Our members choose Florida to:
- Enjoy a great year-round climate
- Flop and shop
- Have fun at the best theme parks in the world
From crashing surf to vibrant cities, neon-lit malls to tangled mangroves, Mickey Mouse to man-eating alligators, the Sunshine State has it all. What attracts members the most is that Florida offers something for everyone. Here are Ten Americas expert Zia Bapuji's top tips:
Motels & art deco hotels
There's a variety of accommodation on offer, from 'mom and pop' family-owned motels, villas and art deco hotels to sprawling golf and spa resorts.
A number of high-end spa hotels have recently opened in Fort Lauderdale. The Atlantic Resort & Spa and the St Regis Fort Lauderdale are both luxurious options, while the W Fort Lauderdale (set to open in October) and The Trump International Tower & Hotel (launching in 2009) will add to the area's reputation for world-class, high-end hotels. Call us if you want to be among the first to stay at either resort.
Some members who stay on Palm Beach opt for The Breakers Hotel and Boca Raton Resort, both of which have a rich history. The Breakers was originally built in 1896 as the Palm Beach Inn, playing host to royals, celebrities and heads of industry. It's a large hotel that benefits from a beach-front location, but it can be a touch touristy. The Boca Raton was built over 80 years ago and has a private beach. It offers a host of facilities and will open a new Pool Oasis wing this September. If you're looking for something more discreet, try The Brazilian Court. It has a beautiful inner courtyard that's perfect for relaxing with a cocktail and a Frederick Fekkai Salon & Spa. Its Café Boulud is one of the best restaurants in town.
In Miami the new Setai is one of the most luxurious (and expensive) hotels that Florida has to offer. The Tides Hotel, meanwhile, is a big name with big rooms, while the Shore Club looks like a white ocean liner and has a buzzy hotel bar and spa (and pool with guest list). Fifteen minutes along the coast is the new 17-storey Regent Hotel Bal Harbour, which offers everything from personal shoppers to private jet hire.
The hot summer months (May to September) are generally low season, so rooms are less expensive. Talk to the Ten team about booking. We may also be able to get extra offers at selected hotels, including free hotel nights and room upgrades. Let us know what you're looking for and we'll advise and arrange
Theme parks and attractions
Orlando has nine theme parks, but the most popular are Walt Disney World Resort (which is twice the size of Manhattan), Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Resort. To keep visitors coming and returning, the parks unveil new rides and shows each year. A recent addition is Aquatica, a 59-acre water theme park with marine life, beach and rides, which opened in April 2008. Try the waterslide: a 300ft transparent tube that takes you through a lagoon teeming with black and white dolphins. Ask Ten to arrange tickets for theme parks before you travel: buying them in advance will save you money and time.
There are other more unusual activities on offer too: you can swim with dolphins in their natural lagoon homes at the Dolphin Research Centre (Marathon) and visit the Salvador Dali Museum (St Petersburg).
Florida is also home to Cape Canaveral's Kennedy Space Center, where you can watch shuttle launches and find out about the history of space exploration. We can organise astronaut training days at the centre so you and your family can find out what it's like to don a space suit and prepare for lift off.
Ask Ten for more tips on what's on.
Coast
With over 1,000 miles of sandy coastline, it's been said there's no such thing as an unattractive beach in Florida. On the Gulf coast (west), the sea is warm; on the Atlantic coast, the waves are bigger and the beaches broader.
Affluent Naples (Gulf), with its long sandy beach, is perfect for members who want a calm and low-key beach resort. It's good for upscale shopping, particularly in the downtown area, and excellent dining. A car is essential, however: Naples is spread out along the coast so you'll need transport if you want to explore.
Fort Lauderdale is a fast-growing resort with a thriving gay scene that attracts members who want to relax at its high-class hotels and spa resorts. One member warns, however, that ‘the beach is long but not idyllic - like so much of Florida in these parts it's backed by a six-lane road so be prepared for a lack of peace and quiet'. It's a great starting point for a Caribbean cruise, however: ask Ten if you'd like to charter a yacht.
Palm Beach is one of the most famous and well-heeled resorts along the Florida coast. This high-end retreat is, according to a member, ‘the grand dame of Florida's resort towns,' attracting couples who want to relax with some fine dining, golf, spas and shopping. It's also home to some prestigious arts and antiques fairs, such as the American International Fine Art Fair - ask Ten for more information.
Call Ten for more details on Florida's beaches and coastal towns, whether you want a surfing destination, such as Cocoa Beach, or somewhere to take the family, like Clearwater. With miles of coastline to choose from, Florida has somewhere to suit all needs.
Miami nights
Miami is the party capital of Florida, where you can dance to house, hip hop, salsa, flamenco, reggae, blues and jazz well into the night (and the day after too). It's a popular town for stag and hen dos, and for members who want to have a lively weekend during a trip to Florida.
South Beach is a place to pose and people watch: it's full of restored art deco buildings, restaurants and nightclubs filled with beautiful people, and it has a show-off beach scene that's all part of the mix. It's also a surprisingly intimate resort area: you can explore much of it on foot, with the occasional taxi journey. There are many luxury hotels along the famous Collins Avenue: the Delano, the Setai, The Raleigh, The National and The Sagamore all have great swimming pools, good restaurants and access to the sandy beach.
If you're interested in culture rather than clubbing, Miami holds a prestigious art fair in December. Art Basel Miami is the sister event of the original Swiss fair of the same name (which has been running for almost four decades) and it's among the most important art shows in the US. Each year it brings together leading galleries from across the world and compiles a programme that includes special exhibitions, parties and crossover events featuring music, film, architecture and design. Ask Ten for more information if you'd like to attend.
The Keys
From Miami, it's a simple car journey south on the famous highway US1 to the Florida Keys, a hundred-mile-long string of islands known for coral-reef diving, sunsets and the famous Key Lime Pie.
Each island has its own character: Key Largo is home to the only living coral reef in the states, and many members say that it's the best place for diving in the US, while the sub-tropical Key West, once home to Ernest Hemingway and the setting of his 1937 novel To Have and Have Not, has plenty of laid-back bars and a buzzing gay scene.
Members often choose to stay at the Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, which has been listed among the best resorts in the world by Condé Nast Traveler and Travel+Leisure magazine. It's located on a private island, close to Key West, where thatched-roof bungalows nest amid palm trees and white sands, encircled by the azure waters of the Florida Straits. It's a tranquil, romantic retreat that's only accessible by seaplane or boat. Ask Ten for more details.
Everglades
Despite overdevelopment in many areas of Florida, the state has thousands of acres of wilderness that's home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. Most notable is the Everglades National Park, Florida's ecological treasure. This steamy, swampy plain is filled with wildlife, from alligators, dolphins and manatees to racoons, skunks and panthers. Airboat tours are available, but to get close to nature you'll need to cut out the propeller noise, so kayaking is the best way to get around, although you can also bike or hike through the swamps.
Most people use Miami or Naples as a base from where to start a swamp tour, but talk to us about making a trip to the Everglades a part of your stay.
Sports & shopping
Florida's climate is perfect for golf and tennis - you can choose from thousands of courses and courts - and if you can't find a watersport here then it doesn't exist.
But if the going gets too hot, shopping is also a state sport, and there are many air-conditioned places to do it. Designer clothing boutiques, huge factory outlets, flea markets and miles of malls (Florida's largest has 300 shops stretching two miles) are all open for business. Although their fashion sense isn't always that 'British', lots of outlets offer discounts on brand names, and you can pick up very cheap basics.
Members say Bal Harbour is the state's ‘shopping paradise'. It has outlets for famous names, such as Tiffany, Bulgari, Escada and Prada, and its many bistros, cafés and restaurants mean you're never short of places to relax and refuel. Call Ten for more recommendations, and don't forget that we can arrange to ship your purchases home.
Cars
While in Orlando, most hotels offer transportation to the major theme parks, but a car is an absolute necessity to get anywhere else, particularly as many members combine a visit to Orlando with a stay at a beach resort. We can arrange many types of car rental; talk to us about what will suit you best.
