SOUTH FLORIDA
What the kids do: Cruise the beach in Daytona in hip-hop-blaring SUVs by day; throw down red rum drinks at the open-air, reggae-playing Ocean Deck by night.

What you'll do: Go to the place where Spring Break got its start: Fort Lauderdale. From the 1960 movie Where the Boys Are to its heyday in the mid-'80s when nearly 400,000 students rolled in, the town was breakers' Ground Zero. Today, this is the place for you: The kids are long gone. The big trend here is in luxury condo/hotel projects such as the St. Regis (opening in September), but you'll marinate just fine at Starwood's year-old Atlantic. In a town that's not always a paradigm of refinement, these rooms are tasteful and restrained, featuring cream-colored sofas, espresso-hued furniture, granite countertops, and marble baths. Take advantage of the 7,000-square-foot Spa Atlantic, which specializes in facials; the staff analyzes your skin type and advises on the best type of treatment, whether it's vitamin C, seaweed, or aloe ($126). Just don't tell the therapist you're heading out to the fifth-floor pool, which can only encourage more sun damage. But if you're going to catch some rays, you may as well do it from a yacht; Fort Lauderdale, after all, is a boating capital. Water Fantaseas will rent you anything from a 41-foot sport yacht ($2,750 a day) to a 72-foot luxury model for $8,500. Yeah, like the kids know how to have a wild time.

The Atlantic
From $399 to $4,000
Tel: 954 567 8020
Fax: 954 567 8040

Water Fantaseas
Tel: 954 524 1234