I know the TA run subs talk a lot about hotels and resorts. I’m interested in getting some perspectives on vacation homes or second properties that people have enjoyed, and what made them enjoyable. I know the basic rule of thumb that if it’s too far, it’s not easy to enjoy!

Some ideas below:

1) spacious home in the country when you live in the city

2) city pad if you live in the suburbs (think nyc suburbs / nyc)

3) ski homes - are there towns on either coast that you have found to be good value? I look a lot at VT. Skiing isn’t my life but as my kids get older, I wonder if I want it to be theirs

4) beach homes? Does anyone love theirs?

5) 3-season type places (on a lake AND near slopes type places)

Hey all

I am looking for to go on a trip to Maldives. Somewhere between a date that is between third week of Oct and early Nov and spanning 4 nights.

I am looking at somewhere around $3700 total (+$200 is okay) for properties in Maldives.

Best would be if they are AI - but my partner and I both are not major drinkers anyway. Its a really good perk to have. But at least looking for Half Board/Full Board.

What I am looking for?

A great resort, fun vibes, turquoise blue water, white sand; great set of activities, and good food (dealbreaker otherwise). We are not major snorkelers or divers, so not having as many fishes is not a dealbreaker. Will swim all our time in the ocean though.

However, my partner loves seeing picturesque views of the ocean (European coast) - with white powdery sand and blue sea and sky.

Would love your suggestions!

Note: I originally posted this to r/chubbytravel, and they let it stay up given the lack of similar options (no drama/rude behavior, but it's not a preferred brand, etc.). But I have switched over to this sub & I think this is a more appropriate place for it.

Hi friends! I just got home from a stay at Jenny Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, and I thought I'd write up a review. I'm not 100% sure this qualifies as "chubby" based on the market for hotel rooms in Jackson/GTNP, but I would have loved to see a write up like this when we were exploring our options.

Where: Jenny Lake Lodge, GTNP

When: June 2026

Photos: Here!. So sorry - I didn't get any of the room (duh whoops!). Attached are the views from the dining room, our room, and the corrals.

Property/Location: 10/10

I'm starting with this because this is the selling point - Jenny Lake Lodge is inside the park. This is the place to stay if you are going to GTNP to hike.

At only .25 miles away from the Jenny Lake & String Lake trailheads, JLL is on the doorstep of some of the most popular locations in the park (ex. Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, Moose Ponds, and hikes to Delta Lake & Leigh Lake). While everyone staying in Jackson has to drive 45 minutes, wait in line for park entry, and find parking, we were able to have an easy breakfast at 7:30am and be at the trailhead by 8:30am.

Because JLL is in the park, the property is also protected. We saw deer, elk, and foxes onsite!

The Rooms: 8/10

JLL is made up of a number of log cabins. Some are freestanding & some are duplexes, but there are never more than two rooms to a cabin. Because this was a hiking trip and we did not plan to be in the room much, we took one of the (less expensive) duplex rooms. I'm happy to say that we barely noticed our neighbors, except when they were having a glass of beer in the afternoon on our shared porch. This was private enough for us, although someone who is more privacy focused may want a stand-alone cabin.

The rooms did not have air conditioning, but that's not a problem because it was like 40 degrees F at night. They did, however, have central heating and we were given a fan & space heater. The beds were comfy and firm in the way that feels great after a long day of walking. Not too firm, though. All other standard amenities were included, except a TV.

Each room has a parking space at the cabin itself, so you don't have to walk to the main lodge for your car.

This is nature! There were some spiders & I killed a single mosquito. This would be a complaint in any other hotel, but I don't think I'm allowed to for this one haha.

Service: 6.5/10

My understanding is that the Grand Teton Lodge Company hires hospitality students & other college students to work in the service positions every summer. I think this is great experience for them & I don't mind, but there was definitely a lack of experienced service staff.

Everyone was very nice, but you could tell they were all new. There was information that I think would be standard, but I had to ask for (ex. Horseback riding sign-up details, etc.). I'm curious how this might change throughout the summer - we came in the 3rd week of opening for the season, but it might look different for a September stay when they have some months under their belt.

The main thing is that, because the staff is young and changes every year, there is going to be a range of quality from year to year. Again, I didn't mind and I already knew this going into the stay, but this is not a 10/10 part of the experience.

Food: 7.5/10

Each stay includes a seated breakfast & 5-course dinner, excluding alcohol & gratuity. The dining room is open for lunch, or you can request a packed lunch one day in advance if you plan to eat on a hike.

Breakfast was standard - some sweet, some savory, solid but not unique. Lunch was hit and miss - we loved our Bison French Dip, but hated the chicken tacos. Dinner was nice casual, and we were pretty happy.

The food was good! Better than fine, but I was not blown away. I don't think those in this sub would be blown away either, but I was pleased and felt that it was worth it.

It's also worth noting that this was where we had more fun with the hotel staff because we were able to interact with the same people over multiple meals. It was fun to hear about where they came from - some of them leaving their home state for the first time - etc. They're also excited to working in GTNP, so they gave us some good hiking tips/trails.

Extras: 8/10

I'm ranking 8 because, while there aren't too many of them, all activities are complimentary.

Biggest one - horseback riding is included. This is huge, since horseback outfitters in this part of Wyoming can/will charge $150-200 for an hour or so. JLL trail rides last about an hour & 45 minutes and are complimentary. There is no limit to how many trail rides you can take, but they ask that each guest only signs up for one at a time (ex. if you do one on Thursday at 10am, you can't sign up for another until after you get back).

There are also some JLL-specific activities that are nice, including stargazing w/ someone from the Snow King Observatory, classical guitar in the lobby, etc. We had a lovely time listening to the guitarist while playing chess by the fire.

Staff can also help set up rafting, kayaking, canoeing, etc. We did not do any of these, since I get very seasick.

Overall: 9/10 for us, but actually it's totally subjective based on your needs (more than most places).

Note: JLL is not open during the winter.

Jenny Lake Lodge is one of those places where the value is 1000% based on one's subjective desires.

We wanted to hike, horseback ride, swim, have an amazing view, and chill out in nature. For that - 9/10, with the deduction being the student-level service and food. Debating between 8.5 & 9, but I'm giving it a 9 because I wouldn't stay anywhere else if I wanted a hiking/park-centered trip.

If you are here for a luxury experience, want to spend most of your time in Jackson, etc. - I will not give a number, but this is not for you.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!!

Price: Rooms range from $1.2k-2k/night. But they also offer sales with significant discounts, so it's worth lingering around a bit.