• Search for seashells on a Naples beach.sunbathing seashell image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com
  
  For a taste of Florida on the Gulf side, Naples is a happening downtown oasis between beach communities. The Fifth Avenue district offers visitors prime shopping in outlets, fine stores and original shops as well as museums and the Philharmonic Center for the Arts. The coastline is full of private and public beaches, water sports, live entertainment, fine dining and ideal sandy spots for collecting shells. Near Naples, guests can visit Picayune Strand State Forest or Shell Island, or head south to Everglades National Park. Several small, boutique hotels offer luxury with a twist of old-fashioned style along the waterfront.
  
  

Hotel Escalante

• Relax in a beach chair and take in the waves.beach chair image by Joo Hwee Goh from Fotolia.com
  
  A 2003 and 2004 Conde Nast Gold List Member, the Hotel Escalante is a luxury boutique hotel tucked away in the main Fifth Avenue and Third Street South bustling downtown district. Mixing an old world Italian villa style with a modern mix of amenities, guests enjoy finely fitted king size beds, bath amenities, a spa menu, full bath, in-room dining areas and a private patio. Located a few minutes' walk from the beach, the hotel also invites guests to use the swimming pool, Jacuzzi and garden courtyard for sunning. Beach chairs, towels and prepared picnic baskets are also made available in the lobby.
  
  Rooms at the Hotel Escalante include a two-bedroom villa, great for families or two couples sharing a weekend; a one-bedroom Lanai suite featuring a separate living room and private patio to the pool; and an Owner Spa Suite with an attractive French door; as well as traditional rooms with or without a private patio. All rooms come with mahogany furniture and king-size beds, 27" color TV with movie channels, ceiling fan, and designer soaps.
  
  Hotel Escalante
  290 Fifth Avenue South
  Naples, FL 34102-6522
  (239) 659-3466
  hotelescalante.com
  
  

Lemon Tree Inn

• Tropical-colored shutterswindow with blue shutters and red flowers image by green308 from Fotolia.com
  
  For a more modest throw-back to the old-fashioned hotel style, the Lemon Tree Inn offers guests a touch of Key West in a petite boutique hotel in lively downtown Naples. Set on the ocean, in a meticulously palm tree-lined and landscaped location, the hotel offers guests a warm and hassle-free visit. The hotel's website advertises Lemon Tree Inn rooms as a return to yesteryear: Accommodations are mostly simple bedrooms, designed in the style of plantation houses, old-fashioned and nostalgic. They feature four-poster beds, hardwood floors, full bathrooms and tropical-colored plantation shutters.
  
  The exclusive St. Croix Suite includes private entrances, a living room and kitchenette. Artwork by local and Caribbean artists complement each originally designed room and suite. Lemon Tree Inn guests are invited to enjoy the hotel's large outdoor swimming pool, courtyard garden and gazebo. Near the hotel, guests may golf, shop and explore fine restaurants or just plan a day at a local beach or spa.
  
  Lemon Tree Inn, Florida
  250 Ninth Street South
  Naples, FL 34102
  (239) 262-1414
  Booking: (888) 800-LEMO
  lemontreeinn.com
  
  

Bayfront Inn 5th Ave

• Enjoy a waterfront Florida sunset.beach image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.com
  
  A small, downtown Naples waterfront hotel, the Bayfront Inn features Caribbean-style lodging. The hotel's 98 rooms and suites rest right on the Gulf of Mexico, featuring immediate access to the waterfront and powdered-sugar sand beaches.
  
  Rooms at the Bayfront are stylish, modern and luxurious, featuring gel pillows, premium king and queen beds, dark wood furniture, fashionable chairs, writing desk and a beach view patio. The hotel presents itself as sophisticated and devoted to a sumptuous stays. The Bayfront features a heated waterfall pool and spa, a restaurant, a waterfront grill with live entertainment, and the opportunity to take a gondola ride along the bay front.
  
  Bayfront Inn 5th Ave
  1221 Fifth Avenue South
  Naples, FL 34102
  (239) 649-5800
  bayfrontinnnaples.com