Naples is equal parts aspirational luxury and approachable beach culture. Perched on the Gulf Coast in Southwest Florida, Naples boasts powder-soft white sand beaches, prestigious residential neighborhoods like Port Royal and Pelican Bay, and top-tier golf destinations including Tiburón Golf Club and Lely Resort Golf & Country Club. With 20,000 full-time residents, it doesn’t have the crowds of its Atlantic Coast counterparts, but it has everything else one could want in a Florida vacation. Two Noble House luxury properties embody this balance: Inn on Fifth and La Playa Resort & Golf Club.

Building new travel experiences out of existing structures is a recurring theme with these sibling properties. La Playa Resort & Golf Club is a full-on beach lifestyle resort that has been delighting couples, friend groups, and families since its opening in 1968. It expanded to 189 rooms with the opening of its beach tower in 1983, and has the adjoining LaPlaya Golf Club built out of an older club dating to 1957 that was revised with an 18-hole Robert Cupp-designed fairway. Under Noble House management, it underwent another multi-million dollar restoration that fully integrates Gulf front dining and a full-service spa.

Inn on Fifth puts Naples’ city-break advantages on full display, especially as the property occupies two facing buildings on opposite sides of Fifth Street. Guests will find prestige art galleries, historic sites, a playhouse, and an eclectic retail and restaurant scene just beyond its two doorsteps. This is by design. Inn on Fifth, first opened as a boutique hotel in the 1990s, grew out of a former bank built in 1948. The recently opened Club Level Suites addition across the street was built into a 1970s bank building. With the most recent upgrades, they have a cohesive “Old Naples Neo-Mediterranean” architectural aesthetic that unifies the street. 

Registered guests can rent one of the property’s cruiser bikes or request a lift in the hotel’s house car to places within a one-mile radius of the hotel, such as Old Naples’ Third Street South shopping area. Other special guest privileges are offered at nearby tennis courts in Cambier Park and several local golf courses. Rides to the beach, along with lounge chairs, beach towels, and other gear, are also available. 

Inn on Fifth’s main lobby in the original building is a sparkling representation of modern Florida luxury, with a revolving display of art from Rouse Studio Gallery, Shaw Gallery, and Native Visions Galleries that transform it and other public spaces into its own gallery, capturing a season or a special event. The original building also has a genteel but vibrant setting that makes it an ideal hub for business travelers and those planning or attending special events or small conferences. Its warm, friendly managers and staff tie together the relaxed yet elegant milieu.

All rooms at Inn on Fifth are beautifully appointed with Stearns & Foster’s Tivoli Elegance/Tivoli Luxury Plush Euro-Top mattresses, high-thread count sheets, complimentary WiFI, marble-appointed bathrooms, Noble House bath amenities with a subtle tropical aroma, spacious closets, and access to the spa and fitness facilities. The higher-end rooms inside the Club Level Suites building factor in room upgrades, including extra sitting room space, large soaking tubs, and the feeling of having your own Naples pied-a-terre with either a furnished terrace or small balcony.

Beyond a pool and hot tub, its expansive roof pool deck has an abundance of seating, fire pits, and Blu Bar & Grill, serving daily breakfast, cocktails, and snacks. Guests also have access to an immaculately maintained fitness room, which includes a Peloton bike and up-to-the-minute equipment. Spa on Fifth, meanwhile, is an ingenious small space which fits in a steam room, sauna, small relaxation area, retail space, and a concise but customizable menu of massages, body treatments, and facials.

The cornerstone restaurant, Ocean Prime, carries a lot of name recognition across the U.S., but the menus, décor, artwork, and presence of the nightly after-work crowds cement its reputation as a legit “Gulf-to-table” social hub. The kitchen turns out best-sellers like its black grouper main course and mains and appetizers featuring locally-procured seafood that rival the steaks through creative sauces, platings, sides, and seasoning. 

The Spa on Fifth at Inn on Fifth is a posh, pocket-sized retreat ideal for guests on business and “city break” trips. A lot of creativity and care is packed into the space, and superb management and practitioners elevate the concise menu with a personal touch. The 4,500-square-foot SpaTerre at La Playa, meanwhile, features a more extensive menu of traditional spa therapies and restorative rituals inspired by global practices that allow for personalization. Meanwhile, SpaTerre is neatly tucked into a good-sized beach resort that celebrates and complements the overall resort’s surf-and-sand setting. 

LaPlaya’s 189 accommodations and suites in the tower and the single-level “beach house” area accommodate couples, families, and group travelers. Interior design firm Waldrop+Nichols Studio establishes the aesthetic “coastal modern” with a fresh pastel color palette punctuated with darker gold and blue shades. Gulf Tower accommodations feature private balconies and bathrooms outfitted with backlit vanity mirrors and silver accents. Newly installed terrazzo flooring serves as a canvas for luxe chandeliers, decorative painted console tables, dramatic wicker lounge seating, sculptural floor lamps, side tables, and custom bedding and textiles.

The updated lobby references the wildlife and native flora of the Gulf Coast, with vibrantly colored seating and custom artwork by Lorne Progosh of Iconic Design Concept. The resort also has a private club with local members who can drop in and enjoy resort amenities. This provides guests a special opportunity to mix with them on the golf course, at its yoga and functional fitness classes, or at the pools to get the scoop on local happenings. The “Hatchlings” children’s program, meanwhile, offers the younger guests arts and crafts and educational nature-focused activities. Four pools, a nicely curated boutique, an oversized hot tub, private beach butler service, and a kiosk with beach and water sports equipment complete the full-on beach escape. BoatNaples Excursions, meanwhile, partners with the resort to provide private pontoon excursions, eco-tours, and sunset dinner packages that are worth the splurge 

The “sea-to-table” BALEEN provides a welcoming but creative menu where “New American” and steakhouse favorites are updated with inspired international twists. The breakfast is particularly memorable, with the Lobster Eggs Benedict and Croissant Waffles in high demand. Dinner fare reflects the kitchen’s creativity and sense of adventure. Case in point: Lobster Bucatini Blackened Gulf Grouper with a crab and charred corn truffle cake; Roasted Wild Mushroom Truffle Risotto; and Beet and Butternut Squash salad with pomegranate thyme dressing. The modular design and mix of indoor and outdoor spaces nicely parallels the casual eclecticism of the food and beverage menus. 

The food and drinks available at the casual Tiki Bar restaurant and beach service are just as sharp and flavorful, with the same focus on fresh ingredients and distinctive seasoning. The menus here and on Elements Bar’s late-night snacks selection feature regionalized standbys like grouper tacos, perfectly turned-out burgers, and refreshing salads. Pool drinks are beautifully crafted, while the craft cocktails are fun and festive

While La Playa Resort & Golf Club and Inn on Fifth are each a destination in their own right, a combined stay at both is a wonderful way to get an immersive, full picture of this lifestyle-driven town.