Florida Keys, away from Key West

Your typical beach resort--not the Ritz, but comfortable, spacious, and clean. We had a ground floor room facing the adult pool. We arrived late in the night, and I have to say, opening up the curtains the following morning, it was like Dorothy stepping out into Oz for the first time. Technicolor. The hotel does a fabulous job with groundskeeping.

The hotel offers a nice selection of boats and water craft to rent by the hour. We rented kayaks one day, and the currents were a bit strong for paddling around. Not much to really see, either. Then we rented a Craig Cat, which was very good for that type of setting; you could explore the canals and see the lovely houses in the Key and zip around the sea at 25-30 miles an hour. Great fun. The folks who rent the water sports booth were very nice, knowledgeable, and laid back.

The spa at the Hawk's Cay Resort is luxurious and quite a treat. They offer loads of services, but in my opinion, some of the services were overpriced. I had a deep-tissue massage that was well worth the $115 for 50 minutes. The surroundings and decor are lovely, and it's a great little escape when the sun gets to be too much.