golf packages starts at just $124 per night for single occupancy, or from $149 per night for double occupancy – with no hidden costs or resort fees. In addition to accommodations in a newly renovated room, this package includes complimentary greens fees and golf cart fees, complimentary tennis at the resort’s Mary C. Watkins Tennis Center, complimentary parking (self or valet), and access to the resort’s spa and fitness center.

GreenLinks Golf Resort and Conference Center is also offering a golf special starting at $109/person, which includes one day of unlimited golf, one night's lodging in a two-bedroom villa. Both the Flamingo and Mustang courses will challenge all skill levels.

Naples Bay Resort, the luxurious four-diamond property on Florida’s Paradise Coast, offers Blissful Intervention, a special winter spa package ideal for couples looking to refresh, renew and relax. The package running from $280 per couple per night is offered through Oct. 31, 2011, and includes pampering at Naples Bay Resort’s renowned Spa, lounging at the resort’s masterfully designed pool complex in a private cabana, lunch poolside at Bluewater Grill and luxurious guest accommodations.

Lemon Tree Inn along withThe Salt Cave of Naples, Fla. is offering a "Salt of Life" package that includes two nights at Lemon Tree Inn and three-part spa service at the Salt Cave. The spa treatments developed for this package include a lemon wrap body wrap, infrared sauna with lemon grass and a salt session. The package rate is $310 for two people now through Dec. 14, and $388 Dec. 15 through April 14, 2011.

Ideally situated in the center of downtown Naples, the elegant Inn on Fifth has unveiled four new vacation packages that can be enjoyed from now through the end of 2011. Ranging from a —Solace on Fifth Spa Package” and —Beauty and the Beach Girlfriend’s Getaway Package” to an —Experience Naples Activities Assortment Package” and —Romance on Fifth Package” visitors will find something for everyone. The new packages make the most of the Inn's distinctive downtown locale, the soothing luxury of its very own Spa on Fifth, and all the best that Naples has to offer.

Signature Events and Openings:

November is Celebrate the Arts month when the Paradise Coast showcases more than 125 arts and cultural activities, including the Naples Fall Fine Art & Craft Festival, dance, musical performances, theatre and more. Naples was named the #1 Small Art Town in America by author and art critic John Villani, and one of the —Top 25 Cities for Art” in the June 2008 issue of American Style Magazine.

The Naples Botanical Garden officially opened the new cultivated gardens of Asia and Florida as well as a new water garden on Nov. 13, completing a major redevelopment project that makes the garden a world class botanical attraction. Re-opened to the public as a tropical garden paradise called —Gardens With Latitude” in November 2009, featuring the plants and cultures found along 26-degrees latitude North and South, the attraction includes, along with the three new gardens, the cultivated gardens of Brazil, the Caribbean and a hands-on interactive Children’s Garden along with 90-acres of beautifully restored natural Florida habitat.

The Naples Fall Fine Art and Craft Festival on Nov. 27-29 is an exciting start to the art festival season in Naples. Perfect for holiday gift giving, original, handcrafted items are available for purchase. Attendees will enjoy the works of 120 attending national artists, as well as carolers, refreshments and other holiday-themed activities. Event admission $4 per person and benefits youth art education. Downtown Naples offers some of the most exciting activities—many of which are free. Merriment can be found during Thursdays on Third when the courtyards and plazas of Third Street South come alive with the musical sounds of jazz, rock, folk, or some other style. Then on Nov. 22, welcome the holiday season with the annual Festival of Lights along Third Street South. This free event features a tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m., as well as musicians, carolers, festivities and snow falling amongst the palms. The fun continues with the Celebration of Lights Nov.23-27, a weeklong event where each evening, except Thanksgiving Day, more music and snowfalls enliven the street with celebration.

DECEMBER HAPPENINGS

Resort Hotel Milestone The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, which helped transform Naples into a major destination for luxury, family and business travel, is celebrating its 25th birthday on Dec. 4. To mark this great milestone and silver anniversary, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples is launching an exclusive —25 Silver Rooms” offer through its online and phone booking channels. For 25 nights beginning Nov. 28 and ending Dec. 22, 25 coastal view guest rooms at the beach resort will be available at a very special rate of $125/night. In addition, the Ritz-Carlton, Naples will host a holiday concert on Dec. 4 featuring Grammy®-nominated musician, TV personality and radio show host John Tesh, who will perform holiday classics, his own collection of original tunes and will certainly entertain the crowd with useful —intelligence,” in the beach resort’s grand Vanderbilt Ballroom. Concert doors open at 7:15 p.m. and show time is at 8 p.m. To purchase tickets to John Tesh in Concert at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, call the resort’s Leisure Reservations line directly at (239) 598-6644. Concert packages do not include resort accommodations; however special anniversary pricing is available, starting at $225/night.

Signature Events and Openings:

Spending the Holidays on the Paradise Coast:

Gaze at festive boats as they cruise along Naples Bay during the 2010 Marine Industries Christmas Boat Parade on Dec. 11 from 6 – 8 p.m. Awards will be given out to the boat with the best sail, best power vessel and best commercial vessel. This event is free to the public.

From Dec. 8-13, the Tiburón Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, will host the Shark Shootout, a special PGA Tour-sanctioned charity tournament hosted by Greg Norman. Come out to watch 12 two-man teams consisting of the top PGA TOUR players. Tickets start at $25 for tournament daily grounds passes to $110 for admission to the week event. Proceeds benefit the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) of Florida.

Celebrate with the animals at the Naples Zoo’s 12 Days of Wild Holiday Fun. From December 13th through 24th Naples Zoo will deliver gifts to the animals. Zoo guests will watch lions claw into beautifully wrapped presents with their favorite foods inside, lemurs nibble treats off a Christmas tree, and see many other animals enjoying delicacies made especially for each of their tastes. Admission to the 12 Days of Wild Holiday Fun is included in ticket price of $19.95. Be sure to visit http://www.napleszoo.com/ for coupons and remember that gift certificate tickets to the zoo are available at discounted prices.

Enjoy some fun in downtown Naples during Thursdays on Third when the courtyards and plazas of Third Street South come alive with the musical sounds of jazz, rock, folk, or some other style, all with a holiday focus during December. Relax and listen or if the spirit moves 'as it always does', dance until you can dance no more. Holiday entertainment continues with Snowfest on Dec. 4, an annual event that turns the Paradise Coast into a winter wonderland. Snowfest features 70 tons of snow, a sled mountain, ice skating rink, full scale carnival, hands-on art & crafts, food, pony rides, petting zoo and pictures with Santa. Admission is $1 per person and free for children 3 and younger.

Join the twinkling procession of boats as they make their way down Venetian Bay for the Village Boat Parade on Dec. 9. The evening includes live entertainment and an unwrapped gift drive to help spread holiday cheer. All toys donated benefit The Guadalupe Center of Immokalee’s Holiday Gift Shop.

Get into the holiday spirit a couple of weeks early, and on Dec. 11 come and see the Naples Bay Christmas Boat Parade from 6-8 p.m. Watch the annual holiday lighted boat parade from Naples City Dock or the waterfront restaurants lining the Naples Waterfront area around Naples Bay.

Watch the clear night sky light up with the New Year’s Eve Fireworks. Find a spot anywhere along Naples Beach for the annual fireworks display, blasting off from Naples Pier. This event is free.

It’s not too late to start planning for January and February’s top events – Make a resolution to start the New Year with something beautiful around your wrist, on your wall and upon your table, purchased from one of the 260 national artists at the 15th Annual Downtown Naples New Year’s Art Show Jan. 1 -2. This free, juried holiday show, held in the heart of Downtown Naples, offers upscale shops and restaurants to enjoy before and after visiting the artists' booths.

Connect with wildlife during the Southwest Florida Nature Festival, Jan. 14-16. This three-day festival celebrates the local coastal environment through more than 30 guided field trips to over 20 wildlife hot spots around Southwest Florida, on-the-water adventures plus on-site activities at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. Admission is $15 for a weekend pass ($10 per day, $5 for 12 & under).

Tantalize your taste buds at the Everglades Seafood Festival on Feb. 4-6 offering three days of live music, carnival rides, arts, crafts, and incredible food! The Everglades Seafood Festival offers something for all tastes and fun for all ages. Over 100 vendors offer a wide variety of great seafood, refreshments, midway, and hand-made arts and crafts. This event is free.

Immerse yourself into art and culture at the Naples National Art Show,Feb. 26-27. Ranked as the ninth best art festival in the nation by Sunshine Artist magazine, this juried show features 275 national artists drawing around 25,000 visitors. Festival activities will include musical performances on the park's band shell, and numerous food vendors. Admission is $5 to benefit youth art education programs.

YEAR-ROUND

Clean Beaches on the Paradise Coast Beaches in Naples, Marco Island and the Gulf Coast Everglades are clean and pristine and were not ever impacted by the Gulf oil spill. No oil ever reached Southwest Florida and none was ever forecast to come close to this area. See conditions for yourself via live Web cams on the Paradise Coast Beach Conditions Web page, along with detailed information about area beaches, weather and more. Also check out the Web video page for an episode of the new video series Adventures in Paradise, featuring local chef Fabrizio Aielli of Sea Salt Naples using clear and clean Gulf of Mexico seawater to cook a delicious linguine and Florida blue crab sauce dish.

For more information on visiting Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades – The Paradise Coast and a free visitors guide, call 1-800-688-3600 or visit the area’s official visitor information Web site at www.paradisecoast.com.