r/chubbytravel

Planning a trip for September in Europe and I keep switching around where we want to go. Finally decided on Montenegro. Looks absolutely beautiful, hotel options are wonderful, cute cafes, restaurants, shops, but also hiking and the water. Also we could easily extend our trip and spend time in Croatia. However, I start to search hotels recommendations in Reddit and I see all these posts on other groups about how dirty and awful Montenegro is lol. Trash everywhere, terrible service, scam rental car companies. So now I’m a little afraid. The Reddit channels I was reading it on were just general travel reddits not chubby or fat so I’m curious since were planning on staying in a chubby hotel, (One & Only) we would have a different experience? That being said we do want to rent a car and explore, not just be stuck in the hotel. Would love to hear anyone’s experience, pros and cons of Montenegro? This Reddit has been so helpful so thank u in advanced ❤️

Hi everyone! My husband and I are looking to book our first anniversary trip for this May, staying at Weekapaug Inn in Rhode Island. Has anyone used a TA to book a stay here, and did it help you with pricing/perks/upgrade?

Hello!

I am traveling with a group of 3 couples to the World Cup, staying near stadium in Sunny Isles. I am trying to find quality restaurants that have great food (priority 1) with ambience. The dinner picks so far are BALEEN oceanfront seating night one, dinner/karaoke experience at LIQUE bar and lounge night two, and waiting to hear back from Avra. Group is child free for trip and want to enjoy the adult time, but not if LIQUE is a 20 something crowd. Any recs from locals or frequent visitors to the area? I have only been twice and stayed in south beach so not familiar with the places and can’t find reviews outside of trip advisor. Any suggestions welcome!! Also doing spa day at Acqualina and the game Saturday. Any other must do activities or restaurants in the area I’m missing? Trying to get ahead of crowds and have reservations in advance. Thank you if you read this far :)

10/10, stunning.

Arrival- airport transfer was arranged by the hotel, and was easy to find. The driver checked in with us to let us know he was there when we landed, and patiently waited for the *very long* Cancun checked bag process to complete. Large SUV with tons of rooms for us, our luggage, and my wife's wheelchair. The driver not only had still & sparkling water and snacks but also a cold cerveza in a cooler for me. Maroma is set back well away from the highway with a very discreet entrance, so it's a treat to cruise through the jungle- adds to the feeling of transitioning away from life to vacation. Bags were whisked away, our attendant Omar led us through their welcome ceremony and to our room with a full tour and a quick check-in process.

Room- we were in 28, a one-bedroom oceanfront suite in the main building. Whether it was luck, excellent work by u/alextravels and the hotel management, or some combination of all of the above, this was the *perfect* room for us. My wife has mobility challenges, but can walk short distances, and could easily walk to the main pool, the bar, the beach, and both restaurants from our room. We only needed assistance to get to the adults-only pool and the spa, which was happily provided via golf cart. The room was spacious with a nice outdoor sitting area that hosted our room service meals by the ocean. As I said, for us the centrally-located spot was perfect- if you desire absolute silence, a room more towards the end of the resort might be better suited, as you could hear quiet music from the bar or from folks passing by. For us, it wasn't a bother (the room was very quiet with the doors closed) and worth it for the location. The bath tub was huge, with a bath tray with a loofah (shaped like a turtle!), bath salts, a bath bomb, and soap. On request the attendant can also draw a bubble bath.

Spa- we took advantage of several treatments at the spa, a quiet and beautifully decorated spot at the end of the resort next to the adults-only pool. Service was off-the-charts good. It is a Guerlain spa, meaning they do recommend products to you, however these were provided as written recommendations at the end of the service with no upsell. We did the purifying cenote treatment as a couple's treatment. The room was enormous- by far the biggest treatment room we've ever seen, easily 750+ square feet with a private sitting area, private outdoor sitting area, toilets and shower, plus the treatment tables. One wall was floor-to-ceiling windows with privacy screens and natural light. We also came back for mani/pedis.

Pools- three pools. All were effectively adults-only for us, as we only saw one kid on the property during our stay. The adults-only pool gets the most sun and has the best ocean view and ocean breezes. This is also the warmest pool. The main pool is the most beautiful and serene. There is no pumped-in music anywhere on the property, which I loved. I hate having to listen to someone else's idea of good pool music at other properties, and I don't want a party atmosphere at this kind of property. Great bird-watching opportunities at all the pools, as well. Attentive service, water provided in coolers at your lounge, and sunscreen/towels/aftersun all provided.

Food- this was why I'm glad we didn't stay at an all-inclusive. The food was a bit pricey, but so much better. The main restaurant features regional Mexican cuisine, Woodend is surf & turf cooked over open flame, Freddy's Bar is a mix of ceviche and sandwiches for pool/oceanside dining, and Bambuco is a killer bar (seriously- the white negroni is one of the best cocktails I've ever tasted). Again, due to my wife's condition we especially loved that the in-room dining had a mix of dishes from all the restaurants/bars, and some dishes that weren't in their menus. Usually room service feels like an afterthought compared to the restaurants- not so at the Maroma. We jokingly called the mini bar the maxi bar. It was well stocked with Mexican spirits, a mix of Mexican and old-world wine, and once the attendant picked up that I was a craft beer guy all the Corona was replaced with local craft IPAs and lagers. Another plus compared to an all-inclusive- I usually eat breakfast by myself and then order for my wife and take hers back to the room. Since AIs sometimes upcharge for room service, this is sometimes difficult - no problem at all here. We had free breakfasts and they gladly packed up my wife's order so I could bring it to her in bed.

Beach- it's a beach in Cancun, I can't say it was better or worse than others as I haven't traveled to the area often. The sargassum is very bad this year. We live in Key West, FL so as we joked to the staff when they would apologize for the seaweed, it's the same seaweed we saw at home last week. It was removed three times a day, and that's all they could do about it. We're used to it so it didn't diminish our enjoyment of the beach, and I feel like if you're traveling to this area you should know it's a risk. If you want a beautiful huge beach with zero seaweed, I highly recommend Skylark/Rockhouse in Negril.

Hospitality- I saved this for last, because this is the reason to go to Maroma in my book. Every single person we talked to was warm, hospitable, and caring. Everyone did everything they possibly could to make us feel at home and taken care of. Normally I make sure to call staff out by name in a note to the manager at the end of a visit to make sure they are recognized, but I couldn't do that this time because it wasn't one or two people- it was everyone. I now understand why Belmond racks up so many awards. It never felt like too much, but always just right.

I would 1000% stay at this property again, and I rarely make repeat visits. Just an off-the-charts level of relaxation. Thanks a million to u/alextravels for handling the details for us, and for ably handling a last minute situation that almost had us rescheduling! I absolutely plan to do business with Alex and her team again.

We are a family of 4, admittedly a little new to the chubbier properties. I’m thinking with all the world unrest I’d like to stay domestic this summer. We have kids age 12 and 15. We like adventure-lite… kayaking, snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking, etc but with a comfy bed and a nice restaurant at the end of the day. We aren’t necessarily sit around by the beach/pool types, but my kids still do enjoy a swim in a non-crowded pool.

We went to Oahu a few years ago and spent a fair amount of time in Waikiki. So we would choose Maui, Kauai, or big island. We have 2 weeks so possibly would split the trip in between two of those.

Any recommendations for really special properties we should check out?

Budget is maybe $2k/night?

So, I've been researching and am down to a few resorts and want to see what reddit thinks and insight I may be missing. We are big water people and so quality water swimming etc

I'm looking at the intercontinental for the fact it's on the main island and we may be closer to some excursions and be able to go to restaurants for more local food choices- but I read the rooms are dated and service is hit or miss.

The four seasons had me but I just read an awful review about jetskis running all around the OWB all day and I loathe jetskis so.. not sure if this a common issue at every resort with the jetski excursions?

The westin has OWB with plunge pools and is newest but have to water taxi to off resort restaurants and some excursions.

Anyone have insight into the jetski/ motu food situations? Are plunge pools worth it when we really want to be able to snorkel at the resort from our OWB?

Thank you for all recs!

HI! We are trying to plan a trip to Italy for 10 days 6/10-6/20 with our kids 12,10 & 9. Kids really want to see Venice (my husband and I have already been many times before). They also want to see Rome and Florence. I need help! Unique experiences, awesome (tween friendly) 5 star hotels, willing to look elsewhere too as my husband and I have already visited and loved all these cities. Please help me make this trip Fun for us all!. Thank you so much

Getting married in Oahu next July, and planning on taking a plane to another of the islands right after for our honeymoon! We’re both in our 40s, would love to do some moderate hiking and snorkeling, and stay at a relatively quiet resort. Because it’ll be our honeymoon, we’d prefer it to be as adult-only as possible. Out of all the characteristics of a resort that matter to me, I’d say good service matters the most. Doing some research in this sub and generally, I’m currently debating between Hotel Wailea and Four Seasons Hualalai.

The quiet and adults only aspect of HW is of course very appealing, I’m willing to accept that it might not be a true Chubby level experience, but FS Hualalai seems to be very highly regarded and I love the idea of being able to see an active volcano on the Big Island. Maui hiking and sightseeing doesn’t seem as special to me, but that’s just from a cursory look online. What do people think? Would FS Hualalai have a ton of families in July? Would it be worth it to just go with HW on Maui instead?

Looking to do a last minute trip this summer (July or August) in the Mediterranean. Ideally Spain or France. Goal is to relax at the beach, go to nice restaurants at night, and do a bit of sightseeing. Have thought of Marbella, maybe a Spanish Island (Mallorca, Ibiza?), or South of France. Any recommendations on nice properties? Trip would be for 2 adults. Budget is flexible.

Hi! My husband and I are going to Paris for the first time in July. We are torn between Relais Christine, Le Narcisse Blanc, and Hotel du Louvre, and we aren’t sure which one to stay at. What do people think of these hotels? We appreciate any input on any of these hotels and your opinion on which you prefer/recommend. Thank you!

Looking for some nice under the radar stays outside of reddit's faves (Ie; No four seasons/ritz peninsula papagayo, no nayara, etc). Really open to anything, including villa rentals. No kids to worry about, just adults that like good food, beach, and culture. I am intrigued by Tulemar but open to anything.

Anyone have any thoughts? And are you doing charters or doing long drives to reach the cities further out?

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are planning our honeymoon for May 2027 and we’re trying to choose a lodge in one of the private reserves around Kruger. We’ve never been on safari before, so this is all pretty new to us.

A bit about us: we’re both around 30, we really value peace and quiet, and we’re looking for something on the more luxurious side. Ideally, we’d prefer a lodge that doesn’t have too many families or young kids around — more of a calm, intimate vibe with great service and high-quality guiding.

Our budget is roughly $1,200 per person per night, and we’re planning to stay for 4 nights.

We’ve been looking at a few options already and have some pricing (for 2 people / 4 nights, including fees and transfers):

- Timbavati:

• Simbavati River Lodge ($7,032, or $5,694 with honeymoon offer)

• Thabamati ($6,015, no offer)

• Amaya ($6,841, no offer)

• Simbavati Hilltop ($11,290, or $9,101 with honeymoon offer)

- Balule:

• Pondoro Chalets ($6,288)

• Pondoro Suites ($9,549, or $7,788 with Stay 4 Pay 3)

- Klaserie:

• Simbavati Waterside ($9,311, or $7,158 with honeymoon offer)

- Ngala:

• &Beyond Ngala ($10,437, or $7,900 with honeymoon offer)

- Sabi Sand:

• Savanna Lodge ($11,220, or ~$8,415 with honeymoon offer)

We’re a bit torn between going for something more high-end in Sabi Sand/Ngala vs. something quieter and better value in Timbavati/Klaserie.

Would love to hear:

- Any personal experiences with these lodges

- Which ones you think best fit a honeymoon vibe

- Whether it’s worth stretching for Sabi Sand/Ngala

- Any other lodges we should consider in a similar price range

Thanks so much in advance!

Was looking at Blackberry Farm for a couples trip next Memorial Day, but im seeing some info online indicating this is a weekemd big on families and children.

Wondering if we should retool and maybe consider another resort, and if so if there are any suggestions. Thanks

Looking for recommendations on your favorite English countryside 5 star hotels for our 1 year wedding anniversary in early October. We are in our 30s, no kids, coming from NY. We enjoy excellent and impressive spa facilities, good food & cocktails, unique on property experiences.

Overall we just want a slower pace of life for a few days.

Hello everyone! My fiance and i are currently deciding where to go in Hawaii for our honeymoon. Here are our options:

• 1 hotel hanalei bay (recommended to us by a friend, but mixed reviews on room cleanliness/service etc on reddit)
• Mauna lani (good reviews but looks a little too family friendly for a december honeymoon (from dec 7-16 ish)
• FS Hualalai (stunning but on the higher budget side)
• FS Lanai (also stunning, also a bit on the higher budget side, not as many good flights to get there)
• Rosewood kona village (also a bit pricier, looks great, tbd on if beach is good??)

We want good beach vibes/exploring other beaches, good food options, nice rooms, don't care too much about nightlife etc. Probably not too many kids running around.

please let us know!

Planning a quick trip to Mexico City with family (including young kids). Staying at a five star hotel. Looking for a car service that would have car seats for the kids and be available to drive us for three days (without a preset itinerary for each day, aside from transfer between airport and hotel). Ideally, I don’t want to deal with taking, installing, and removing my own car seats, and would prefer to not totally pre-plan the itinerary. Also was considering private security for when we’re out. It would be ideal if the car service also provided the security but that’s probably not an option.

Any specific recommendations? Or any suggestions on how to find a reliable service for both of these needs?